Standards for Data Entry

and Maintenance
of North American
Zoo and Aquarium Animal Records Databases
Standardized for ARKS3

Edited by
Joanne M. Earnhardt
Steven D. Thompson, PhD
Ginny Turner-Erfort

Published by
Lincoln Park Zoo
2001 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
USA

1998

organized and supported by

LINCOLN PARK ZOO

with additional support from
Institute of Museum and Library Services - Conservation Project Grant (#IC-60120-96)
Chicago Park District - The Lincoln Park Zoological Society
Central Park Wildlife Center
Chicago Zoological Park
Columbus Zoological Gardens
Detroit Zoological Park
Fort Wayne Childrens Zoo
The Living Desert
Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens
National Zoological Park
The Phoenix Zoo
Philadelphia Zoological Garden
Riverbanks Zoological Park
Roger Williams Park Zoo
San Francisco Zoological Gardens
Toledo Zoological Gardens
Wildlife Conservation Society
Woodland Park Zoological Gardens
Zoo Atlanta
and
American Zoo and Aquarium Association
International Species Information System
United Airlines
Zoo Registrars Association

Project Leaders
Joanne M. Earnhardt, Conservation Biologist and Registrar, Lincoln Park Zoo
Steven D. Thompson, PhD, Director of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo
Thank you to the following who assisted in the development of these guidelines:
Beth Bahner, Animal Collections Manager, Philadelphia Zoological Garden
Jon Ballou, PhD, Population Manager, National Zoological Park
Gretchen Bickert, Registrar, Columbus Zoological Gardens
Nanette Bragin, Registrar, The Phoenix Zoo
Terri Correll, Curator of Animals, The Living Desert
Anita Cramm, Curator of Birds, Lincoln Park Zoo
Ed Diebold, Director of Animal Collections, Riverbanks Zoological Park
Glenous Favata, Registrar, Toledo Zoological Gardens
Nilda Ferrer, Registrar, Wildlife Conservation Society
Lucy Greer, Registrar, Chicago Zoological Park
Veronica Hawk, Registrar, Zoo Atlanta
Jay Hemdal, Curator of Fishes and Invertebrates, Toledo Zoological Gardens
Fred Koontz, PhD, Director of the Science Resource Center, Wildlife Conservation Society
Anna Marie Lyles, PhD, Associate Curator of Animals, Central Park Wildlife Center
Adrienne Miller, Registrar, Roger Williams Park Zoo
Diane Mulkerin, Collection Manager, Lincoln Park Zoo
Karin Newman, Registrar, Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens
R. Andrew Odum, Curator of Herpetology, Toledo Zoological Gardens
Lori Perkins, Director of Conservation Technology, Zoo Atlanta
Warren Pryor, Animal Curator, Fort Wayne Childrens Zoo
Leslie Saul Gershenz, Insect Zoo Director, San Francisco Zoological Gardens
Bob Seibels, Curator of Birds, Riverbanks Zoological Park
Andy Snider, Curator of Herpetology, Detroit Zoo
Ginny Turner-Erfort, Project Coordinator, Lincoln Park Zoo
Alan Varsik, Collection Manager, Lincoln Park Zoo
Wendy Wienker, Registrar, Woodland Park Zoological Gardens
Kevin Willis, Avian Conservation Manager, Minnesota Zoological Garden
Nate Flesness, Larry Grahn, Mike Kelly, Steph Porter,
Paul Scobie, and Cris Wilson at
International Species Information System
We gratefully acknowledge the valuable comments of :
Jean Miller, Judith Block, Marvin Jones, and Carol Bach

FORWARD
Zoos and aquariums are guardians of captive wildlife populations; animal records databases
are tools that assist animal management staff and population biologists in providing the best possible
care for these animals and their respective populations. Accurate and unambiguous data permit
informed decisions for conservation and management of the species and specimens in our care.
A recent study suggested that inconsistencies and errors among and within animal records
databases at individual institutions limit the applicability of these databases and databases derived
from institutional records (e.g., studbooks, the International Species Inventory System [ISIS] database)
for species management, global planning, and Regional Collection Plans. Inconsistent data entry
practices by institutional records keepers were identified as a primary source of errors and
inconsistencies in all types of animal records databases (Earnhardt et al. 1995). This variation in
records quality can be significantly reduced through the adoption of standardized protocols for data
entry. Standardized data entry protocols should improve communication among institutions wishing to
exchange or acquire specimens, improve population management and permit preservation of greater
amounts of genetic diversity, and reduce curatorial and records keeping time devoted to correction
and/or verification of incomplete, incorrect, or incongruous records. In short, standardized records
procedures should improve institutional operations. The present document is the result of a
cooperative effort by many individuals and institutions to develop standards and guidelines for entry of
animal records data in North America.
Development of these standards and guidelines was supported by a grant from the Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Grant support was obtained (August 1996) and the project was
initiated (January 1997) to develop standards and to produce guidelines to implement these standards
using the ARKS3 software (Animal Records Keeping System, version 3). ARKS3 was expected to be
the industry standard for at least the next 3-5 years. During the 18-month course of the project, ISIS
began to develop new institutional records keeping software to replace ARKS3. Although this new
software is scheduled for release in August 1998, the present project could not develop guidelines
specific to this new software. However, the transition from ARKS2 to ARKS3 was very slow and it is
likely that the transition from ARKS3 to the new software will also be slow. Thus, it is likely that before
the new software enjoys widespread use, these guidelines will be used by many institutions and will do
much to standardize records keeping practices over the next 2-3 years.
The development of the standards and guidelines proceeded through several stages. Stage
one was a general assessment of records keeping issues; this included a survey of North American
regional records keepers and a comparison of institutional, studbook and ISIS central databases. The
second phase was a series of workshops aimed at identifying additional issues and developing taxon
specific standards for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. The third stage
entailed documentation of the developing guidelines; this was written and reviewed by participants
throughout the workshop process. The fourth stage was finalization of the written guidelines via a
workshop and technical editing.
Because the data are used throughout the zoological community, these standards and
guidelines were developed as a consensus effort with contributions from a group of 27 zoo and
aquarium professionals that included registrars, collection managers, curators, software experts, and
population biologists with special expertise in the management of small populations. In addition, a draft
of the guidelines was reviewed by representatives of 20 regional or international records and
conservation offices. The objective throughout the project was to build a consensus tactic for
standardizing (1) each data entry option in ARKS3 and (2) entry of important data that have no clear
analog in the ARKS3 data structure. In some cases, because of constraints imposed by the structure
or function of ARKS3, it was impossible to make a recommendation that satisfactorily records the
desired information in a completely unambiguous manner. Thus, in many cases, a compromise was
devised to facilitate consistent entry of a specific data type across all institutions. To the skilled

records keeper, many of these compromises may seem awkward or obscure. Nevertheless, it was the
consensus of the project participants that each recommendation represents the best possible means
of ensuring that each institution enters data in an identical manner and that interpretation of data
among and within institutions is unambiguous.
Future modifications or clarifications to the guidelines will be possible and users are
encouraged to submit suggests for additions, corrections, or other changes to existing sections.
Updated pages or sections will be distributed to all users on a regular basis.
Institutions that use the guidelines in their routine record keeping will contribute to higher
quality records for all animal records databases. Use of these standards and guidelines will require a
commitment from records keepers and the staff that support the institutions animal records data.
However, dedication of these resources will ultimately increase our efficient and effective use of data
and improve the quality of our animal management at all levels.

Joanne M. Earnhardt
Conservation Biologist and Registrar
Lincoln Park Zoo

Steven D. Thompson
Director of Conservation and Science
Lincoln Park Zoo

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
Forward

Page
i

Table of Contents

iii

Use of This Manual

The Big Picture: Why Records and Data Quality are Important

BACKGROUND
What is an Institutional Animal Records Database?

The Role of a Records Keeper/Registrar

Background on ARKS3

Data Flow and Data Management

The Role of Daily Reports

11

DATA QUALITY
Truth and Fiction

12

Relationship Between Institutional Animal Records Databases

and Studbooks

16

Relationship Between Institutional Records Databases

and ISIS3 Database

18

Relationships Between Institutional Records Systems

19

When and How to Use Data Integrity Checks

20

When to Enter Unknown

25

Missing Data Reports

26

DATA ENTRY in ARKS3

What and When to Accession

28

Accession Numbers: What and Why

35

How to Enter Taxonomic Name

37

How to Enter Hybrids

40

How to Enter Birth

41

How to Enter Acquisitions from the Wild

43

How to Enter Acquisition as Follows

46

How to Enter Sire and Dam ID

48

How to Estimate and Enter Dates

52

iii

How to Enter Birth Dates

57

How to Enter Sex

60

How to Enter Birth Type

62

How to Enter Rearing

63

How to Enter Vendor or Recipient Institution

and Vendor or Recipient Specimen ID

66

How to Enter Dispositions

69

How to Enter Death Codes

73

How to Enter Identifiers

75

How to Enter Weight and Length Information

79

How to Use the Enclosure System

81

Comment Codes

86

How to Use and Enter Management Plan Information

94

When and How to Enter Groups

95

How to Enter Historical Specimens

99

References

101

APPENDICES
1. EGGS Software

102

2. How to Measure Weight and Length

103

3. Transponder Implantation Site Recommendations

106

4. Glossary

108

5. Sample Daily Report

111

6. Sample Specimen Reports

112

iv

Use of This Manual

This manual is separated into five sections. The first section is an overview of institutional
animal records and their role in the captive breeding community. The second section presents
background and perspective on institutional animal records. The third section focuses on data quality
issues which are central to the guidelines. The fourth section contains the standards and guidelines
(descriptions) for data entry. The appendices contain additional information that may be helpful in
implementing the standards.
Each chapter is focused on a specific topic. However, despite attempts to maintain this focus,
substantial overlap of concepts and techniques is presented in separate chapters. Every effort has
been made to cross reference material between chapters and it is highly recommended that the reader
examine all cross referenced sections.
The manual will benefit both experienced and novice records keepers. Most of these
standards have been in use for many years, but have not been codified. Other standards are new and
will require some changes in record keeping procedures. Every effort should be made for each
institution to adopt these standards without retention of historical practices or customization for
individual preferences. If possible, historical records should be changed to conform with the new
standards, with the highest priority for change going to studbook species.
The manual uses the following conventions: ARKS3 field names (the name or type of data
entered) will be presented as <BOLD CAPS INSIDE ARROWS>. Information that should be entered
into a field (i.e., what is typed or selected during data entry) will be presented as {CAPITALS INSIDE
BRACKETS}. Items selected from menus or windows in ARKS3 will be shown in Italics With Initial
Letters In Capitals. Important concepts or actions will be in bold italics or in boxes.
Throughout this manual the reader will be guided by a pair of ducks, Data Duck and Danger
Duck. Data Duck will emphasize key points in record keeping practices. Danger Duck will alert the
reader to data entry problems that could compromise the integrity of records.
INTRODUCING:

