The research is in the field of zoology, and is animal centered. A major preoccupation is the relationship of the animal to its environment from a number of viewpoints: biological, environmental behavior, life cycle and population structure. Physiology is also a topic, studied for its important role in the adaptation of the animal to its environment. Another key factor is growth characteristics in the natural environment, the understanding of which is of great value in gaining a wider understanding of the animal environment relationship. At the same time, laboratory experiments permit the isolation of environmental factors that influence growth. Growth characteristics are influenced by a large variety of factors, not all of which are dealt with in this research. Nutrition is a major influence on growth.
Growth is controlled by growth hormone and influenced by a number of other hormones, such as various steroids and insulin that have other important roles in the life of the animal. The relationships between steroids, growth and reproduction is another topic, the study of which helps in understanding the role growth characteristics play in reproduction, apart from the direct influence of steroids on growth. Although the greater part of the research concentrates on a limited number of species, some environmental research has been performed on other species. Most of this research was undertaken by request to elucidate zoological questions relevant to the environmental protection and systematics of animals that have major importance on the fauna of northern Israel.
