Mammalogist

Are you fascinated by giraffes, whales, or dogs? Wish you could set up camp in the African safari or the wild forests of Asia? Dream of discovering a new animal breed in the rainforests of South America? Working as a Mammalogist is a great way to see the remotest parts of the planet, but if you want a career as a Mammalogist, that’s a little closer to home, you could work in a lab, a zoo, a university, or a museum instead.

That’s because, as a Mammalogist, you study mammals. You can specialize in one species, performing research on several aspects of that group, or you can choose to study a particular trait across many species. So you might spend your days studying the behavior of gorillas at the local zoo, or observe the mating rituals of bears compared to those of tigers. You work with wild, domestic, and marine animals. You observe, take notes, create research reports, and publish your findings.

Your goal is to study the behavior, history, evolution, habits, and features of mammals so you can contribute knowledge to the mammal database. You work to identify different species of mammals, both living and extinct. This is done in a lab, through careful study of captured or deceased animals. It could also take place in the wild, where you track down previously unknown species and make the first recorded observations. Now that’s exciting stuff!