DATA DUCK

DANGER DUCK

The Big Picture:

Why Records and Data Quality are Important
Animal records form the permanent history of an institutions animal collection. In the past, the
purpose of such records was unclear and few institutions had formal protocols for what to record or
how to record it. In many cases, institutional policies were vague and record keeping was a curatorial
responsibility; thus, records varied greatly in content and quality as each curator decided what should
and should not be recorded. For the most part, at the institutional level, the early emphases were on
inventory aspects: acquisition and disposition and related costs. Identification of individual specimens
was not a high priority as most curators and keepers knew their collection; relatively few animals were
born in captivity and even fewer moved between institutions. Moreover, animal collection staff typically
held jobs for long periods of time, and their successors learned about the collection and husbandry
practices by coming up through the ranks.
The current importance of records began to take shape starting in the mid-1970s. Several
divergent factors led institutions to develop more formal institutional records keeping policies: federal
regulations began to require more detailed information on permit reports, veterinary care improved
greatly and treatment became more proactive, importations of wild-caught animals began to decline,
and captive breeding success began to increase. The result was that identification and tracking of
individual specimens became more difficult and more important to zoo operations. It was this complex
tangle of legal and husbandry issues, not the least of which was basic genetic management such as
avoiding breeding of close relatives, that conspired to increase the need for more detailed and more
accurate information on individual specimens.
The value of each specimen (in the sense of how willingly other institutions will accept
it or its offspring) is now tightly linked to its individual identity and history. A specimens record
affects an institutions ability to manage it effectively with respect to eventual disposition (e.g.,
loan, sale, donation), medical costs, and participation in cooperative conservation programs.
The less known about a specimens history, including previous medical treatment, exposure to
disease situations, breeding success, and pedigree, the more its value is diminished.
Detailed records are now essential for internal and external functions at every institution.
Internally, records are used to track husbandry practices, medical treatments and histories, potential
exposures to disease or mates, and events required for various local, regional, and federal permits for
possession, transport, and display of threatened, endangered, or potentially injurious wildlife.
Externally, records are exchanged with other institutions and a central database at ISIS. Use of
these data depends on their presentation in a common language (format) that is readily interpretable
by others. These records are used for cooperative breeding programs, by scientists conducting
research, by other zoos, aquariums, and by governmental authorities regulating importation and
exportation of specimens across state and international boundaries.
Management of zoo animals now typically involves more than one institution. Communication
among institutions requires good records and scientific management of animals. Animals are the
cornerstones of the zoo and aquarium profession and the accurate inventory of those animals,
including individual status and history, should be a major priority of every institution. Each day key
legal and financial decisions are based on the presumptions that zoo records are complete, accurate,
and exchangeable (interpretable) from one institution to the next. Businesses that deal with animals
have long known the benefit of complete and accurate records. Animal scientists, whose research is
applied to improve livestock production, know this and spend tremendous amounts of money on

scientific research. Individual histories and pedigrees are key elements in this research and in the
daily operations of most livestock businesses.
The costs of poor animal records may be substantial. First, there are the genetic risks of
inadvertent inbreeding due to uncertain (or incorrect) parentage: increased birth defects, lowered
survival of infants, and lowered reproductive success are the most obvious and most costly effects of
these pedigree problems. In addition to these genetic consequences, operational costs are associated
with incorrect or uncertain pedigrees, either of which may have significant effects on institutional
budgets or operations. Because cooperative management programs rely on data derived from zoo
records, poor quality records may result in unnecessary moves (thus incurring shipping costs and
risks) or incorrect recommendations not to breed. Second, management may be hindered if
husbandry history, particularly medical or behavioral problems, is not carefully documented. Third,
legal citations for incomplete or inaccurate records can lead to costly fines and embarrassing
suspensions of permits. Lastly, poor record keeping hinders improvements in animal management and
husbandry. Few programs make good use of the husbandry and other data available from institutional
records. As a result, there are not only missed opportunities for improving animal husbandry but also
misallocation of efforts to improve husbandry by focusing on problems that are not supported by
accurate data.
Despite the clear needs and advantages, the importance of animal records, and their accuracy
and precision, are underappreciated by the zoo community. In some quarters these issues are either
taken for granted or treated with amusement. Few realize the complexity of the records keeping task;
even fewer appreciate the effect of bad records. There are three key issues involving the acceptance
that must be addressed before the accuracy and reliability of animal records will become adequate for
either internal or external use. First, administrators must appreciate the importance and complexity of
records keeping and maintenance of a single institutional (rather than departmental) database.
Although the animal collection is the key to most zoo and aquarium operations, more time and effort
are usually spent on accounting and inventory of retail goods or overall budget and finances than on
animal records. Regardless of how large an animal collection is, few institutions have more than one
animal records keeper many assign records keeping tasks for the entire institution to a curatorial or
veterinary staff member whose primary job responsibilities are in animal management. Records
keeping is essentially the accounting department for animals and should be accorded the appropriate
resources for the size and scope of the collection. Just as each institution maintains a central
accounting ledger, regardless of whether individual departments track their revenues and
expenditures, each institution should embrace a single animal records database as its official record.
Second, zoo and aquarium professionals must realize that they can no longer rely on experience or
memory alone to track individual specimens; human memories can, and will be lost or corrupted by
time. Nor can they rely on clever, quirky, or unique records keeping procedures that rely on the
individual knowledge or experience of records keeping and other staff. It is no longer sufficient for an
institution to depend on individual staff members to recall or describe where information is recorded or,
more important, how to retrieve it. Third, standards must be developed to guide institutional records
keepers in the creation and maintenance of permanent, unambiguous records keeping databases that
are readily interpretable, without explanation, by any trained records keeper. Electronic record
keeping is moving out of its infancy. Until recently, few records keeping positions had turned over;
many of the pioneers in North American electronic records keeping still hold their original records
keeping position. Yet without standards, as these pioneers change jobs or retire, their successors will
be faced with the difficult task of unraveling the non-standard aspects of an institutions paper and
electronic databases. The modern zoo or aquarium just has too much turnover - in collection and staff
- to permit accurate record keeping without rigorous data entry and maintenance protocols that
standardize record keeping within and between institutions. This is evident in the difficulties faced by
many new records keepers, most of whom struggle not only to interpret historical records, but also to
decipher or invent institutional protocols for data entry.
Even without the latter concerns, with more than 180 records keepers entering data and

maintaining institutional records databases at AZA institutions, the chance for errors and inconsistent
data entry practices is substantial. Standardization would decrease inconsistencies and improve
reliability within and among institutions.
Electronic databases of animal records are, in some form, here to stay. At present, many
institutions participate in ISIS, which combines institutional databases into a single global database of
animal records. While the ISIS central database is useful in many ways, its utility is severely limited by
inconsistencies and inaccuracies in institutional databases; the problems of each institutional database
are multiplied when combined with other data in the central database. Improved quality of institutional
data is essential to improved utility of the ISIS database (Earnhardt et al. 1996).
Why should any zoo professional care whether institutional records are accurate or reliable
beyond that needed to manage its own animal collection? There are three reasons. First, the quality
of data necessary for institutional animal management is virtually the same as that for data sent to a
central database. In many cases, institutions require far more information for internal uses so there is
little extra work involved with improved and standardized record keeping. Second, thousands of hours
are currently spent gathering institutional data, checking those data internally, reconciling transactional
data with other institutions, supplying data to studbook keepers, verifying data in studbooks, verifying
information in the central database, and retrieving information stored in quirky, non-standard formats.
Most of these efforts are redundant: an efficient, standardized records keeping system would greatly
reduce resource allocation to records by improving efficiency of data entry and reducing the need to
check or correct errors and inconsistencies. Perhaps the most underappreciated benefit would be the
use of records across institutions to solve management problems. Only by pooling records can zoos
approach the sample sizes necessary to discern true patterns or problems worthy of additional
scientific research. With a reliable and accurate central database, husbandry would improve
dramatically, thus improving animal care, captive breeding, and reducing operational costs. Finally,
cooperative management plans depend on accurate and reliable data to formulate recommendations.
Inadequate data can compromise recommendations and harm, rather than help, conservation efforts
on behalf of species with small or endangered populations.
Most zoo missions include recreation, education, conservation, and research. Each of these
components is ultimately dependent on records that are well organized, readily interpretable within and
outside the institution, and promote the continued presence of a diverse animal collection that has
significant educational and conservation components. Standardization of records keeping practices is
a conceptually simple action with broad sweeping impact; it will foster each mission component while
improving operational efficiency.

What is an Institutional Animal

Records Database?
The term database doesn't exist in many pre-1990 dictionaries but broken down into its
components, it is not hard to define. Data are information and a base is groundwork or a fundamental
principle, a foundation. Therefore, a database can be defined as an informational foundation, a
starting point for investigation, the basis for results.
Animal records are the basis for many animal management decisions made in zoos and
aquariums, and in recent years, records have become critical to the implementation and success of
conservation programs. A zoo's animal database is made up of individual records, each composed of
the details which chronicle the history of a specimen. This database includes all information and
documentation pertaining to each accessioned specimen; the database extends beyond the
computerized record to include paper records not yet entered into computer. The animal records
database is a zoo and aquarium's lifeline to specimens past, present and future. It not only
provides an internal ledger, but is also a building block for other institutions and programs.
Historically, institutions independently established methods for maintaining animal records.
These ranged from no records at all, to curatorial or keeper journals, to ledgers which accounted for
each specimen. The first formal database came in 1973 with the creation of ISIS, now known as the
International Species Information System. Twelve years later, ISIS presented ARKS, offering zoos
software for the maintenance of a computerized institutional database.
However, even though most institutions use standardized software, institutional databases can
be highly variable in both quantity and quality of data maintained. This variation can be attributed to
numerous factors, one of the most influential of which is the institution's level of commitment to its
animal records database. This includes both the institution's investment in the creation and
maintenance of records and, at the record keeping level, variation in implementation. These factors
can substantially impact the retrieval and use of the database for research, husbandry and/or
population management.

