For example, drug companies or government laboratories may hire animal behaviorists to conduct research on the behavioral effects of new drugs or chemicals. Other laboratories may hire behaviorists to examine the links between behavior and disease states. For such jobs, breadth of training will be essential. Training in the biological sciences relevant to health, such as physiology, biochemistry, or pharmacology, will be particularly helpful. Curators are responsible for acquiring, maintaining, and displaying collections of particular animals or specimens.
Researchers are responsible for the scientific study of the animals or specimens.
Curators and researchers usually have Ph.D. or D.V.M. degrees and also have broad training in other disciplines of biology such as animal husbandry, systematics, ornithology, or anatomy. Most are researchers in colleges, universities , or government research facilities. Many are employed by academic departments such as animal science, wildlife, or entomology, for research aimed at areas such as improving livestock production, managing wildlife populations or controlling pests. Most of these researchers have a Ph.D. in animal behavior or in some allied field of biology with advanced training in animal behavior . Other applied animal behaviorists are concerned with treating the behavioral problems of pets or other domestic animals.