Animal range, habitat & ecology sources
Where an animal lives sounds simple, but distribution data are subtle. The most useful sources distinguish mapped range from scattered occurrence records, and native range from introduced or captive presence. Reading them well is what keeps a range claim honest.
Range vs occurrence records
A range map shows the area a species generally occupies; an occurrence record is one observation at a point. Large aggregators such as occurrence databases are powerful, but their points are not a range on their own — they need interpretation to remove captive, historical, or misidentified records. FaunaHub uses institution-backed accounts such as Animal Diversity Web (ADW), GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility, NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), BirdLife International, U.S. National Park Service, Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Ocean, Encyclopaedia Britannica, AmphibiaWeb, FishBase, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation for distribution and ecology, and treats occurrence aggregations as supporting evidence, not a finished map.
Native, introduced, domestic, and captive
The same species can be native in one place and introduced in another, kept domestically, or present only in captivity. These are different kinds of “found here,” and conflating them produces misleading range claims. FaunaHub flags introduced and domestic contexts and never treats captive presence as wild range. The Burmese python is a good example: native to South and Southeast Asia, and separately an introduced population in Florida — two facts that should not be merged.
Seasonal and migratory range
Many animals move. A migratory species may breed in one region and winter in another, so a single map can hide an annual cycle. Good sources describe these movements, and FaunaHub words range cautiously rather than implying a species sits in one place year-round.
Why continent pages are representative
FaunaHub's continent pages feature a curated, source-backed selection of animals — not a complete inventory or a precise range map. Each record carries a confidence label and cautious distribution note, and widespread or introduced ranges are flagged. The goal is an honest overview, not a false impression of completeness.
Frequently asked questions
- Is an occurrence record the same as a species' range?
- No. An occurrence record is a single observation at one place and time. A range is the broader area where a species lives. Occurrence datasets are valuable but include captive animals, historical records, vagrants, and misidentifications, so they describe range only after careful interpretation.
- Why does FaunaHub use confidence labels on continent records?
- Because distribution evidence varies. A confidence label shows how well-supported a record is and flags broad, introduced, or domestic contexts, so readers are not given a false sense of precision. Continent pages present a representative, source-backed selection — not a complete range map.
- Does a zoo sighting mean an animal lives there in the wild?
- No. Captive presence in a zoo, aquarium, or collection is not wild range. FaunaHub never treats captive locations as native range, and image captions disclose captive or specimen contexts.
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