The Role of a Records Keeper/Registrar

Filling a long overlooked gap and now critical need, specialized positions bearing titles such as
records keeper, animal records specialist, data manager, information specialist and registrar are
becoming more common in zoos and aquariums. Regardless of title, these positions share similar
duties: recording transactions and related data, assigning ID numbers and creating new records,
guaranteeing the security of records and dispersing information to other appropriate areas or
institutions. Most records keepers also provide information for surveys, questionnaires, permits,
licenses, studbooks and loan updates. They may prepare reports such as inventories and collection
statistics, and usually act as the institutional representative to ISIS. Additional responsibilities may
include preparation of shipping documents and scheduling shipments, maintenance of permits and
preparation of permit reports, maintenance of medical records, preparing loan agreements and
maintenance of animal-related publications. Registrars generally function as a member of the Animal
Management Committee, assure that animal transactions are in compliance with legal and policy
requirements, direct shipping/quarantine arrangements, monitor animal legislation, and are responsible
for procurement of permits. The size and complexity of an institution usually dictate the level of
responsibility and specific assignment of duties.
In general, the quality of an institutional animal records database is linked directly to the
institutions level of appreciation for such records. Appreciation, translated as commitment, requires an
investment in personnel, equipment and training.

Management of animal data records is a key

responsibility in modern zoos and aquariums.
Detailed records are a significant asset to any
managed collection and establish the framework for
most of captive management and conservation
programs.

The important role of records in captive management is best

served if each institution designates a single individual as
responsible for the animal records system (as recommended by AZAs WCMC). If accurate,
comprehensive, usable records are expected, this responsibility cannot simply be added to existing
curatorial or clerical personnel.
The records keeper/registrar is directly responsible for the quality of the institutions records.
The variation in data quality and the discrepancies in data between zoos is a result of inconsistent data
entry among records keepers. When records keepers use standardized guidelines, the variation
should decrease and the accuracy should improve. In addition to the more technical requirements for
data entry, software and equipment have become more powerful and sophisticated. Thus, the records
keeper/registrar must be a specialist in computerized animal records. New training programs and
guidelines for data entry make this an excellent time for institutions to make an investment in a quality
animal records database.

Background on ARKS3
ARKS3 is a software package developed by ISIS (International Species Information System). In
December of 1985, ISIS offered its first software package called ARKS (Animal Records Keeping
System). In March of 1987, ARKS2, which enhanced the previous ARKS program with more
capabilities in data entry and reports, was released. In 1996 a different software format entitled
ARKS3 was released. This upgrade enhanced some aspects of data entry. Within ARKS3, there have
been several versions: ARKS3.1 released 6 May 1997 and ARKS3.2 released 6 November 1997.
These versions may vary somewhat from the descriptions in the following guidelines. ISIS provides a
technical manual with the ARKS3 software.
ARKS allows a records keeper at a single institution to record the local history of each
specimen in an electronic database. Entry of events or observations such as the date of birth/hatch,
dam, sire, origin of specimen, identifiers, medical history, behavioral and husbandry concerns, and
location of a specimen permits easy retrieval of information in variety of formats. For example, ARKS3
can produce reports on each specimen's history, all specimens of a taxon, transactions or events (e.g.,
all births or transfers to other institutions), or the complete inventory of an institution. Selection criteria,
such as date ranges or event types, can be imposed to narrow these reports to contain only the
desired information.
Reports include:
?

A Specimen report which lists all data on an individual specimen.

A Taxon report which lists all specimens in the institutions collection for a restricted
taxonomic level.

A Transaction report which lists all transactions (i.e., loan, birth, death). A report may
also be restricted to interaction with an institution of interest.

An Enclosure report which prints all specimens held in one location at any particular
time. This is helpful in identifying parentage or etiological sources.

Reproductive History, Sibling Table, Age Pyramid, Pedigree, and Inbreeding reports
show relatedness and other factors within a selected taxon.

ARKS3 help screens may assist with understanding the generation and interpretation of reports.
Like all software programs, ARKS3 is extremely literal in its interpretation of input.
Unfortunately, ARKS3 interpretations are not always as they might seem to the inexperienced user.
Information in any field, regardless of what the user intends, will be treated as the program was
designed. For this reason, it is important that each records keeper has a clear understanding of how
ARKS interprets data entered in each field. Likewise, it is important to know that limitations in the
design of ARKS3 prevent convenient or straightforward data entry of some types of data. To
compensate for these limitations, many records keepers have developed work-arounds to permit entry
and retrieval of data not readily handled by ARKS3 data entry fields.

A work-around is not an ideal convention for data entry; it is an alternate, less than ideal
solution. By their very nature, the complexity of work-arounds makes retrieval of information difficult.
Often, a work-around may use a data entry field for a different purpose than what was originally

intended. Throughout this manual, work-arounds will be suggested as standard ways to enter
important data with the least potential for loss of information or misinterpretation. Use of
standard work-arounds will greatly improve retrieval and sharing of important information among
institutions and between institutions and the ISIS central database.

Work-arounds use one or more data entry

fields, often in conjunction with comment
fields, to record information that otherwise
might be difficult to enter or interpret.

Data Flow and Data Management

Accurate and precise data collection is fundamental to good animal management. Within
institutions, however, a variety of methods are used to collect and store data. The methods employed
have evolved through the history of each institution and are not necessarily efficient, complete, precise
or accurate. Nor do they always allow easy retrieval of stored data.
Every institution has a data management system, although it is seldom referred to as one. A
data management system is a group of physical objects and people that act together to record,
compile, store and analyze information. Examples of components that may be found in these systems
include daily reports, logs, data sheets, file cabinets, computer software and hardware, keepers,
curators, veterinarians, researchers, record keepers, etc. Data are obtained from a variety of sources,
channeled through a system, and archived usually by a records keeper or registrar.
Data retrieval is one of the most important concepts of data management systems. To
adequately design any data management system, it is important to establish what is desired as output.
This, in turn, will establish what is necessary to input, and how the information is stored and
processed. For animal records databases, output might be specimen histories, transaction reports or
animal inventories.
In many institutions, a vast amount of information has been compiled and stored in a variety of
media. An example of this is the traditional keeper's log. Keepers enter any biological data that might
be important about their animals (e.g., estrous cycles, feeding, breeding, behavior, etc.). Because
this can create large logs of data, this information is not easily retrieved in a form that can be used
(e.g., all estrous events for an individual), and therefore is often not utilized. There are ways to more
easily retrieve data. The information could be entered into an electronic database (i.e., ARKS3) or
compiled in files or on other non-digital media (i.e., cards).
There are two general categories for data storage: digital (computer) and non-digital. There
are advantages and disadvantages in each type of system. Although the trend has been toward
computer-based systems, no institution has completely eliminated paper files and reports. One
method of decreasing the amount of paper and increasing the access to paper documents is through
digitization (scanning into a computer). These records can be quickly retrieved on a screen and stored
on videodisks. Although there are many positive aspects to these systems, they are expensive and do
not allow the direct analysis of data. Because of increased retrieval and sorting flexibility, the goal is
complete digital storage. The type and amount of output that is expected from the system and the
resources available establish this balance.
Most institutional data management systems are limited in scope by available resources. To
establish a balance between the benefit from the use of resources and the amount of resources that
must be allocated to data management, it is again necessary to determine what output is desired from
the system. Once this is established, it must be determined if the resources are available to meet
these goals, and whether or not the institution is willing to dedicate these resources to data
management. Staff time is the most expensive resource in a records keeping system.
Data flow of animal information within an institution is an important component of the data
management system. There are two specific functions that must be considered as data are transferred
within an institution. These include data quality control functions and information dissemination. The
first is a review process after the primary observer has recorded information; this process monitors the
quality of data that will ultimately be archived. The second consideration is dissemination of
information to the appropriate members of the staff. This information flow not only maintains
communications, but also allows the appropriate staff members to act on information when necessary
for animal management and veterinary reasons. The staff members may include curators,
veterinarians, collection managers, directors, marketing people, public relations people, etc. Each

individual institution has its own organizational structure and needs for the dissemination of
information.
For primary data recording, most zoos use a daily report that is filled out by zookeepers. These
daily reports are ultimately used as the source for data entry into the ARKS3 database. The keeper
makes an observation, which is then noted on the daily report. This report is then circulated to a
senior keeper, a curator, and the records keeper. (See Appendix for an example of a Daily Report.)
The senior keeper and curator are on the first level of data quality checking. If any one of
these individuals note that there are incorrect data or some discrepancy in the data, they will flag the
entry and either correct the problem or seek clarification. This first level of checks and balances is
important to overcome the expected percentage of human error that occurs in all records systems.
The records keeper is the next level of data quality checking. Unlike the previous level, the
records keeper not only evaluates the data using their personal knowledge, they also directly compare
the new information on the daily report to the data held in the ARKS3 database.
Once any corrections have been made during the preceding levels of data-quality checks it is
still necessary to have one additional level of data-quality checks. This final level includes the
production of ARKS reports that are circulated back to the original observer (and sometime other
individuals) for verification. Without this final level of data-quality processing, errors in data entry into
the database could not be discovered.
Another important aspect to data management systems is the question of who should have
access to the data. Anyone that needs the information, including directors, curators, veterinarians,
and keepers, should have access. Of course, adequate security to protect the integrity of the
database from accidental or malicious damage must be in place. Security is an important
consideration of data management systems, but it should not be allowed to inhibit the usefulness of a
system.
It is always important to remember that to receive benefit from a data processing effort, the
data must be used. If the information is never retrieved and utilized, there is no benefit realized from
the effort of collecting, processing, and storing the information and there is no return for the
expenditure of resources. Data retrieval is necessary for competent animal management. Therefore,
biological data processing must be considered a service that is invaluable to animal managers. Data
management systems should be considered dynamic entities producing useful results. If the current
system does not produce information that is readily usable for animal management decision making, it
should be re-evaluated. In any case, there are no systems that would not benefit from a periodic
review of their output and the utility received from the effort. This type of feedback is important in
maintaining an up-to-date, efficient and useful system.

10

The Role of Daily Reports

Animal keepers and aquarium biologists are in the unique position of being able to observe and
collect daily information on the specimens in their care. This information is recorded on a form which
most institutions call a daily report. The daily report is especially important as it is one of the
primary sources of information used for animal management decisions and for regional and
international conservation programs.
Data from the daily report are entered into the ARKS3 program. Thus, it is very important for
keepers and biologists to collect and record the necessary data on the daily reports.
The following information should be collected:
?

