LEARNING OUTCOME: Understand the Importance of making a good choice of animal as a pet,
1.1 Describe the basic categories of small animals.
To help understand the relationship between different lifeforms early scientists working in this field (subsequently taxonomy) created a hierarchical structure of these lifeforms. Although there had been a lot of work on this previously Linneaus, a Swedish scientist, was really the first who gave us a system of classification that was the basis for the categorisation of lifeforms (and hence animals) that is used today. Most of what follows in this section is based on Linneaus’ system of classification. Although Linneaus lived some years before Darwin he provided a structure on which an understanding of the origin of the species could be based.
In biology, a Kingdom is the highest taxonomic rank (a taxonomy is the classification of organisms in an ordered system that indicates relationships). Each group belongs to another group so if you look at species they belong to genus; then each genus belongs to a family, and so on! A taxonomist establishes the structure of all the groups; often there is not exact agreement because different taxonomists have different opinions. This is because there are no hard rules for a taxonomist to follow in describing them but if there is a well-known animal there is likely to be an agreement.
Kingdom is separated into Animalia - animals, Plantae - plants, Protisata (which is a creature that can’t be seen with human eyes), Fungi – mushrooms/yeasts/mold/lichens, and Monera – made up of three types of bacteria. In other words Kingdom is a main classification group of living organisms.
A Phylum is a taxonomic rank below Kingdom and above Class. The kingdom Animalia holds about forty phyla; the kingdom Plantae holds twelve divisions. Phyla can be thought of as grouping organisms based on the general way the body plan has developed and specialised, as well as developmental or inside organisations.
The best-known animal phyla is Chordate (which is animals with backbones), you will find Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphilians, Fish and Tunicates belong to the chordate (for more information about these groups look at Animal groups after table A). There are also Mollusca, Porifera, Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, Annelida, Arthropoda and Echinodermata.
In biology, a Class is a taxonomic rank below Phylum and above Order. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank or subclass. It is a group of related orders, for example all mammals belong to the class Mammalia and all birds belong to the class Aves.
An Order is a taxonomic rank between class and family. Order is associated with families, so for example rhinos and tapir are in Perissodactyla, the odd-toed ungulates (all the perissodactyla have either one or three toes on each foot).
In biology, a Family is a taxonomic rank between Order and Genus. A family usually consists of several genera.
Genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The generic group name of an organism is often a part of the names of the lower ranks. A genus is a group of species that are thought to have the same ancestors, in this way a species can only belong to one genus because all its ancestors can be found within that genus.
In biology, a Species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
The commonly used names for plants and animals sometimes match up to species: for example, Merriam’s Chipmunk refers to a species. In other cases common names do not: for example chipmunks refer to a family of 25 species.
If possible a species is given a proper, scientific name, although in practice there are many nameless species. When a species is named, it is placed within a genus. From a scientific viewpoint this can be considered as suggesting a theory that the species is more closely linked to other species within its genus (if any) than to species of other genera. Species and genus are usually defined as part of a larger taxonomic classification structure.
TABLE A
The following table shows six animals that people may choose as a pet and their classification categories:
table was here but dont come out ok on here
Animal Groups (Kingdom: Animalia)
Invertebrates:
The first animals to develop were invertebrates (animals with no backbone). There is fossil evidence of invertebrates that goes back six hundred million years. Invertebrates developed from single-celled microbes. Since then, invertebrates have expanded into countless forms. An estimated ninety seven percent of all species alive today are invertebrates.
Invertebrates are not a true taxonomic class of animals, they are brought together more by what they lack (a backbone) than by characteristics they share. Invertebrates include animal groups such as sponges, cnidarians, flatworms, molluscs, arthropods, insects, segmented worms and echinoderms as well as many other lesser-known groups of animals.
