Zoology

Zoology is the biological discipline which involves the study of animals. The study of animal life is, of course, ancient: but as 'zoology' it is relatively modern, for what we call biology was known as 'natural history' at the start of the nineteenth century. During the lifetime of Charles Darwin, natural history turned from a gentlemanly pursuit to a modern scientific activity. Zoology as we know it was first established in German and British universities.

Morphography (a branch of zoology) includes the systematic exploration and tabulation of the facts involved in the recognition of all the recent and extinct kinds of animals and their distribution in space and time.The museum-makers of old days and their modern representatives the curators and describers of zoological collections, early explorers and modern naturalist travelers and writers on zoo-geography, and collectors of fossils and palaeontologists are the chief varieties of zoological workers coming under this heading. Gradually, anatomical study has associated itself with the more superficial morphography until today no one considers a study of animal form of any value which does not include internal structure, histology and embryology in its scope.

Animals are a major group of organisms, classified as the kingdom Animalia or Meta­zoa. In general they are multi­cellular, capable of locomotion, responsive to their environment, and feed by consuming other organisms. Their body plan becomes fixed as they develop, usually early on in their development as embryos, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on.

The word "animal" comes from the Latin word animal, of which animalia is the plural, and is derived from anima, meaning vital breath or soul. In everyday usage animal refers to any member of the animal kingdom that is not a human being, and sometimes excludes insects (although including such arthropods as crabs). The use of the word animal in law typically reflects the common pre-scientific use of the word, roughly equivalent to what modern biology would classify as nonhuman mammal. For example, wildlife laws commonly use phrases such as "animals, birds and fish."

The Scripture is full of references to animals, but they are not described in modern scientific terms. Almost always, they are connected with some spiritual significance, to teach us about God or to give us instruction about how we are to live. (A few examples of these are Job 12:7-10, Prov. 6:6-8, and Matthew 6:26.) Genesis 1 tells us that swimming and flying creatures were created on the fifth day, and that cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the earth were created on the sixth. God then created man and gave him dominion over the "fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." As Christians we want to avoid two extremes when dealing with animals. First, we must avoid abusing and exploiting them (Prov. 12:10). But second, we should not idolize them. In fact, Romans 1 says that it is a curse from God when we do. Animals are beasts, for our use as we obey God's command to take dominion over the earth.