Acquisitions and dispositions (including births, deaths, and descriptions of their

circumstances)

Parental identification

Changes in identifications, markings and physical appearance

Sexing or changes in sex and how sex was determined

Medical problems, medical treatments, medical procedures

General behavioral observations

Reproductive behavior

Enrichment

Transfers of specimens between cages, buildings

Changes in food consumption, feeding behavior, feeding location, diet

Animal introductions

Each zoo should develop its own guidelines for the daily report. At a minimum, each
institutions daily report form should require all information essential to track individuals between
institutions and to establish pedigree relationships. (See the Appendix for An example of a Daily
Report.)
Future
A number of zoos are or soon will be networked. Eventually keepers will be able to enter their
daily reports on a computer terminal in their unit. The reports will be available via the network to the
different departments which need the information. The registrar will be able to select entries directly
from the daily reports and electronically file them into the ARKS3 program.

11

Truth and Fiction

Animals are physical things that are born and die on any given day and can be moved between
physical locations. Therefore, there is a physical reality of properties and events that involve animals
in zoos or aquariums which can be recorded in an animal records system as "truth." Those who use
zoo and aquarium records assume that those records are reliable and accurate: that is, they
represent a true account of each individual's history. Thus, whether a user is a researcher at a
university or another institution, a curator, a zoo or aquarium staff member unfamiliar with zoo records,
or a subsequent records keeper, each user's initial presumption is that the data they use are an
accurate and complete account of each specimen's history. In addition, it is often assumed that the
animal records database represents an accurate history of the institution's animal collection (i.e., it is
historically complete).
Unfortunately, the truth in animal records represents a continuum of uncertainty that runs the
gamut from "the real truth" to "the truth as we know it" to "the perceived truth" to "fiction created to fill
some real or perceived need." Identifying the level of uncertainty in any datum is a challenge because
records keeping systems, and ARKS3 in particular, often accept, store, display and report most data
as if it were the real truth. This appearance of truth is created by the very nature of electronic
databases: the use of data entry fields with limited input options (e.g., from a pick-list or with too few
character spaces to permit an appropriate description). When the data field options are insufficient for
the information at hand, the only recourse is to explain (qualify, justify, amplify) the situation as a
Comment. The use of Comment to explain data in other fields, requires that users check more than
one field (i.e., remember to look for comments) and/or sort through what can be cumbersome
comments attached to a specimen record. In effect, the need to examine and evaluate comments
defeats the purpose of a searchable database with retrievable data fields that can be summarized in
tabulated reports. Thus, even with careful documentation, it is often difficult to discern the level
of uncertainty for any given bit of information in an animal records database.
Even more elusive is the historical completeness of the database. Few records keepers have
the resources to enter data, or at least complete data, for all historic specimens. Yet to the user, there
is no indication what, if any, historical data have been entered in the electronic database. Thus,
unless there is supplemental written documentation, it is impossible to determine the historical
completeness of an ARKS3 database.
There are three primary sources of incorrect information in animal records databases:
data entry errors, deliberate entry of incorrect data, and omission of data from the database.
Data entry errors are typically either mistakes, such as transpositions of either numerals in dates or
identification numbers (e.g., 457 instead of the correct 547), misunderstandings of data entry
procedures, or inconsistencies in how data are entered. Examples of the latter might be use of leading
zeros (e.g., the presumption that the following IDs are equivalent: 0001, 01, 1, #1) or assignment of the
parents of wild-caught specimens as {UNK} for some specimens and {WILD} for others.

Many data entry errors are easily identified because they are either inconsistent with previous
information or represent physically impossible events. However, subtle data entry errors, or errors that
are plausible, even while incorrect, are difficult to detect. Although some data entry error is inevitable,
the solution to data entry error is an organized system of data collection, careful attention to detail, and
a records keeping system that checks for internal consistency of records. Deliberate entry of
incorrect information is given the general term fiction. Fictionalized data spans the gamut from minor

12

fiction to major fiction and poses problems when it is allowed to masquerade as the truth (i.e., it is not
documented as fiction, is undocumented, or the documentation is ignored). Minor fiction can be
characterized by the inevitable small inaccuracies or assumptions that occur during the initial recording
or reporting stage for some types of data. Examples of minor fiction would be birth or death dates
reported as the day following the actual event (i.e., as the current date) or approximate dates (e.g.,
sometime early last week) reported as definite dates rather than estimates over a small range. In
general, this minor fiction is unlikely to have significant, if any, effects on management of either
individual specimens or populations. In contrast to minor fiction, major fiction has the potential to lead
animal managers and/or population managers to inappropriate and potentially damaging decisions.

Major fiction entails baseless or poorly justified

guesses about key parameters such as parentage,
age, or death date.

A particularly common type of major fiction results from the

practice of attributing an estimated death date to a specimen whose
fate, and date of that fate, is unknown. An example of the latter would
be a specimen that is known to have been alive at an institution on 1
July 1919, but for which there is no further record. This specimen
could have been transferred to another institution, died, or lived an
exceptionally long or short time after 1 July 1919. Assigning it a best
guess death date creates fiction that, while seemingly based on the husbandry and/or biology of the
species, may well bias subsequent demographic or medical analyses.
Fiction is not usually the result of either maliciousness or incompetence. It is primarily the
result of a lack of data entry standards that would help records keepers enter complex
information in a consistent and reliable manner. There are four situations that may result in
fictionalization within a specimen's record:
1. Software limitations prohibit or complicate entry of a particular type of data or specific
information (e.g., the appropriate option is not on a pick-list).
2. The truth is perceived differently by more than one institution contributing information to a
specimen's record (partial or conflicting data).
3. The truth is uncertain or unknown (can't be found, not yet known or unclear).
4. The truth is compromised by data that are either deliberately omitted or of which the
records keeper is unaware.

Each of these situations can and do lead to the creation of both minor and major fiction. How this can
occur for each of these four situations is described below.

Limitations of the software often force the records keeper to fill a data field with incorrect or
inappropriate information. Many data entry routines in ARKS3 will not allow the data entry process to
proceed unless acceptable (although not necessarily correct) information is entered. Moreover, the
software often does not provide an obvious link between fiction created to fill a field and comments that
clarify or explain the need and basis for that fiction. Even when caveats or assumptions are noted in
text or precision fields, there is substantial risk that future users will interpret data literally and/or only
see or be given reports that do not include the associated comments. The limitations of a records

13

keeping system may inadvertently promote contrived data when a known or perceived truth cannot be
entered in a straightforward manner. This might occur when a data field must be filled from a pick list
that does not include all the appropriate situations. Alternatively, data may be contrived to workaround the lack of an appropriate field, or fields. A much used example of a records system limitation
is the difficulty in recording the origin of birds collected from the wild as eggs. Are these birds wildcaught or are they captive-hatched? In truth they are both wild-caught and captive-hatched, but it is
not possible to record this truth in a records system such as ARKS3, where the two origins are used as
opposites. All records systems are likely to have design limitations. Sometimes these limitations can
be eliminated with a few simple changes in data entry protocols, while others may take significant
records system design changes.
Perhaps the most problematical source of fiction is the difference in perceived truth within and
between institutions. This type of fiction is spawned either when data are entered and at a later date
the entry is determined to be incorrect, or when two or more institutions differ in their evaluations of a
specimen. In the first case, the truth is time dependent; the original entry may either have been
perceived as correct at the time of entry (e.g., sex was thought to be male, a wild-caught specimen was
thought to be of a subspecies A, etc.), or it may have been a guess or assumption. When the truth (or
at least a new truth) becomes known (e.g., sex is female, subspecies is B), a correction in the data may
obscure or confuse interpretation of a specimen's earlier management history. For example, consider
a specimen of unknown sex that is held at one institution for several years. It is then sent to another
institution and that receiving institution determines the specimen's true sex. Should the sending
institution change its recorded truth to match the physical reality, or should it retain the truth as it was
known and upon which its management was based (e.g., as an unknown sex)? In either case, it is
essential that comments are entered to describe the relative actual truth, truth, as it was known, and
the date when actual truth was obtained. When two institutions truly disagree, for example when zoo A
identifies a specimen as subspecies A (or male), but zoo B identifies the same specimen as subspecies
B (or female), and each institution feels that their determination is correct, resolution is much more
difficult. Yet if left unresolved, this disagreeable fiction poses substantial problems for population
management and even legal issues (e.g., permits).
Possibly the most insidious type of fictionalized data arises when data are contrived to fill a
perceived need by the originator or records keeper. In these instances, information that is uncertain,
presumptive, or incorrect, is deliberately entered into (or omitted from) a specimen's record because
the necessary information is either not known or uncertain. Although this fiction may often be based
on sound reasoning and a good knowledge of the species' biology (e.g., choosing the dominant male
in a social group as the sire of all offspring), unless properly identified (or if the identification is lost or
vague) this fiction eventually masquerades as truth. It may thus have the inadvertent effects of
discouraging efforts to discern the real truth and misleading management and husbandry efforts. The
latter may compromise scientific plans devised to manage and care for either individuals or
populations.
As noted earlier, another dangerous source of fiction is the sin of omission: data that are
important but are either not entered, infrequently entered (or omitted), or entered in convoluted
or obscure fashions that impede their retrieval by all but the cleverest and most persistent of users
(or of course, by whomever entered them). By far the most common form of omission fiction is that of
inconsistent entry of one or more types of data. In these cases data are sometimes entered,
sometimes not, thus making it impossible to determine when an event (or events) did not occur. These
omissions may be due either to time constraints on the data entry staff or to inconsistent
reporting/recording by the animal management staff. The danger of omissions is that their absence
from the records is often interpreted as an absence of the event itself. Alternatively, if there is
suspicion that some events of a given type are not recorded, the utility of those events that are
recorded is diminished. Eggs are again the commonly used example for the problems resulting from
data omission. At different institutions and at different times within a single institution, it is not
uncommon for the standards for when an egg is added to the electronic database to change (e.g.,

14

when laid, when determined to be fertile, when hatched, etc.). This can make it appear as though
there are temporal or institutional differences in life history parameters such as fecundity, when in fact
the effect is that of changing records keeping standards.

Fiction, in any form should be avoided at all costs.

The truth, no matter how painful, can always be
fictionalized for analyses.

Even minor fiction, events

that may be assigned within days of
the actual event (but reported as exact, rather than estimated dates) or enclosure logs that are not
always maintained, have the potential to result in important misconceptions. The bottom line is that
records should report only the actual truth as it is known. Necessary assumptions or guesses,
particularly those necessitated by the software or paper forms, must be clearly documented as a
Comment attached to the event. Records that are clearly incomplete because of missing data or data
that are truly unknown are more useful and less potentially damaging to population and collection
management, than are those that have been completed by
undocumented fictionalization.
In all cases, when the truth changes, the actual truth should be
entered in the database as soon, and whenever it becomes known.
Every effort should be made to resolve records disagreements within or
between institutions by establishing the real (not a brokered) truth.
When resolution is not possible, each institution should detail its own
version of the truth, as well as the nature of the disagreement, so that
any future users will be alerted to the problem.

