Animal research sources

Animal facts are not fixed. Scientific names are revised as classification improves, conservation statuses are reassessed, ranges shift and are mapped at different levels of detail, and occurrence records can include captive or historical sightings. Naming a credible source — and reading it carefully — is what separates a reliable summary from a confident-sounding guess. FaunaHub leans on institution-backed databases and reference works, cites more than one where it can, and words claims cautiously.

Reference databases for scientific names, species groups, synonyms, and classification changes.

• Animal Diversity Web (ADW)Cited on FaunaHub profiles

  University / academic

  Peer-edited species accounts for biology, ecology, and classification.

  Strengths: Maintained by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology; broad coverage with cited accounts.

  Limitations: Not every species has a detailed account, and accounts are updated at varying intervals.

• The Reptile DatabaseCited on FaunaHub profiles

  Editor-reviewed reference

  Taxonomic reference for reptile species names and synonyms.

  Strengths: Museum- and specialist-backed; tracks reptile name changes and distribution summaries.

  Limitations: A taxonomic resource — not a source for medical, safety, or husbandry claims.

  Note: Use for names and classification, not for venom or first-aid claims.

• AmphibiaWebCited on FaunaHub profiles

  University / academic

  Amphibian biology, taxonomy, and conservation information.

  Strengths: University of California, Berkeley resource with current amphibian accounts.

  Limitations: Focused on amphibians; coverage depth varies by species.

• WoRMS — World Register of Marine SpeciesCited on FaunaHub profiles

  Specialist database

  Authoritative register of marine species names.

  Strengths: Expert-curated nomenclature for marine taxa.

  Limitations: Names and ranks can be revised as research advances.

• Catalogue of LifeUseful reference

  Specialist database

  A consolidated checklist of the world's species, drawing on many expert databases.

  Strengths: Broad cross-group coverage; useful for cross-checking accepted names.

  Limitations: An aggregation of contributing checklists, so completeness and recency vary by group.

• GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information FacilityUseful reference

  Intergovernmental body

  Aggregated species occurrence records contributed by many institutions.

  Strengths: Huge volume of openly available occurrence and specimen data.

  Limitations: Occurrence points are not the same as range; data include captive, historical, and misidentified records that need careful interpretation.

  Note: Occurrence records are not range maps.

• FishBaseUseful reference

  Specialist database

  A reference database of fish species worldwide.

  Strengths: Wide coverage of fish biology and nomenclature.

  Limitations: Compiled from many sources; entries vary in detail and currency.

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaCited on FaunaHub profiles

  Editor-reviewed reference

  Editor-reviewed encyclopedia overviews.

  Strengths: Consistent, edited summaries useful for general framing.

  Limitations: Overview-level; specifics should be confirmed against specialist databases.

Read the taxonomy guide →

Assessments of extinction risk and trade context — attributed and changeable, not permanent labels.

• AmphibiaWebCited on FaunaHub profiles

  University / academic

  Amphibian biology, taxonomy, and conservation information.

  Strengths: University of California, Berkeley resource with current amphibian accounts.

  Limitations: Focused on amphibians; coverage depth varies by species.

• IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesCited on FaunaHub profiles

  Non-profit / conservation organisation

  The standard global source for species conservation assessments.

  Strengths: Widely used, peer-reviewed assessment process with documented criteria.

  Limitations: Not every species is assessed, and categories are reassessed over time — a status today may change.

  Note: Treat any status as attributed and changeable; check the current Red List page.

• CITES — Convention on International Trade in Endangered SpeciesUseful reference

  Intergovernmental body

  International trade context for species listed across its appendices.

  Strengths: The reference for whether international trade in a species is regulated.

  Limitations: A trade/regulatory framework, NOT a measure of extinction risk — a CITES appendix is not the same as an IUCN category.

  Note: Trade listing is not conservation status, and this is not legal advice.

• NOAA FisheriesCited on FaunaHub profiles

  Government agency

  U.S. government information on marine species, including protected species.

  Strengths: Authoritative for U.S. marine species status and management.

  Limitations: Scope is mainly U.S. waters and federally managed species.

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)Useful reference

  Government agency

  U.S. listings, wildlife management, and where to report wildlife issues.

  Strengths: Authoritative for U.S. listed species and wildlife regulations.

  Limitations: U.S.-focused; legal/regulatory details require the agency itself, not a summary.

  Note: For wildlife conflicts or invasive species, contact the relevant agency directly.

• Xerces Society for Invertebrate ConservationCited on FaunaHub profiles

  Non-profit / conservation organisation

  Science-based invertebrate (especially pollinator) conservation.

  Strengths: Specialist focus on invertebrates often under-covered elsewhere.

  Limitations: Scope is invertebrates; regional emphasis on North America.

• BirdLife InternationalUseful reference

  Non-profit / conservation organisation

  Bird conservation assessments and important-bird-area information.

  Strengths: The Red List authority for birds; global partnership network.

  Limitations: Bird-focused; figures are periodically revised.

Read the conservation status guide →

Where animals live, with the difference between mapped range, occurrence records, and native vs introduced ranges.

• Animal Diversity Web (ADW)Cited on FaunaHub profiles

  University / academic

  Peer-edited species accounts for biology, ecology, and classification.

  Strengths: Maintained by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology; broad coverage with cited accounts.

  Limitations: Not every species has a detailed account, and accounts are updated at varying intervals.

• GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information FacilityUseful reference

  Intergovernmental body

  Aggregated species occurrence records contributed by many institutions.

  Strengths: Huge volume of openly available occurrence and specimen data.

  Limitations: Occurrence points are not the same as range; data include captive, historical, and misidentified records that need careful interpretation.

  Note: Occurrence records are not range maps.