Did you find this review helpful?
90 Items found Print
Active Filters: Perfectbound
After the Sun Goes Down
Nature Study Library
by Glenn O. Blough, illustrated by Jeanne Bendick
from Purple House Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$12.99
Album of North American Animals
by Vera Dugdale, illustrated by Clark Bronson
from Rand McNally
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
Album of North American Birds
by Vera Dugdale, illustrated by Clark Bronson
from Rand McNally
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
Animal Lives - 8 Book Set
by Sally Morgan
from QEB Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
Animal Lives: Snakes
by Sally Morgan
from Teacher Created Resources
for 2nd-4th grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Animals Up Close
by Igor Siwanowicz
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Bald Eagle
by Gordon Morrison
from Walter Lorraine Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
Beastly Behaviors
by Janine M. Benyus, illustrated by Juan Carlos Barberis
from Addison Wesley
for 9th-Adult
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
Birds of Oregon
by Roger Burrows & Jeff Gilligan
from Lone Pine Publishing
for 6th-Adult
in Field Guides: Birds (Location: NAT-FG01)
Black Bear Cub at Sweet Berry Trail
Smithsonian's Backyard collection
by Laura Gates Galvin, illustrated by Will Nelson
from Soundprints
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
Bolivar
by Sean Rubin
from Archaia
for 3rd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$12.74
Bugs Are Insects
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 1
by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Steve Jenkins
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
Bugs for Lunch
by Margery Facklam, illustrated by Sylvia Long
from Charlesbridge
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle
Smithsonian's Backyard Collection
by Deborah Dennard, illustrated by Kristin Kest
from Soundprints
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Can You Track It? Mammals
by Maggie Felsch and Shannen Yauger, illustrated by Tanya Glebova and Abram Felsch
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-6th grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
Coral Reefs
by Jason Chin
from Square Fish Publishing
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Dinosaurs! A Drawing Book
by Michael Emberley
from Little, Brown & Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
DK Animals Around the World
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.00 (2 in stock)
DK Eyewitness Juniors: Amazing Frogs & Toads
by Barry Clarke, photography by Jerry Young
from DK Publishing
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
DK findout!: The Living World - boxed set
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$45.00 (1 in stock)
Do You Really Want to Meet a Weasel?
by Cari Meister, illustrated by Daniele Fabbri
from Amicus Ink
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
Draw 50 Sea Creatures
by Lee J. Ames, with Erin Harvey
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for 3rd-8th grade
in Draw 50 (Location: ELE-ARTD50)
Egg Is Quiet
by Dianna Hutts Aston
from Chronicle Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$9.99
Elf Owl and His Ecosystem
by Megan Noel, illustrated by Tanya Glebova
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-5th grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
Encyclopedia of Animals
from Fog City Press
for 8th-Adult
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
Endangered Animals Dictionary
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Feathers: Not Just for Flying
by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen
from Charlesbridge
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Fighters
by Bernard Stonehouse, illustrated by John Francis
from Tangerine Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Fossils Tell of Long Ago
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Aliki
Revised from HarperCollins
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Golden Exploring Earth: Animals
Golden Exploring Earth
by George S. Fichter, illustrated by Rod Ruth
from Western Publishing
for 2nd-6th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Great Whales: The Gentle Giants
by Patricia Lauber, illustrated by Pieter Folkens
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Whales & Dolphins (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Growing Frogs
by Vivian French, illustrated by Alison Bartlett
from Candlewick Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Hermit Crabs
by Sue Fox
from Barron's
for 3rd-Adult
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Hornets
by Sandra Markle
for 3rd-6th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
How and Why Wonder Book of Birds
by Robert Mathewson
Reprint from Price Stern Sloan
for 4th-6th grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
How and Why Wonder Book of Fossils
by John Burton, illustrated by John Barber
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in How and Why Wonder Books (Location: VIN-H&W)
How and Why Wonder Book of Insects
by Ronald N. Rood, Illustrated by Cynthia and Alvin Koehler
from Wonder Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in How and Why Wonder Books (Location: VIN-H&W)
How to Raise Monarch Butterflies
by Carol Pasternak
2020 printing from Firefly Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Hurry and the Monarch
by Antoine O Flatharta, illustrated by Meilo So
from Dragonfly Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Icky Bug Shapes
by Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by Shennen Bersani
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Jackrabbit and the Prairie Fire
Smithsonian Wild Heritage
by Susan Saunders, illustrated by Jo-Ellen Bosson
from Soundprints
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Jeff Corwin: Snakes
All aboard Reading Level 3
by Jeff Corwin
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 1st-3rd grade
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Key to the Skulls of North American Mammals
2nd edition from Oklahoma State University
for Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Life Cycle of a Bird
by Bobbie Kalman and Kathryn Smithyman
from Crabtree Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Life Cycle of a Mosquito