15

Relationship Between Institutional

Animal Records Databases and Studbooks
An institutional animal records database contains information on all
the species and specimens that have ever been managed or owned by one
institution; an institution's records are meant to be the true history of
animal transactions at the institution. On the other hand, a studbook
database contains information on only one species, with specimens located
at many institutions. The studbook contains data from a variety of sources
assembled into a dataset that is internally consistent so that it can be used
for population management. Although institutional databases are the
ultimate source of the data in studbooks, discrepancies between
studbooks and institutional records may arise because of differences in structure and
orientation between the two databases.
Studbook databases are used to make breeding and transfer recommendations. Thus,
important decisions about an institutions specimens are based on data in studbooks. Therefore, it is
very important for institutional records keepers to:
?

Check studbook information against their own records to ensure that the studbook
agrees with the institutional database.

Contact the studbook keeper to resolve discrepancies between studbook and

institutional data.

Facilitate recommendations and tracking of specimens between institutions by entering

studbook ID numbers into the institution's ARKS3 database.

Production of a studbook database requires communication between the studbook keeper and
institutional records keepers. When a new studbook is begun, the institutional records keeper
should research all records sources for the studbook species to ensure that all specimens are
identified and accessioned into ARKS3. For this initial effort, specimen reports should be sent to the
studbook keeper as these reports provide the most complete information on each specimen. Later,
the studbook keeper may send a list of questions about a specimen for which data conflicts between
institutions. Communication between institutional records keepers and the studbook keeper should
help to resolve these conflicts and improve the quality of institutional and studbook databases.
Institutional records should not be indiscriminately changed to conform with studbook
information. Discrepancies between studbook and institutional databases should be resolved
carefully, through research into the source of the conflicting information. Unless the studbook
keeper can document a primary source for the discrepancy, the institutional records should take
precedence over studbook data. The best assumption is that institutional records are the most
accurate reflection of events at that institution. There are only a few instances in which the studbook
keeper may have more accurate information than the institution. One example is a specimen that left
an institution as sex unknown, but whose sex was later resolved.

16

If data in an institutional database are changed, a note should

be entered as a Comment for the appropriate field starting with
the key words DATA CHANGE.
Use of standard
terminology such as DATA CHANGE, simplifies searches for records keepers and analysts. For
example, a change in birth date would be recorded with the code NE for age estimate stating DATA
CHANGE, exact date of birth entered based on information provided by studbook keeper, and
institutional records keeper at birth location.

17

Relationship Between Institutional

Animal Records Databases and the ISIS3 Database
Some of the information recorded in the institutional database is sent to ISIS to be pooled for
exchange of information among ISIS member institutions. Information transmitted to ISIS includes: date
of birth/hatch, parental identification numbers, sex, birth/hatch location, identifiers, rearing type,
transactions, other party in a transaction, ownership, and comments reserved by ISIS (codes beginning
with S or T).
At the present time, data on specimens recorded in ARKS3 as groups, rather than as
individually identified specimens, Comments whose code begins with anything other than S or T, and
Price and Delivery information, are not sent to ISIS. In addition, it is possible for the user to specify that
an individual specimen or a taxon not be reported to ISIS.
Information is transmitted to the ISIS central database via a monthly file. The monthly file
contains additions or modifications to an institution's animal data. At the beginning of each new month
the ARKS3 program prompts the records keeper to send the monthly file to ISIS. This file can be
mailed on a floppy disk or it can be e-mailed to the following address: [email protected].
The ISIS central database is maintained by a program called ISIS3. ISIS3 interprets the monthly
file from each institution and attempts to link animal transactions between institutions. Linking animal
transactions allows ISIS to track specimens as they move from one institution to another. An example
of the linking process would be as follows. Zoo A sells a 5 year old male lion to Zoo B. Zoo B reports
that it purchased a 5 year old male lion from Zoo A. At this point there is no way to be certain that
these two zoos are reporting the same transaction. However, if Zoo A reports that its local ID for this
lion is 123, and Zoo B reports that Zoo A used the local ID of 123 for this lion, then the ISIS3 program
will link these two transactions. This automated process follows a set of rules that cannot resolve many
discrepancies either within an institutions records or between two institutions.

Discrepancies in the ISIS3 database must be resolved at or

between the sending institutions (in their respective
ARKS3 databases) with the corrected data submitted to ISIS
in a subsequent monthly file.

ISIS3 data form the basis for ISIS Abstracts (which report numbers and
sex ratios at each zoo for each species), SPARKS studbook datasets, Taxon
Advisory Group (TAG) reports, partial backups of the institutional database,
and the ISIS Specimen Reference CD-ROM.

18

Relationships Between Institutional Records Systems

Prior to the advent of computers and ISIS, exchange of records information between institutions
was limited by how quickly the data could be collected and compiled. Often the information supplied
consisted only of species, sex and the type of transaction (e.g., sale, loan). By todays standards,
species, sex and transaction alone are insufficient to conduct the types of analyses needed to
effectively manage zoo and aquarium animal populations.
Most zoos and aquariums view the primary use of their records as internal to their institution.
They use records to satisfy daily administrative and management needs: the size and content of the
collection, the number of specimens born, the types of transactions, husbandry decisions, etc. As
institutions cooperate to maintain captive, self-sustainable populations, the use of records has
expanded to include exchange of information between institutions and the impact of each institutional
database on other institutions. Therefore, when a change is made on a single animal record, it is
necessary to consider the impact it may have on records for the specimen at other regional and
international institutions.
Once the data are verified, a search must be done to see if the change in local specimen IDs
impacts the data at other institutions. This can be done by obtaining a Link Discrepancy Report
through the ISIS Specimen Reference CD and by producing an institutional historical taxon report. And
if changes are made, it is imperative that the affected parties are notified by providing them with a copy
of the corrected record.

If there is a need to modify records, it must only be done after

the data are thoroughly verified.

19

When and How to Use Data Integrity Checks

The ARKS3 Data Integrity Check is a utility that allows the user to check taxonomic and
institution lists, and certain fields in the data files for a variety of problems. The ARKS3 Data Integrity
Check contains five separate options, each of which can be run individually (except for the verification
of data files); validation of data files requires that the taxonomic list and the institution list have been
validated. These five options are:
1. Check data for problematic taxonomic names.
2. Verify the integrity of the taxonomic list.
3. Verify the integrity of the institution list.
4. Validate data files, including the institution name listed in the vendor field, dam & sire
institution fields, and the scientific (Latin) name field in the Master record.
5. Validate that each sire and dam listed for a specimen is of the correct sex and (sub)species.
An individual error report is produced from each option. All reports are placed in the Deferred Print
Queue and the ARKS reports subdirectory.
Why Use This Utility?
It is possible to have scientific names in the specimen records that do not have a
corresponding entry in the taxonomic list. If these scientific names are not corrected or added to the
taxonomic list, they will not show up on the inventory report, and in some cases, will not appear on
taxon reports. The first option in Data Integrity Check provides a very easy way to check for and
correct problematic taxonomic names.
The taxonomic list and the institution list are the two main authority files that ARKS3 accesses.
If these files become damaged, the ARKS3 database could cease to function properly. ISIS
recommends verifying the integrity of these files on a regular basis.
This utility provides an easy way to check the database for missing or invalid entries in
specimen records. While this utility will not check all data fields, it does concentrate on some of the
main fields that cause linkage problems.
How is Data Integrity Check Used?
The ARKS3 Data Integrity Check is found under the Utilities menu. As a default, the first four
options are checked with an X. It is not possible to run Validate Data Files without running Verify
Taxonomic List and the Verify Institution List. Below are guidelines for running each option. These
instructions are written for ARKS version 3.20.
Option #1 - Check data for problematic taxon names
There are two possible reasons for encountering problematic taxonomic names in the
database. First, the Latin name may be a misspelling of an entry that already exists in the taxonomic
list. Second, the Latin name does not exist in the taxonomic list. This routine affords the opportunity to
fix problem names as they are located, or to wait and fix them later. This routine will create at least one
file, TXORPHAN (located in the Deferred Print Queue), and a second file, INVEXTRA.TXT, (also located

20

in the Deferred Print Queue) if errors are encountered. TXORPHAN will contain one of two messages:
(1) No problematic taxonomic names were found in your data or (2) See INVEXTRA.TXT file in the
Deferred Print Queue for more details on problematic taxon names in the data.
If, when running this routine, problematic taxonomic names are detected, a red box will appear
in the middle of the screen noting that problem taxonomic names exist. The user may either fix the
names or continue. If the Continue option is chosen, the names will be written to a file named
INVEXTRA.TXT located in the Deferred Print Queue. However, opting for Fix provides a quick and
easy way to fix problematic taxonomic names.
1. Accessing the fix routine:
When the red box appears, entering an F will give the specimens with problematic names. The
Latin names that do not have corresponding entries in the taxonomic list will appear in the top
half of the screen. The bottom half of the screen will show the specimen records that are
affected by these names. Options available at this point are: {FIX SPECIMEN}, {FIX TAXON},
{EXIT}, or {HELP}. The recommended option to choose is {FIX TAXON}.
{FIX TAXON}
The Latin name is corrected by selecting it in the top half of the screen and double clicking on
{FIX TAXON}. The next screen that appears lists the current problematic taxonomic name;
below it will be what that name is to be replaced with. As a default, the problematic name is
listed. Pressing {ENTER} will validate the name and, since it is invalid the taxonomic list edit
screen will appear. The taxonomic name can be added at this point.
2. Accessing TXORPHAN.TXT in the deferred print queue: See Accessing Files in the
Deferred Print Queue for help.
Option #2 - Verify taxonomic list
This option performs a diagnostic test on the taxonomic file and then compiles a report on any
findings. The report compiled will be named TXVERIFY.TXT. This option is used by selecting it and
then selecting {OK}. It is important to view the compiled report when this routine is completed. Errors
encountered are classified as major or minor. This error checking routine is quite aggressive; action
should only be taken on the major errors at this time. See below for descriptions of possible errors
encountered from each routine and the recommended action to be taken.
POSSIBLE ERRORS ENCOUNTERED:
MAJOR ERRORS

RECOMMENDED ACTION

Damaged Record

This record needs to be deleted and re-added to the

database if necessary.
(See Taxonomic List
Management.)
RECOMMENDED ACTION

MINOR ERRORS
First Record is Not a Class Header

Update the taxonomic list from the ISIS Specimen

Reference CD-ROM.

