Small Animal ScienceUnit 1: Orientation to Small Animal Technology

Terminology The small animals discussed in this course

are domesticated animals or pets, owned by the human population.

Domestic = living near or about human habitations

Dog = Canine Cat = Feline Rabbits Birds Fish

Domestication of Animals

Dogs are believed to be the first animals domesticated

Two Theories of canine domestication: - Evolved from canine ancestor known

as a Pariah Dog (semi-feral dogs that live close to towns and scavenge for food).

OR- Domestication from wolves.

Domestication of Animals

Domestication from wolves…› About 15,000 years ago› Asia or China were the first› When a wolf was killed by humans the pups

were bought back to civilization Used for: herding, hunting, watch, companions

Cat’s association with humans dates back to about 3,500 years ago as denoted by the Egyptian tombs.

The Small Animal Industry

Pet Ownership is at an all-time high!!! (2010)

59.5% of all American Families have at least one companion animal

(that’s 68.7 million households)

Cats > Dogs

The Small Animal Industry

In 2010: › 81.7 million cats (32.4% of households)

(average of 2.0 cats per owner)

› 72 million dogs (37.2% of households)› 11.2 million birds› 6.1 million rabbits› 1.2 million hamsters› 76 million fish

Classification System

Taxonomy: -the science of naming and classifying

organisms

Aristotle was credited as the first philosopher to begin attempts at classifying organisms based on their structural similarities.

Linnaeus’s System of Classification – classifies organisms by seven categories (taxa).

Classification System

Linnaeus’s System of Classification: Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species