Identify animals and learn about them and their environments.

This course focuses on wild animals and is useful for people who work in zoos or with animals and want to learn more about them.

Core Modules
The Certificate In Wild Animal Studies consists of six 100 hour modules -

Herpetology

Marine Studies I

Marine Studies II

Ornithology

Primates

Vertebrate Zoology


How The Course Works
You can start the course at any time.

It is studied by distance learning, so you can study in the comfort of your own home. But this doesn't mean you are all alone in your studies.  Our highly qualified and friendly tutors are there to help you every step of the way.  If you have any questions at all, they are always happy to help.

To complete the course, you are required to study six 100 hour modules.
There is an assignment at the end of each lesson. For example, in the Marine Studies I module, there are nine lessons, so nine assignments. At the end of each module, there is also an examination which you can take at a time and location to suit you. To pass the course you are required to pass all assignments and six exams.

If you are not sure about going straight to the certificate, you can study each of the modules mentioned as a standalone course. Please click on the links for more information.

Learn to Identify Animals Accurately
In the 18th century, a scientist called Carl Linnaeus, brought about a revolution in the way we name plants, animals and all other living things. His system organised all life forms into a series of different levels of classification, which he called ranks.

• Everything was divided into three different “kingdoms”, one of those being animals.
  
• The animals were then divided up into a series of “Classes”
  
• Classes were then divided into “Orders”
  
• Orders were sub divided into “families”
  
• Families were sub divided into “Genera”
  
• Genera were subdivided into “Species”
  
• Within species, a further subdivision was made into “Varieties”
  

This way of classifying plants was based on what could be observed about the different organisms. In the 18th and 19th century, the differences we could see between animals were limited by the science of the day. This was before electron microscopes and DNA testing.

As a general rule, if organisms interbred between each other, they would be considered to be in the same species. There are exceptions, but they are not common occurrences.

If two different individuals from different species interbred; the new individual is called a “hybrid”.

Modern Science has Changed Taxonomy
With the tools of modern science, our understanding of the evolution of animal species has become much more informed than what it was when we first gave scientific named to different species.

As a result, some very credible scientists today will disagree with each other both in terms of the names that should be given to different organisms, and in terms of the value of the “rank based” system set up by Linnaeus. Some argue strongly for a “rank free” system of classification; but the vast majority still support and use the Linneaus system.

The International Commission for Zoological Nomenclature acts as a global authority for managing the naming of animals internationally. They produce & manage any changes to an International Code for Zoological Nomenclature; which provides a central reference that all animal taxonomists can refer to.

As we learn more about animals (and plants), and understand the genetic, chemical and anatomical similarities and differences in ever increasing detail, our perception of the relationships between different organisms continues to grow. As understanding increases, different scientists will make varied interpretations of this growing pool of information, and from time to time, they will have differing opinions.


Why Do You Need to Know This?

As you study animals you may sometimes encounter conflicting information. Animals may have been renamed or reclassified at times since the time of Linneaus, and sometimes changes are not accepted by everyone; or some may be slower to adopt a change even if it does become accepted.

You may find two books that say different things. You may find two different authorities disagreeing upon whether two different animals are two different species or just two varieties of the same species.  Seeming conflicts such as this do not mean that scientific names are inaccurate though. It is important to recognise that the Linneaus system is still he most accurate and widely used way of identifying different types of animals. Above all, it provides an extremely useful tool for understanding, studying, managing and protecting the diversity of animal life on earth.


Where Can this Course Lead You?
This course can set you on a very exciting path that could lead in any of a large number of directions. It gives you the foundation to work in animal health, care, welfare or rehabilitation. Graduates have an enhanced understanding of the scope and nature of working with wildlife. Through this understanding the graduate will have begun to connect (network) with the industry, and start seeing opportunities to become engaged.

Working with wildlife starts out all sorts of different ways -

• Some find paid employment with a zoo, wildlife reserve, veterinary practice or elsewhere.
  
• Some start out as a volunteer
  
• Others discover business opportunities and become self-employed.
  
• Some graduates become involved with professional bodies, and through networking with established professionals, encounter great career opportunities.
  

ANY QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions, please do get in touch with us - connect with our expert tutors, use our FREE COURSE COUNSELLING SERVICE.

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