Dead End Synonym

This synonym does not point to a valid Latin name in

the taxonomic list. Either delete this synonym, add
the appropriate name to the taxonomic list, or change
the synonym so that it points to an existing entry in the
taxonomic list.

21

(See Taxonomic List Management.)

Circular Synonym

In the case of a circular synonym, synonym A points

to synonym B which in turn points back to synonym A.
To fix this problem either change synonym A or B so
that it points to an actual name, or delete both entries.
(See Taxonomic List Management.)

Illegal Range Value for Heading

The record has an illegal range for a heading.

Acceptable range values are: <CLASS>, <ORDER>,
<FAMILY>,<GENUS>, or <SYNONYM>.
It is
recommended that this record is edited so that it
contains the appropriate taxonomic level in the range
field. The record may need to be deleted and reentered to accomplish this. The other possibility is that
this should not be a header record. (See Taxonomic
List Management.)

Synonym Flag Inconsistent

w/ Range Value:

If this record is supposed to be a synonym then the

synonym flag field should be set to True and the range
field should say <SYNONYM>. However, if this is not a
synonym record then the <SYNONYM> field should
say False and the range field should not contain the
phrase synonym. The record may need to be deleted
and re-entered to accomplish this correction. (See
Taxonomic List Management.)

Option #3 - Verify institution list

This option performs a diagnostic test on the institution file and then compiles a report on any
findings. The report compiled will be named INVERIFY.TXT. This option is used by selecting it and
then selecting {OK}. It is important to view the compiled report when this routine is completed. Errors
encountered are classified as major or minor. This error checking routine is quite aggressive; action
should only be taken on the major errors at this time. See below for descriptions of possible errors
encountered from each routine and the recommended action to be taken.

POSSIBLE ERRORS ENCOUNTERED:

MAJOR ERRORS

RECOMMENDED ACTION

Damaged Record

This record needs to be deleted and re-added to the

database if necessary.
(See Institution List
Management.)

MINOR ERRORS

RECOMMENDED ACTION

Dead End Synonym

This synonym does not point to a valid mnemonic in the

Institution list. To fix this problem, either delete this
synonym, add the appropriate name to the Institution
list, or change the synonym so that it points to an
existing entry in the Institution list. (See Institution List

22

Management.)
Circular Synonym

In the case of a circular synonym, synonym A points to

synonym B which in turn points back to synonym A. To
fix this problem either change synonym A or B so that it
points to an actual name or delete both entries. (See
Institution List Management.)

It is important to note that when synonyms are added to the Institution list, they are not validated
by ARKS!! Therefore, it is essential that the mnemonic is spelled correctly and that it exists on
the institution list.
Invalid Entries Found in Field
This is often due to typographical errors or private
individuals. If many specimen records are affected by
this, the name can be added as a synonym and
pointed to the correct mnemonic. When the fourth
option available in the <DATA INTEGRITY CHECK>
{VALIDATE DATA FILES} is run, those names will
automatically be replaced by the correct one.
Option #4 - Validate data files
This option will check for any discrepancies between the institution and taxonomic names
entered into individual records with those in the institution and taxonomic files. Any discrepancies
found will be compiled and placed in a report name DTVERIFY.TXT. If taxonomic synonym or
institution synonym names are found in the specimen records, this validation routine will replace those
names with the primary name used in the taxonomic or institution authority files. These synonyms will
be listed in the report. Also included in the report will be invalid institution names listed in the vendor,
<SIRE INSTITUTION>, and <DAM INSTITUTION> fields, and invalid entries listed in the Latin name
field. These entries need to be corrected.
Option #5 - Validate sires and dams
This option will check that each sire and dam listed in the specimen records is of the correct
sex and (sub)species. Any errors encountered will be compiled and placed in a file named
SDVERIFY.TXT. These discrepancies must be researched and corrections individually entered into
ARKS3. Sires and dams that do not appear as individuals should be researched and entered if
possible. This will also aid in adding historical data to ARKS3 for studbook purposes. See Deferred
Print Queue Management for help on accessing this file.
Taxonomic List Management
Some of the errors encountered when using option #2 will require access to Taxonomic List
Management. This is located in the Utilities menu. The taxon name or the nearest matching entry is
accessed by entering the Latin name in the first field, pressing {ENTER}, then following the instructions
below.
Note: If editing an entry, do not enter the entire Latin name! ARKS3 will display the record and
bypass the editing screen.
An entry is edited by:
(1)

highlighting the desired record

(2)

selecting Edit

23

(Note that the ARKS3 Help text at the top of the screen suggests pressing {ENTER} to
begin editing - this option does not work.)
(3)

changing the record and pressing the {ESC} key, or pressing {ENTER} to return to the
starting screen

(4)

reviewing the changes and pressing {ESC} to return to the Utilities menu

An entry is added by:

(1)

positioning the cursor on the record just above where the add should occur, and then
selecting Add, or by pressing {F9} and selecting Add from the bottom of the screen

(2)

a red box will appear confirming the position where the record will be placed. If this is
correct choose Continue, if not choose Stop and reposition the cursor. A screen will
appear prefilled with the record that precedes the new one. Edit this information with
the information for the new record

(3)

pressing {ENTER} to return to the beginning screen. Confirm that the new information
is correct. If there are errors, follow the instructions for editing a record to make
corrections

An entry is deleted by:

(1) highlighting the desired record and selecting Delete, or by pressing {F9} and selecting
Delete from the bottom of the screen

Institution List Management

Some of the errors encountered when running option #3 will require access to Institution List
Management. This is located in the Utilities menu. Adding, Deleting, and Editing are the same as for
Taxonomic List Management.
Managing the Deferred Print Queue
Each Data Integrity Check produces a file that is written to the Deferred Print Queue. To
access the files in the queue, select Deferred Print Queue Management located in the Utilities menu.
This will provide a list of report names which were produced when the Data Integrity Checks were
executed.
To View a Report:

Highlight the desired report and press {F5}.

To Print a Report:

Press {F4}, select the report(s) to print, and highlight Finished and press
{ENTER}.

24

When to Enter Unknown

Complete and unambiguous data in every field establishes an accurate profile for each
specimen. Animal management decisions at many levels depend on accurate data; when the data are
complete, there is more information upon which to base decisions. However, data are not always
complete or clear; in some cases, it may be necessary to enter {UNKNOWN}. While the records keeper
should research information to find the necessary data and to avoid entering {UNKNOWN}, it is better
to enter {UNKNOWN} than to make arbitrary or wild guesses.

Data that are incorrect are worse than data that are
unknown!

A field that is filled with {UNK} or {UNKNOWN} falls into one of three general categories:
1. Full research has not been done at this time - the answer may be available when more
effort can be invested in finding it.
2. Full research has been done and the records keeper is confident that there will be no more
information available. In other words, {UNKNOWN} are the best data that can be recorded.
3. This entry was made at some time in the past as {UNKNOWN} without any further comment.
Therefore it is not known whether it fits case 1 or 2 above.
Information on which category applies should be noted as a Comment. Recording as a
Comment whether the answer to the UNKNOWN field has been exhaustively searched for or
not will clarify the situation and save future effort. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession
Number 15.) New studbook keepers working on a studbook dataset or institution records would know
which unknowns might be resolved with some work, and which are likely to remain unresolved. It would
also mean that questionnaires and data quality reports could focus on those items that might be
resolved.

25

Missing Data Reports

ARKS3 version 3.3 has a report option called Missing Data Reports which contains three
suboptions designed to locate certain types of data missing from specimen records.
These three reports will:
1. Locate specimen records for missing Vendor or Recipient Specimen IDs.
2. Locate specimen records which are either missing an appropriate Studbook ID or have a
Studbook ID converted from ARKS2 which is listed as unknown studbook.
3. Locate local births for unknown data (e.g., birth date, parent IDs, sex, rearing).
All three utilities produce reports that can be sent to the screen, printer or file.
Why Use Missing Data Reports?
This utility provides a simple way to locate gaps in specimen records. The missing data these
utilities look for are among the most important data needed for animal management. Utilizing these
reports can help to quickly locate specimens with missing data, thereby making it much easier to track
specimens among institutions.
How To Use Missing Date Reports
The Missing Data Reports option is located in the Reports menu. The menu options
(Vendor/Recipient IDs, Studbook Numbers, and Local Birth Data) are accessed by highlighting and
pressing {ENTER}.. Each option is operated in a similar manner and each can be filtered by taxon.
date and institution as appropriate to the report. Below is a description of each utility, and the report
that it produces.
Option #1 - Vendor/Recipient IDs

Whenever a specimen is transferred between ISIS member

institutions, it is critical that members exchange local
specimen IDs. Local specimen IDs for vendor and recipient
are the most important pieces of information in ensuring that
the acquisition and disposition of a specimen are properly
linked together in the ISIS central database.

26

The Vendor/Recipient IDs option will search specimen records for missing vendor and recipient
specimen IDS. It will either search for one individual institution or include all institutions (i.e., institution
filter left blank). The report will list the institution, the individual taxon, birth date, sex, transaction date
and terms. Each institution will be listed on a separate page. ISIS designed this report so that it could
be sent to the listed institution, local IDs could be filled in, and the report returned.
Option #2 - Studbook numbers
Known studbook numbers should be recorded for each specimen. Because new studbooks are
being formed and published all the time, it can be difficult to keep current on which species or
individuals have studbook numbers. This report lists specimens that are missing global and/or regional
studbook numbers, and those that still list unknown studbook from the ARKS2 conversion. When
specimens with missing studbook numbers are identified, the records keeper should contact the
studbook keeper to obtain new studbook numbers.
Option #3 - Local birth data
This option checks specimen records for unknown birth dates, unknown parent IDs, unknown
sex, or unknown rearing (optional). The report can sort alphabetically by taxon, or an individual taxon
can be selected. Missing information on the report is underlined. This makes it very easy for animal
management staff to use as a worksheet for filling in missing data. The data can then be entered into
specimen records from the worksheet.