by Bobbie Kalman
from Crabtree Publishing
for 2nd-5th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Living World: Grasslands
by Clive Catchpole, Illustrated by Peter Snowball
from Dial Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Deserts & Grasslands (Location: SCI-ECO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Lizards
National Geographic Kids Level 2
by Laura Marsh
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Look Up!
by Annette LeBlanc Cate
2nd edition from Candlewick Press
for 2nd-6th grade
2014 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$8.99
Marvelous Mammals From Down Under
by Heather Horn
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-6th grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
Meet the Meerkat
by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne
from Charlesbridge
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Mission Migration
by Ileana Martinez Board, illustrated by Anna Speshilova
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 2nd-5th grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
$5.50 (2 in stock)
My First Encyclopedia of Animals
by John Farndon and Jon Kirkwood
Updated from Kingfisher
for 1st-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$14.99
Nest Is Noisy
by Dianna Hutts Aston
from Chronicle Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$7.99
On the Wing
by David Elliott, Illustrated by Becca Stadtlander
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$5.94
Otter
Animal Lives
by Sandy Ransford, illustrated by Bert Kitchen
from Kingfisher
for 2nd-4th grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Otters
by Bobby Tulloch
from Colin Baxter Photography Ltd.
for 6th-12th grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Owls
by Gail Gibbons
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
Patrick's Dinosaurs
by Carol Carrick, illustrated by Donald Carrick
from Clarion Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Questions and Answers About Forest Animals
by Michael Chinery
from Kingfisher
for 3rd-5th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Raccoons and Ripe Corn
by Jim Arnosky
from Mulberry Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
Red-Eyed Tree Frog
by Joy Cowley, Photographs by Nic Bishop
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Rocks and Fossils
by Martyn Bramwell
from Usborne
for 4th-6th grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Science Comics: Birds of Prey
by Joe Flood
from First Second
for 3rd-6th grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Sharing Nature with Children
by Joseph Cornell
from Dawn Publications
for Adult
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Showoffs
by Bernard Stonehouse; illustrated by John Francis
from Tangerine Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Snakes
by Gail Gibbons
from Holiday House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Spiders and Other Creepy-Crawlies
Wild, Wild World
by Denny Robson, illustrated by James Field
from Paragon Publishers
for 2nd-4th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Stronger Than Steel
by Bridget Heos
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for 4th-7th grade
in Genetics & Microscopic Life (Location: SCI-GEN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Swimming with Sea Lions and Other Adventures in the Galapagos Islands
by Ann McGovern, author and photographer
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Tale of a Tadpole
by Karen Wallace
from DK Publishing
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
Taxonomy Trivia
by The Good and the Beautiful Team
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-5th grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
True Book: Animal Homes
A True Book
by Ann O. Squire
from Children's Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
True Book: Bees
A True Book
by Larry Dane Brimner
from Children's Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
True Book: Beetles
A True Book
by Ann O. Squire
from Children's Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
True Book: Birds
A True Book
by Melissa Stewart
from Children's Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
True Book: Fossils
by Ann O. Squire
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
True Books: Animal Babies
A True Book
by Ann O. Squire
from Children's Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
Turtle Summer
by Mary Alice Monroe, Barbara J. Bergwerf
from Sylvan Dell
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Beginners: Nature - 10 book set
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$20.00 (1 in stock)
Voyage of the Mimi
by Richard M. Hendrick, head writer
from Holt, Rinehart and Winston
for 6th-8th grade
in Theater, Drama & Film (Location: ELE-THEAT)
Whales and Dolphins
by Susanna Davidson
from Scholastic Inc.
in Whales & Dolphins (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Whales and Dolphins
by Robin Kerrod
from Lorenz Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Whales & Dolphins (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
What is Pollination?
by Bobbie Kalman
from Crabtree Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
What's It Like to be a Fish?
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 1
by Wendy Pfeffer, Illustrated by Holly Keller
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Sharks & Fishes (Location: SCI-FISH)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
White Owl, Barn Owl
by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Michael Foreman
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Who Lives at the Seashore?
by Glenn O. Blough, illustrated by Jeanne Bendick
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$13.99
Who Lives in This Meadow?
by Glenn O. Blough, illustrated by Jeanne Bendick
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$12.99
Wolves of Denali
by L. David Mech
from University of Minnesota
for Adult
in Dog Books (Location: SCI-MAMDOG)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Woolly Sheep and Hungry Goats
Rookie Read-About Science
by Allan Fowler
from Children's Press
for Preschool-1st grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Zoology for Kids
by Josh and Bethanie Hestermann, foreword by the Kratt Brothers
from Chicago Review Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$8.00 (1 in stock)