Wondering Whale asks “How do you decide what animal to study?”

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Good question, Wondering Whale! Deciding what animal to study depends on a few different things, but one of the first things we can do to help us decide is to think about why we want to study animals. You may have a specific scientific question or be curious about a certain habitat. Or, you may just think an animal is really cool! For example, if you want to know why animals make certain sounds, “vocal” animals like birds or whales might be best (instead of something quieter, like a clam). Or, if you are interested in doing experiments in a lab, it might be practical to pick a smaller animal that you can keep indoors, like mice, insects, or fish. You can also pick an animal just because it is close or easy to study. If you live in California, it might be easier to study something local, like mule deer, instead of a zebra in Africa. Finally, you can pick an animal just because you think they are the coolest! You’ve got a whole world of animals to study, so keep asking questions, Wondering Whale!

– Kirsten

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Main image [Source]: A small sample of animals to study.

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