Key Takeaway
The Zoologist is an early-game NPC that’s fairly easy to unlock. Players need to fulfill only two requirements:
- Have 54 entries in the Bestiary
- Have vacant, suitable housing available
The Zoologist sells many useful items, like the Guide to Critter Companionship, which prevents the player from killing important critters like the Truffle Worm or Golden Critters.
Beauty in Terraria lies not just in the sheer number of items but also in the variety of NPC vendors. The Zoologist in Terraria is a great NPC if you want to collect all three Town Pets or acquire new wardrobe options. Getting her help is a two-step process.
Table Of Contents
How to Unlock the Zoologist in Terraria
The Zoologist is one of the town NPCs in Terraria. As a vendor, she sells various animal-related vanity items, pets, and other goodies.
Like most Terraria NPCs, she has requirements that must be met before she can spawn. Her two specific spawning criteria are as follows: the player must have at least 54 entries in the Bestiary and vacant housing available for her to move into.
Bestiary Entries
For the uninitiated, the Bestiary is an in-game catalog documenting Terraria‘s various critters, enemies, NPCs, and bosses. Similar to the Pokédex in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, you can unlock entries and further information the more encounters you have with that particular entity. In Terraria, this includes drop rates, drop lists, descriptions, and mob stats.
The first requirement to unlock the Zoologist in Terraria is to fill at least 10% of the Bestiary, which equates to 54 entries. The bottom of the Bestiary has a bar that fills as the Bestiary is slowly completed so you can track your progression.
You can gain entries by killing various creatures using the weapons at your disposal. This isn’t too difficult and should happen naturally as you experience the game and explore deeper into various biomes.
Empty Housing
Housing is a vital part of collecting Terraria‘s various NPCs. They are picky creatures and require specifics before moving into an empty housing plot. You need to build them the perfect Terraria house for their needs. Thankfully, the Zoologist’s housing needs are the same as most other NPC vendors.
- Structural walls and ceiling: Stone, Wood, or any other blocks incorruptible by Evil Biomes (Hallow, Corruption, Crimson)
- Player-made background walls to prevent monsters from spawning inside
- An entrance, typically a door or platform
- A flat surface item, e.g., a Table, Work Bench, Dresser
- One comfort item e.g., a Chair, Sofa, Bed
- Any light source, even a lone Torch
TipUsing the Housing Query “?” tool will tell you if a room is suitable for an NPC like the Zoologist to move into. If it isn’t suitable, the tooltip will say, “This is not valid housing.” Once an NPC has moved into a room, the Housing Query tool will show that NPC’s portrait in the room.
What Does the Zoologist Sell in Terraria?
Once you fulfill the above requirements, the Zoologist may randomly move in on any day from this point onwards. Now you can browse her various wares and see what she has to offer! One of the best items the Zoologist sells is The Guide to Critter Companionship, which stops the player from accidentally killing critters. This is useful if you’re gathering bait for fishing.
Be aware that not all of the Zoologist’s store inventory is always available. Some of her items, like the Dog License, require hitting a milestone number of Bestiary entries, while others are only available during certain Moon Phases or special events like the Blood Moon (so don’t skip it!).
| Item | Cost | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Guide To Critter Companionship | 0 Copper | Always available |
| Squirrel Hook | 2 Gold | Always available |
| Leather Whip | 10 Gold | Always available |
| The Werewolf Painting | 1 Gold | At night during a Full Moon |
| Jousting Lance | 6 Gold | In Hardmode |
| Mud Bud | 50 Gold | After defeating Plantera |
| Cat License | 5 Gold | If the Town Cat hasn't spawned |
| Full Moon Squeaky Toy | 30 Gold | During Hardmode in a Blood Moon |
| Crawltipede Kite | 2 Gold | After defeating the Solar Pillar |
| Fairy Glowstick | 75 Copper | Once the player has filled out all three Fairies in the Bestiary |
| Dog Ears | 3 Gold | During Full Moon and Waning Gibbous moon phases |
| Dog Tail | 3 Gold | During Full Moon and Waning Gibbous moon phases |
| Fox Ears | 3 Gold | During Third Quarter and Waning Crescent moon phases |
| Fox Tails | 3 Gold | During Third Quarter and Waning Crescent moon phases |
| Lizard Ears | 3 Gold | During New Moon and Waxing Crescent moon phases |
| Bunny Ears | 3 Gold | During First Quarter and Waxing Gibbous moon phases |
| Bunny Tail | 3 Gold | During First Quarter and Waxing Gibbous moon phases |
| Koi Kite | 2 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 10% (54 entries) |
| Mollusk Whistle | 20 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 25% (135 entries) |
| Dog License | 5 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 25% (135 entries) and Town Dog has not already spawned |
| Dusty Rawhide Saddle | 25 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 30% (162 entries) |
| Royal Gilded Saddle | 25 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 30% (162 entries) |
| Black Studded Saddle | 25 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 30% (162 entries) |
| Sakura Sapling | 1 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 30% (162 entries) |
| Yellow Willow Sapling | 1 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 30% (162 entries) |
| Critter Shampoo | 10 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 30% (162 entries) |
| Rabbit Perch | 15 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 40% (216 entries) |
| Bunny License | 5 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 45% (243 entries) and Town Bunny has not already spawned |
| World Globe | 3 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 50% (270 entries) |
| Moon Globe | 3 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 50% (270 entries) |
| Tree Globe | 3 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 50% (270 entries) |
| Lightning Carrot | 50 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 50% (270 entries) |
| Digging Molecart | 50 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 60% (324 entries) |
| Ball O' Fuse Wire | 50 Gold | When the Bestiary has been filled to at least 70% (378 entries) |
| Any Biome Pylon | 10 Gold | Available when in a specific biome and Zoologist is happy enough |
| Universal Pylon | 1 Silver | Available when the Bestiary has been 100% filled (all 540 entries) |
If you want to lower the price of her goods, you can increase the Zoologist’s Happiness stat by placing her in a Loved or Liked biome or giving her a neighbor she loves or likes. Her favorite neighbor is the Witch Doctor, and her preferred biome is the Forest. On the flip side, she dislikes the Desert and prefers to keep her distance from the Arms Dealer.
That’s all there is to know about unlocking the Zoologist, so start filling in your Bestiary! For achievement hunters, once you’ve added the Zoologist to your bustling town, you can turn your attention to collecting all the Town Slimes to complete the “Great Mitosis” achievement.