27

What and When to Accession

The concept of accessioning is one of the most important aspects of records-keeping. To
accession a specimen means that a record file for that specimen is created in the institutional
database. This record file could be either paper or electronic (e.g., a new specimen entered into the
ARKS3 database). A specimen is accessioned when an institution either has legal title to
(ownership) or physical possession of the specimen.
Much of the following discussion is taken from the Zoo Registrars Association Records Manual.
It is important to distinguish between accession and acquisition. According to Funk & Wagnall's
Standard Desk Dictionary (1980), accession means "to record, as additions to a library or museum"
while acquire means "to come to possess; receive." The Smithsonian Institution defines accession as
"the formal process or procedure of recording an addition to the collection" and acquisition as "the act
of gaining possession" (Smithsonian Institution, Office Memorandum # 808). Thus, the distinction is
that acquisition denotes gaining either ownership or possession of a specimen while accession
denotes the act of recording acquired specimens in the appropriate records keeping system
(database). Thus, a specimen may be accessioned though not physically acquired or, conversely, it
may have been acquired but not yet accessioned. Some examples that serve to illustrate this are:
?

An institution purchases a specimen that is currently at, and will remain at, another
facility. The specimen is accessioned by the purchasing institution because it gains
legal title (ownership) to that specimen.

A specimen on loan to an institution produces an offspring which will belong to the

lender. The offspring is accessioned by the holding institution because it has physical
possession of it; it is also accessioned by the loaning institution which has legal title to
it.

A specimen on loan to another facility produces an offspring which will be owned by

that facility. The possessing institution accessions this newly born or hatched
specimen. The loaning institution does not accession this offspring because it has
neither title nor physical possession of it. (However, a Comment, code NB should be
added to the specimen's record to indicate the birth/hatch of the offspring.)

What to Accession
The following should be accessioned into the institution's collection:
?

Any specimen born or hatched at the institution, regardless of ownership or survival.

Partially cannibalized and decomposed new specimens should be accessioned. If
offspring are not intact, accession the maximum number of offspring that can be
identified. For example, if five legs (or three ears or two spleens) were discovered in a
litter of cats, two offspring should be recorded. Other evidence such as blood or
sounds may also indicate a birth or hatch. The method or rationale used to calculate
the number of litter mates or accession of specimens should be recorded as a
Comment (code NB).

Specimens born at other facilities and deemed property of the institution by terms of a
breeding loan agreement.

Specimens that arrive from another location (including captures from the wild) and

28

become part of the collection. Included are specimens which become property of the
institution and those which are only on loan (ownership is not transferred to the
institution).
?

Specimens temporarily held by the institution for rehabilitation (native species),

confiscations, or specimens in transit between other institutions. The reasons for
accessioning such specimens are as follows:
they reside on the grounds;
they may come into contact with the permanent collection;
they are under the care and management of the institution;
they are usually generating medical data and
if the specimens are sent to another ISIS institution, there will be no gap in
the records.

Specimens acquired for rehabilitation or rescue are accessioned under the ARKS3
menu option Rehabilitation From the Wild. These specimens do not appear in the
ARKS3 Animal Inventory Report. If appropriate, these specimens can be accessioned
into the main collection at a later date (as a new entry).

Acquisitions that are loans for quarantine only (i.e., the specimen is on grounds but is
being quarantined for another institution, to which it will go as soon as it clears
quarantine) are accessioned under the ARKS3 menu option Quarantine Loan-In.
These specimens do not appear in the ARKS3 Animal Inventory Report (but they may
be tabulated separately). If these specimens become a part of the permanent
collection at a later date, ARKS3 allows them to be acquired via the Purchase, Trade or
Donation transaction options.

Specimens that are acquired with the intent of eventually being fed to other specimens,
should be accessioned under the appropriate terms. They should be removed from
the collection under the Term-Free Disposition option with a Comment for carcass
disposition (code NO) as fed to other specimens. The use of the term death is
inappropriate because it implies a natural death and would potentially inflate mortality
rates.

Specimens used for educational purposes and managed by the education department
or volunteer staff. These specimens reside at the facility, are under the care and
management of the institution, and may only require preventative medical care.

The following exceptions to the above are not accessioned into an institutions collection:
?

Specimens purchased soley for use as feed stock.

Live rock (but note it as an exhibit feature under enclosure and date).

Feral and wild specimens that live on the institution grounds.

When to Accession a Specimen

Specimens born or hatched on the grounds should be accessioned as soon as possible.

29

It is not appropriate to defer accessioning a specimen

for 30 days (or some other time period) to see if the
offspring survives; this underestimates mortality and
prevents development of scientifically sound breeding
recommendations.

Offspring discovered on a date substantially later than the birth or

hatch date (e.g., as many marsupial births) should be accessioned as
of the estimated birth or hatch date. The circumstances of discovery
and methods used to estimate birth date (age) should be recorded as
a Comment.
Specimens acquired by the institution should be accessioned as soon as possible. Accession
dates for specimens collected in the wild by an institution, and thus owned by that institution, should be
the dates they are collected; in this case, a Comment (code NA) should indicate the date a specimen
arrives on the grounds (if the wild-caught date differs from this arrival date). Valuable acclimation
information on the specimen from the field should be entered into ARKS3. Similarly, if a group is
collected, the group should be accessioned on the date of collection, but if possible, specimens should
be individually identified later and accessioned as individuals. Specimens that come from another
source should be accessioned when the specimen arrives on the premises, or when legal title to a
specimen remaining elsewhere is conveyed to the institution.
Individual vs. Group Accession
Ideally, to maintain the most detailed information every specimen that becomes part of a
collection should be accessioned with an individual record. In an individual accession, a record file
is created for, and an accession number is assigned to a single specimen. No two individuals
should have the same accession number, even if they are identical twins. Once assigned to a
specimen, an accession number should never be changed nor should that accession number be
reused when the specimen dies or is transferred from the collection.
Unfortunately, this standard of individual accession sometimes proves impractical. Recording
individuals in a large tank of fish or counting a large number of invertebrates whose life span is a
matter of weeks is an impossible task. In these cases, individuals cannot be distinguished or their
numbers are too great to count. These situations require a different type of record file: a group
accession.
In a group accession, a single accession number is assigned to an entire litter or colony.
When accessioning a group, a single record file is created for several individuals of a species.
If all specimens in the group share common characteristics, birth dates, parentage, acquisition dates
and sources can be recorded once for all specimens in the group. If there are several colonies of a
species, separate group accessions may be created for each colony.
Some other examples of situations acceptable for group accession include:
?

A colony of rodents in which offspring become part of the breeding group. The
founders of the colony are known, but there is constant turnover in breeders and
population composition.

A spawn of amphibians which may occur over an extended period of time. All offspring

30

from a pair or small group over a given period might be included in one group.
When single animals from a group can be identified as individual
specimens they should be deaccessioned from the group (using Term-Free
Disposition) and accessioned using Term-Free Acquisition. (See Sample
Specimen Report, Accession Numbers 29 and 30.) A note in the group history
indicates the new specimen accession number, and the new specimen record
includes, in addition to other required accession information, a note that the
specimen was accessioned from a specified group (e.g., "accessioned from
group #123"). Also included is a note as to the reason for the change in

accession (e.g., isolated for

preshipment testing prior to
shipment to Zoo A).

Group accession is less desirable than individual

accession, but is preferable to incomplete or inaccurate
information.

Procedure for Accessioning

Information is gathered from all available sources and entered
into ARKS3. The primary source is usually an ARKS3 Specimen
Report from the sending institution for an acquisition, or a daily keeper
report for a birth.
Accession numbers are assigned sequentially to each new
specimen. It is suggested to accession males of a species first, then
females, then specimens of unknown sex.
Taxon Specific Accessions
Work-around: Ideally, specimens should be accessioned and entered into a database at any
stage in their development. However, in ARKS3, a specimens recorded life can only begin at birth or
hatching! When there are pre-birth events such as stillbirths, spontaneous abortions, death in shell, or
larval life stages, a data entry work-around is required. The following sections describe these
situations and other taxon specific issues.

Eggs
The EGGS software was designed by Laurie Bingaman Lackey and is distributed by ISIS.
EGGS can record important information such as egg production, incubation periods, fertility,
hatchability, egg weights and measurements for breeding and management purposes. If there is not
sufficient time or resources for an institution to enter all avian and reptile eggs in the EGGS program, it
is highly recommended that eggs of SSP, PMP, and studbook species be entered. Egg data on other
priority species for breeding would benefit from EGGS.

Mammals

All mammalian births (natural or assisted), premature births,

stillbirths, and abortions should be accessioned.

31

These different outcomes are important to record because they provide information on reproductive
activity, fertility, and fetal development. These data are critical for veterinary medicine, breeding
recommendations, and population management. Use Comment liberally to describe estimated ages
and circumstances of live and dead births.
Knowledge of the species biology is essential for determining birth dates in circumstances in
which birth is not immediately apparent. In marsupials, because the joey is born and then enters the
pouch after birth, most marsupial young are not observed until they are either
in the pouch or emerge from the pouch. Therefore, birth dates should be
estimated based on published times to pouch entry or emergence from the
pouch and observed pouch entry dates. Notes about the date of appearance
in the pouch should be recorded as a Comment (code NE). For monotremes,
eggs should be entered with birth date recorded as hatch date; late-term,
non-hatches should be recorded as premature births.
If a female is purchased by one institution, and has an immature joey
in the pouch at the date of transfer (unknown to both seller and buyer), the
selling institution should be notified of the joey. The offspring was born at the
selling institution and should be accessioned as a birth at the selling institution
with an estimated birth date. The receiving institution should accession the
joey per breeding loan agreement terms. If the joey was born after the
transfer, but obviously conceived prior to the transfer, ownership would be determined by breeding
loan agreement terms.
All eggs that pip and hatch are considered equivalent to a
mammalian birth and should be accessioned into ARKS3.

Birds

Chicks that hatch are accessioned on the hatch date. Chicks that die during the pipping process are
equivalent to the mammalian premature birth, and should be accessioned on the day they first pip with
a Comment (code NB) about the pipping and hatching process. The day the chick dies should be
recorded as the date of death. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession
Number 16.) Late-term, non-pipped dead-in-shell chicks should also be
accessioned, with the same hatch date and death date and a Comment (code
NB) that further details this. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession
Number 27.)
EGGS is recommended for accessioning all avian eggs, whether fertile
or not. Eggs sent to other institutions should be recorded in the EGGS
program; they are not accessioned in ARKS3. If a subsequent hatch results in
a chick that belongs to the institution according to a breeding loan agreement,
then the chick should be accessioned into the ARKS3 database as a hatch,
loan out.