• NOAA FisheriesCited on FaunaHub profiles

  Government agency

  U.S. government information on marine species, including protected species.

  Strengths: Authoritative for U.S. marine species status and management.

  Limitations: Scope is mainly U.S. waters and federally managed species.

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)Useful reference

  Government agency

  U.S. listings, wildlife management, and where to report wildlife issues.

  Strengths: Authoritative for U.S. listed species and wildlife regulations.

  Limitations: U.S.-focused; legal/regulatory details require the agency itself, not a summary.

  Note: For wildlife conflicts or invasive species, contact the relevant agency directly.

• BirdLife InternationalUseful reference

  Non-profit / conservation organisation

  Bird conservation assessments and important-bird-area information.

  Strengths: The Red List authority for birds; global partnership network.

  Limitations: Bird-focused; figures are periodically revised.

• U.S. National Park ServiceUseful reference

  Government agency

  Educational species and habitat information for protected lands.

  Strengths: Reliable, place-based natural-history information.

  Limitations: Coverage is tied to specific parks and U.S. lands.

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About BirdsCited on FaunaHub profiles

  University / academic

  Identification, range, and life-history for birds.

  Strengths: Detailed, accessible bird accounts from Cornell University.

  Limitations: Range detail is strongest for North American species.

• Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology InstituteCited on FaunaHub profiles

  Museum / natural-history collection

  Educational species pages from the Smithsonian Institution.

  Strengths: Trustworthy general overviews across many animal groups.

  Limitations: Overview-level; not a comprehensive scientific database.

• Smithsonian OceanCited on FaunaHub profiles

  Museum / natural-history collection

  Educational ocean-science and marine-life content.

  Strengths: Clear, well-sourced explainers on marine biology.

  Limitations: Educational scope rather than a primary data source.

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaCited on FaunaHub profiles

  Editor-reviewed reference

  Editor-reviewed encyclopedia overviews.

  Strengths: Consistent, edited summaries useful for general framing.

  Limitations: Overview-level; specifics should be confirmed against specialist databases.

• AmphibiaWebCited on FaunaHub profiles

  University / academic

  Amphibian biology, taxonomy, and conservation information.

  Strengths: University of California, Berkeley resource with current amphibian accounts.

  Limitations: Focused on amphibians; coverage depth varies by species.

• FishBaseUseful reference

  Specialist database

  A reference database of fish species worldwide.

  Strengths: Wide coverage of fish biology and nomenclature.

  Limitations: Compiled from many sources; entries vary in detail and currency.

• Xerces Society for Invertebrate ConservationCited on FaunaHub profiles

  Non-profit / conservation organisation

  Science-based invertebrate (especially pollinator) conservation.

  Strengths: Specialist focus on invertebrates often under-covered elsewhere.

  Limitations: Scope is invertebrates; regional emphasis on North America.

Read the range & habitat guide →

Where animal-specific decisions belong — with qualified professionals, not an educational website.

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)Useful reference

  Government agency

  U.S. listings, wildlife management, and where to report wildlife issues.

  Strengths: Authoritative for U.S. listed species and wildlife regulations.

  Limitations: U.S.-focused; legal/regulatory details require the agency itself, not a summary.

  Note: For wildlife conflicts or invasive species, contact the relevant agency directly.

• Veterinary associations (e.g. AVMA)Useful reference

  Non-profit / conservation organisation

  Where to find a qualified veterinarian and professional animal-health guidance.

  Strengths: Professional bodies that point to qualified, licensed care.

  Limitations: Provide general guidance and referrals — not a substitute for examining a specific animal.

  Note: Animal-specific health decisions belong with a qualified veterinarian.

• Animal poison-control services (e.g. ASPCA Animal Poison Control)Useful reference

  Non-profit / conservation organisation

  Where to turn in a suspected poisoning — a professional emergency service.

  Strengths: Staffed services for urgent toxicity questions.

  Limitations: An emergency contact for professionals to use, not a source of self-treatment instructions.

  Note: In an emergency, contact a veterinarian or a poison-control service directly.

Read the veterinary & care boundaries guide →

Licenses and attribution rules that decide whether an image can be reused and converted to WebP.

• Wikimedia CommonsCited on FaunaHub profiles

  Specialist database

  A large library of freely licensed media with per-file license and author data.

  Strengths: Machine-readable license metadata and author attribution per file.

  Limitations: License accuracy depends on uploaders; each file must be checked individually.

  Note: Verify the license and author on the file's own page before reuse.

• Creative CommonsUseful reference

  Non-profit / conservation organisation

  The standard public licenses used to label reusable media.

  Strengths: Clear, widely understood license terms (BY, BY-SA, CC0, and others).

  Limitations: NC (non-commercial) and ND (no-derivatives) variants do not fit a site that reuses and converts images.

  Note: FaunaHub uses only PD, CC0, CC BY, and CC BY-SA images.

Read the image licensing guide →

Each animal profile is built from one or more authoritative references, with taxonomy, range, and conservation status drawn from them and worded cautiously. Images are license-checked before use, captions disclose captive or specimen contexts, and routes are de-duplicated so the same species is not split across competing pages. The source workflow guide describes this in detail, and the editorial policy covers the wider review process.

• Claiming any official endorsement, certification, or partnership with an institution.
• Copying long passages of text from source websites or republishing their data.
• Presenting taxonomy or conservation status as permanent or guaranteed current.
• Using images under non-commercial, no-derivatives, or unclear licenses.
• Giving veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice of any kind.
• Inventing ratings, trust scores, or authority badges for sources.

Even the best databases have gaps: not every species is assessed by the IUCN, occurrence points are not the same as a range map, aggregated checklists vary in recency, and any page can contain an error or be out of date. Treat what you read here — and on FaunaHub — as a starting point, and confirm anything important against the current page of the source itself.