Taronga Notes
Unit one - Work in the animal care industry
Feb 23, 2023
Topic 1 - Identifying animals
❖ Identifying animals is important for:
➢ Animal births/deaths
➢ Veterinary reports
➢ Day to day care
➢ Medical treatment
➢ Keep animal records - daily reports
➢ Breeding programs
➢ Conservation
➢ Easier animal identification
➢ Easier communication about animals between staff
➢ Keeping system (ZIMS)
❖ Methods of identification:
➢ Species/breed
➢ Sex
➢ Age
➢ Size
➢ Coat, plumage or skin colour
➢ Movement and behaviour
➢ Markings, patterns, or permanent scars
➢ Microchip
➢ Ear tags
➢ Tattoos
➢ Leg bands
❖ Recognise and identify animals in the workplace:
, ➢ Location
➢ Keeper familiarity
➢ Ear Tagging
➢ Banding
➢ Tattooing
➢ Microchipping
➢ Ear notching and marking
➢ Scale clipping
➢ Fur shaving
➢ Branding
➢ dye and paint application
➢ Plastic markers on echidna quills
➢ Collars
➢ Toe clipping
❖ Important points to consider when choosing a form of identification:
➢ Shouldn’t interfere with the animals behaviour or in any way endanger its life
➢ As pain free as possible
➢ If designed to be permanent, should last indefinitely
➢ Easily read without needing close contact
➢ Appropriate to the size of the animals
➢ Easy to use and inexpensive
➢ Comply with any legislative requirements
❖ Enclosure cards/species board may include:
➢ Number of animals
➢ Species
➢ Animal’s name/ID
➢ Sex
➢ Hazard warnings
➢ Dietary requirements
➢ Date entering/exiting
➢ Owner’s name
➢ Treatment
➢ Procedure
, ➢ Medication
➢ Notes
❖ Taxonomy - the scientific classification of biological animals
➢ Acronym : Did King Phillip come over for good soup?
➢ Domain
➢ Kingdom
■ Animalia - made up of animals
■ Plantae - made up of plants
■ Protists - made up of protists (single celled creatures invisible to the
human eye)
■ Fungi -
■ Monera - biological kingdom that is made up of prokaryotes.
➢ Phylum
➢ Class
➢ Order
➢ Family
➢ Genus
➢ Species
Eg.
- Kingdom - animalia
- Phylum - chordata (vertebrate animals)
- Class - Mammalia (mammals)
- Order - Carnivora (meat eaters)
- Family - Felidae (all cats)
- Genus - Panthera (big cats)
- Species - Tigris (tigers)
- Panthera tigris ⬇️
- Scientific name = Genus and species name
, Animal types
❖ Mammals
- Have hair of fur
- Give birth to live young
- Mothers nurse their young with milk
- Have lungs and breathe air
- Terrestrial mammals have 4 limbs and ears that stick out
- Endothermic
❖ Birds
- Have feathers and wings
- Lay eggs
- Have 2 legs
- Ear holes
- Endothermic
❖ Reptiles
- Live on land and water
- Usually lay eggs
- Ear holes instead of ears
- Four legs or no legs
- Ectothermic
❖ Amphibians
- Live on land and in water
- Webbed feet
- Moist smooth skin
- Lay many eggs
- Ectothermic
❖ Fish
- Breathe underwater using gills not lungs
- Live in water
- Have scales and fins
- Lay many eggs
- Ectothermic
Unit one - Work in the animal care industry
Feb 23, 2023
Topic 1 - Identifying animals
❖ Identifying animals is important for:
➢ Animal births/deaths
➢ Veterinary reports
➢ Day to day care
➢ Medical treatment
➢ Keep animal records - daily reports
➢ Breeding programs
➢ Conservation
➢ Easier animal identification
➢ Easier communication about animals between staff
➢ Keeping system (ZIMS)
❖ Methods of identification:
➢ Species/breed
➢ Sex
➢ Age
➢ Size
➢ Coat, plumage or skin colour
➢ Movement and behaviour
➢ Markings, patterns, or permanent scars
➢ Microchip
➢ Ear tags
➢ Tattoos
➢ Leg bands
❖ Recognise and identify animals in the workplace:
, ➢ Location
➢ Keeper familiarity
➢ Ear Tagging
➢ Banding
➢ Tattooing
➢ Microchipping
➢ Ear notching and marking
➢ Scale clipping
➢ Fur shaving
➢ Branding
➢ dye and paint application
➢ Plastic markers on echidna quills
➢ Collars
➢ Toe clipping
❖ Important points to consider when choosing a form of identification:
➢ Shouldn’t interfere with the animals behaviour or in any way endanger its life
➢ As pain free as possible
➢ If designed to be permanent, should last indefinitely
➢ Easily read without needing close contact
➢ Appropriate to the size of the animals
➢ Easy to use and inexpensive
➢ Comply with any legislative requirements
❖ Enclosure cards/species board may include:
➢ Number of animals
➢ Species
➢ Animal’s name/ID
➢ Sex
➢ Hazard warnings
➢ Dietary requirements
➢ Date entering/exiting
➢ Owner’s name
➢ Treatment
➢ Procedure
, ➢ Medication
➢ Notes
❖ Taxonomy - the scientific classification of biological animals
➢ Acronym : Did King Phillip come over for good soup?
➢ Domain
➢ Kingdom
■ Animalia - made up of animals
■ Plantae - made up of plants
■ Protists - made up of protists (single celled creatures invisible to the
human eye)
■ Fungi -
■ Monera - biological kingdom that is made up of prokaryotes.
➢ Phylum
➢ Class
➢ Order
➢ Family
➢ Genus
➢ Species
Eg.
- Kingdom - animalia
- Phylum - chordata (vertebrate animals)
- Class - Mammalia (mammals)
- Order - Carnivora (meat eaters)
- Family - Felidae (all cats)
- Genus - Panthera (big cats)
- Species - Tigris (tigers)
- Panthera tigris ⬇️
- Scientific name = Genus and species name
, Animal types
❖ Mammals
- Have hair of fur
- Give birth to live young
- Mothers nurse their young with milk
- Have lungs and breathe air
- Terrestrial mammals have 4 limbs and ears that stick out
- Endothermic
❖ Birds
- Have feathers and wings
- Lay eggs
- Have 2 legs
- Ear holes
- Endothermic
❖ Reptiles
- Live on land and water
- Usually lay eggs
- Ear holes instead of ears
- Four legs or no legs
- Ectothermic
❖ Amphibians
- Live on land and in water
- Webbed feet
- Moist smooth skin
- Lay many eggs
- Ectothermic
❖ Fish
- Breathe underwater using gills not lungs
- Live in water
- Have scales and fins
- Lay many eggs
- Ectothermic