Fish:
Fish were one of the first vertebrates to develop. The first known fish were the ostracoderms, they were a jawless fish that is now extinct that appeared about five hundred and ten million years ago. Other early fish include the hagfish and the lamprey. Fish later developed jaws and diversified into a number of lineages including cartilaginous fish, ray-finned fish and lobe-finned fish.
The ray-finned fish are the most diverse of all vertebrate groups, with some twenty-four thousands species. There are about eight hundred and ten species of cartilaginous fish and eight species of love-finned fish. Like invertebrates, fish are not a true taxonomic class.
Amphibians:
Amphibians were the first vertebrates to make the move from life in water to life on land. Despite their early colonisation of earthly habitats, most amphibians have never fully detached their ties with aquatic habitats. The first amphibians developed from lobe-finned fishes roughly three hundred and seventy million years ago.
Amphibians include newts and salamanders, frogs and toads, and caecillans. There are between five thousand to six thousand species of known amphibians alive today. Amphibian species are reducing around the world due to a variety of threats including invasive species, habitat destruction, disease, climate change and toxins.
Reptiles:
Reptiles are cold-blooded vertebrates that separated from family amphibians about three hundred and forty million years ago. Two qualities separate early reptiles from amphibians: scales, and the fact that they can lay hard-shelled amniotic (protected by membranes and outer shell) eggs.
Reptiles include Turtles, Squamates, Crocodiles and Tuataras. There are about eight thousands species of reptiles alive today. Of the four reptiles groups, the squamates (amphisbaenians, lizards and snakes) are the most varied with nearly seven thousand and six hundred species.
Mammals:
Mammals are vertebrates that developed from therapisd reptiles about two hundred million years ago. There are roughly five thousand and four hundred species of mammals alive today.
Mammals display an incredible collection of modifications that allows them to inhabit a wide range of habitats. Mammals range in size from the minute bumblebee bat which measures just three centimetres in length, to the magnificent blue whale, which can measure thirty three metres from head to tail. Some of the better-known mammal groups (Order) include Carnivores, Rodents, Elephants, Marsupials, Rabbits, Bats, Primates, Seals, Anteaters, Cetaceans, and Odd-toed ungulates.
Birds:
Birds developed from reptiles about one hundred and fifty million years ago. Today, more than nine thousand species inhabit almost every earthly habitat on the planet. Birds have a number of qualities that sets them apart from the other vertebrates such as feathers, bills and a furcula.
Birds, best known for their flying skills, are beyond compare in their command of the skies. Albatrosses glide over the vast open sea, hummingbirds hover in one place in mid-air, and birds of prey capture prey with pinpoint exactness. But not all birds are aerobatic experts. Some species such as ostriches, kiwis and penguins lost their flying skills long ago in favour of lifestyles suited more for land or water.
1.2 Describe what makes a good pet.
This isn’t easy to answer, as it will be different for different people. The two main principles are that the animal should:
• remain healthy in body and mind
• Be a companion to the owner.
In general this will mean that an animal as a pet should be matched to the lifestyle of the owner. An owner who is always at work and doesn’t have time to walk a dog and spend time with it is unlikely to keep the dog in the first of these (i.e. healthy and in a good state of mind). The result may be an unhealthy dog which is unable to be a good companion to the owner.
Different people look for different things from their pets but if a pet is treated well, trained, looked after properly and fits in with the owner’s day-to-day life it will usually be a good pet. A pet that is good for one person will not necessarily be a good pet for another person. It is important that a pet is chosen that it is not too big or too small for the place that it lives in nor too lively or too demanding for the attention it can be given.
Pets are happy when they are treated well. It is important to be kind and consistent with pets, most pets like routine and knowing that they can trust the owner. This makes their lives less stressful and helps to keep them happy and healthy.
Pets can be playful and they will expect the owner to play with them. If the owner likes going on lots of long walks they should have a pet that likes lots of exercise. The reverse is a more likely case where the owner cannot find the time, or is unwilling, to give their pet the exercise it needs. Some pets like to be busy too; a bored pet will sometimes get into mischief. This can come as a shock to many owners who have been at work all day and return to find their furniture or clothes chewing beyond repair.
