Overview of Vertebrate Animal Data

NatureServe Explorer provides comprehensive conservation status, taxonomic, and distribution information for vertebrate animal species native to the United States and Canada in the taxonomic groups shown in the table below (all vertebrates except marine fishes). All of these species have been classified according to major references or recent literature (see Classification of Vertebrates and Invertebrates), and most regularly occurring species have been assigned a global conservation status rank (a number of accidentally occurring birds and undescribed species included have not yet been ranked). National status under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada are provided where applicable. This information is continually reviewed and updated in NatureServe Central Databases in order to reflect the latest taxonomic treatments, ongoing inventory efforts, and new status assessments. NatureServe Explorer is updated periodically from the NatureServe Central Databases to reflect these changes.