Pets are usually very good companions, they keep the owner company. People need companionship if there is no-one there to talk to, or if they are angry, upset or need to talk about something and need a listener then pets will not judge them and the very fact of them being there makes them often the best of companions.
A good pet is a pet that suits the owner’s lifestyle is happy, healthy, satisfied and obedient. When the owner has the time, the space, the money and the love to look after a pet properly it will reward them with real companionship.
1.3 Identify what the key concerns should be when selecting a pet.
If someone is thinking about buying a pet there are some things they will need to consider before going out and buying one!
As someone providing advice to a people or a person thinking of buying or taking on a pet:
Firstly you need to talk to them to understand if they have any:
• Fears
• Concerns
• Medical history/allergies
Then you would ask them about what pet they want and would it fit into their lifestyle, how much time the pet will take up and what space they need.
If they are thinking of buying a cat or a dog they need to remember they can be quite unhygienic. Cats can bring in a dead or live animal (a present) when you get home. They walk in their litter tray or from the garden straight on to the kitchen worktops. If they are house proud they should remember that cat’s claw, and dogs chew the furniture.
If the owners are active they may consider an animal they can take with you when they do an outside activity - possible a dog or if you do a lot in your garden they may want to have animal which likes to spends outside a lot like a dog, cat and maybe chickens!
Then they will need to think about these following questions.
• Have you talked to people with a similar pet? Have you read about caring for your pet? Do you know what the animal needs?
It sometimes good to do some research about the animal before buying them and find out as much information as possible! Do you know what they eat and what exercise they need and how many times they need exercise? Think about the health issues if any. Are there any special requirements? How should they be trained, and what is the correct behaviour?
• Have you got space for a pet? Have you got garden space?
Usually pets need exercise daily; sometimes they don’t need to be taken out if they have the space in the garden or inside the house –cats, dogs, and rabbits need to run in the garden regularly.
If it is a caged animal, is there the space to put it in the right place, and can you put them away from drafts and direct sun and heaters.
• Have you worked out how much your pet will cost to look after?
Can you afford to have a pet? Once you’ve bought a pet, you will have to get all the accessories you need when you are looking after an animal. Then you will have all the vet bills – health treatments and worming/fleas etc.
• How do you spend your day? Have you got time to play with your pet? Does your pet require a companion? Who will look after your pet when you go away?
If the pet is young the owner will need to make time to play and train the pet, or if the pet is older they will possibly be trained but they may suit a quieter home (maybe ask the previous owner or the people you are getting the pet from). Some animals need breakfast, lunch and tea and some you don’t need to feed so much. Some animals will be ok if you leave them all day and you only give them time when you get back for an hour or two!
Some people bring pets on holidays, such as outdoor activities like camping, hiking etc, otherwise will someone look after the animals while you are away and do you know what the cost of this is?
Your vets may suggest another pet to give your pet some company. Are you going to let your pet have babies and if so have you got the time to look after them and train them and do you have the money it will cost, and if not, do you know what to do and how much it will cost to get it done?
Pets can be a major commitment and the problems with ill-treated or homeless pets are the result of this like of understanding of the commitment needed.
REFERENCES
The 6 basic animal groups –
animals.about.com/od/zoolodgebasics/tp/sixbasicanimalgroupls.hmt
Classification of animals-
Kingdom:
En.wikipedia.org/wiki/kingdom_(biology)
Phylum:
En.wikipedia.org/wiki/phylum
Class:
En.wikipedia.org/wiki/class_(biology)
Order:
En.wikipedia.org/wiki/order_(biology)
Family:
En.wikipedia.org/wiki/family_(biology)
Genus:
En.wikipedia.org/wiki/genus
Species:
En.wikipedia.org/wiki/species |
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