Reptiles and Amphibians

32

All reptiles and amphibians, upon hatching or birth, and all late
If possible, all reptiles
term embryos, defined as having little or no yolk sac remaining,
and amphibians that should be accessioned into ARKS3.
hatch
should
be
accessioned
as
individual specimens; group accessions should be avoided whenever possible. For those specimens
initially accessioned in a group, metamorphosis may provide an opportunity to identify individual
specimens. Metamorphosis dates should be recorded as a Comment.
If there is a conflict between the group and specimen record, it is more important for the
specimen record to be as accurate as possible.
For as many species as possible, reptile eggs should be entered into the EGGS program. Egg
masses may be considered equivalent to a clutch and entered into EGGS as such.
Fish
It is recognized that most fish will probably be tracked with group records in ARKS3. For
acquisitions, it may be useful to estimate the number or percent of the shipment that is dead on arrival,
with their condition and the vendor as a Comment.
Offspring of viviparous fish should be accessioned when they are born. Offspring of fish with
larval stages should be accessioned as soon as they are post-larval or at a stage when they can be
recognized as a fish. Hatch or birth dates should be estimated by working backwards from the date a
specimen or group (clutch) is first observed.
The Comment section should be used to record estimated numbers of eggs laid, numbers of
fry, and number collected when possible.
Invertebrates
Most invertebrates should be accessioned as a group in ARKS3. The number or percent that
arrive dead, their condition, and the vendor should be noted as a Comment. Invertebrate births or
hatches should be accessioned as individual specimens (preferred) or as groups if individual
specimens cannot be identified and tracked.
When specimens or groups appear in the tank, hatch or birth dates should be estimated by
working backwards from the date a specimen of group (clutch) is first observed.
Species that undergo incomplete metamorphosis (e.g., cockroaches) should be accessioned
as a group. Species that undergo complete metamorphosis (e.g., butterflies) should be accessioned
at the pupal stage as individual specimens (preferred) or a group.
Generally, aquatic invertebrates should be accessioned at the post-larval stage. Some groups
can only be accessioned when the adult stage emerges or appears, using an estimated birth date.
Corals and similar species that exist as colonies should be accessioned on the basis of
reproduction. An asexually reproducing colony, called a clone because they are genetically identical,
should be accessioned as an individual. In these cases, size may be more useful than trying to
indicate number of organisms. For parentage, the <SIRE ID> is {CLONE}; the <DAM ID> is the dam
ID; <SEX> is {UNKNOWN}. If a colony is fragmented to start a new colony, the acquisition of the new
colony should be a birth to distinguish it from other colonies derived from outside sources.

33

A sexually reproducing colony or one with mixed asexual/sexual reproduction should be entered
as a group because there is no clear way to determine genetic relationships. Anemones should be
entered as a group with the number of polyps as a Comment.
Every group should be entered with a size estimate/abundance and a description of estimation
methods as a Comment (code G). Subsequent changes in abundance and their causes should also
be recorded as a Comment.

34

Accession Numbers: What and Why

The accession number is an identifier that is unique to each
specimen. An accession number can be assigned to a single specimen or
a group of specimens of a single taxon when specimens are not
individually identified. This identifier is used throughout the records
keeping system to link the information about a specimen (or group) with
the actual animal. It is used to cross-reference data between differing
systems that include paper records (i.e., correspondence, health
certificates, permits, etc.) and multiple computer databases (ARKS3, MedARKS). The accession
number is used in ARKS3 to index (sort and search) specimen records. The accession number is also
used as a cross-reference to establish parentage when creating pedigrees. When an individual
specimen is accessioned from a group, a Comment (code TI) should be used to link past group
information to the individual accession number.
ARKS3 allows accession numbers to contain any text character including numbers, letters, and
punctuation. It is limited to six characters in length, and any lower case letters are automatically
converted to upper case so that the accession numbers are not case sensitive. The accession number
can be entered manually, or the ARKS3 can generate a sequence of numerical accession numbers
based on the last number issued.
The most important parameter for assigning an accession number is that it is unique, i.e., never
assigned to any other individual or group of specimens. Once an individual specimen is assigned
an accession number, the number should never be changed. Changing an accession number
may create confusion as to the identity of a specimen (and its linked data) in the future. If a specimen
leaves and then later returns to the same institution, it should receive its original accession number.
ARKS3 prevents an accession number from being assigned to more than one individual or group.
A variety of numbering systems have been employed by different institutions to code
information as part of the accession number. Before zoo records were computerized, coding aided in
the manual sorting, collating, filing, and extracting of animal data. Today, computers do an excellent
job at this task and coded accession numbers are no longer necessary to assist with sorting, etc.
One of the most common coding schemes is an accession number that starts with a two-digit
year (i.e., 97XXXX, 88XXXX, etc.). The year may or may not be followed by other coded information,
such as the class of the vertebrate (i.e., 96R001 for a reptile accessioned in 1996, 881001 for a
mammal accessioned in 1988 where the "1" as the 3rd character refers to the class Mammalia). There
are problems with this approach to creating accession numbers. For example, occasionally when
historical data are entered into ARKS3, it is discovered that the specimen arrived in a different year
than that used in the accession number coding. This creates a situation where the coded information
in the accession number is incorrect, although in the database the data is correct. There will also be a
potential for confusion of coded dates after the turn of the century (is 20123 a specimen that was
accessioned in 1920 or 2020?).
Even more elaborate accession number schemes have been developed. In one case, the first
two characters refer to a year, the next two characters refer to the Family, and the last two characters
refer to the individual specimen. Accession number coding schemes that include any taxonomic code
below class are particularly fragile; taxonomy is not static. Species, families, and orders have changed
over time as systematic research clarifies the relationships of taxa. Thus, embedded coding for
taxonomy risks confusion at even the highest taxonomic levels. The more complicated the accession
number coding-scheme, the more likely that problems will occur.

35

Coded accession numbers should be avoided.

Another potential problem with
coded accession numbers is the letter O and the number 0" (zero). These two characters look
identical on many computer screens and printouts. The letter O should never be used in an
accession number. Even in lowercase form, ARKS3 will automatically change this to the uppercase.
Another common practice at some institutions is to start the accession number with leading zeros; this
should never be done. Computers consider the accession number as a set of characters, not as a
number. Although they have the same numerical value, the accession "01" is a distinctly different set
of characters than "1."
One case where coded information in an accession number may have value is in split
collections in which the ARKS3 database is separated into different directories for each vertebrate
class. In this case a simple code such as R1 where the "R" indicates that the specimen is a reptile will
aid the records keeper in identifying which database to enter or access data.
The simplest system (and usually the best) is to assign numbers based on an integer
system starting with the number "1." This system has none of the inherent problems
mentioned above, and has the advantage of brevity and simplicity.
Assigning an Accession Number to a Group
It is always preferable to assign an accession number to an individual specimen. However this
is not always possible when specimens are members of a group. For example, some species produce
many offspring in a single breeding event. It would be impractical to individually accession all the toads
produced from a single clutch of 20,000 eggs.
The accession number can be assigned to a group, and later, as specimens are individually
identified and removed from the group, they can be assigned a new individual accession number. This
is the only situation when it is permissible to reassign a specimen a new accession number. For
example, when amphibian larvae that have hatched from a single clutch of eggs metamorphose they
can be individually identified and are assigned a new individual accession number. A Comment (code
TI) links past group information to a current individual accession number.
The Accession Number vs. the ISIS Number
Contrary to common usage, there really is no ISIS number at an institution. ISIS3 utilizes an
internal numbering system, but this number is currently not reported to any institution; it is only used to
sort and collate data in the ISIS3 system. What is commonly referred to as the ISIS number at an
institution is actually the individual institutional accession number (this usually implies that the data for
this specimen is reported to ISIS); the correct term is the accession number.
The ISIS database relies on accession numbers from a sequence of institutions to link an
specimen's individual record. For this reason, it is extremely important that newly assigned accession
numbers be reported to ISIS. When a specimen is acquired from another institution, it is critical
that newly assigned accession number be reported to that previous institution.

36

How to Enter Taxonomic Name

The scientific or taxonomic name (taxon), is fundamental information that must be entered into
each specimen or group record. Taxonomy is the science of naming and assigning hierarchical,
evolutionary relationships among living organisms. Taxonomic names are useful to zoologists because
they point to a taxon's location on the evolutionary tree. More importantly, taxonomic names are much
less ambiguous than common names. A species may have many common names and/or different
species may have similar common names (e.g., mountain lion, puma, catamount, and panther each
refer to the same species: Felis concolor). Taxonomic groupings are also the basic unit for population
management.
ARKS3 and ISIS3 sort and match specimens on the basis of their scientific name, i.e., the
genus and species names derived from Latin and Greek. Therefore, it is crucial to enter the correct
scientific name to the most detailed level possible. Scientific names should not be entered in more
detail than is known.

Unsubstantiated subspecific names are not assigned!

Because each subspecies is listed separately on inventory reports, it is best

not to identify a specimen to subspecies unless there is firm information to support the subspecies
designation.
Choice of the Scientific Name
A scientific name is generally provided by the sender and this is the first choice for taxon name.
The taxon name should not be changed, either within or between institutions, without strong
justification. Misidentifications and accepted (published) changes in taxonomy are valid reasons for
making a change. Taxonomic uncertainties may arise from a number of observations. The physical
appearance of a newly acquired specimen might not agree with staff perceptions of that species or the
taxon of a wild-caught specimen may not be in accord with the capture location. Multiple criteria for
species identification should always be considered because: capture locations may be incorrectly
reported; geographical ranges may be poorly known or may overlap with similar taxa; individual
variation may make an animal appear to be a different taxon; or vendors and dealers may misidentify
specimens. Therefore, it is important to verify taxonomic identification using as many criteria as
needed and possible, including geographic origin, genetic studies, coloration, and morphology.

The taxon should be confirmed by the institution's animal

collections staff when a new specimen arrives.

It is advisable to attach a Comment (code ST) to the record to explain how

37

the taxon was determined.

When the taxonomic identification of a specimen is changed, the reason for the change (e.g.,
karyotype, color, size, vocalization, etc.) should be explained with a Comment (code ST). Begin the
comment with the wording, DATA CHANGE; this wording flags a change in information. (See Sample
Specimen Report, Accession Number 22.) If no firm evidence exists for subspecies designation, or if it
is thought that the sender's subspecies designation is incorrect, the senders information should not be
discarded. The sender's subspecies name is recorded as "taxon per vendor" and the specimen is
entered to species level with no subspecies designation.
Matching ARKS Names With the Institutions Preferred Scientific Name
The taxonomic names that an institution prefers to use may not perfectly match ARKS3 names.
There are several ways to fix this. Step one is to get the latest ISIS taxon list. Because of hard disk
space limitations, the ARKS2 taxon list contains only about 10% of the full list. The full list is constantly
updated by ISIS with new synonyms and names. ARKS3 users can make use of the taxonomic update
program from the ISIS CD-ROM. After updating, it will be necessary to run Data Integrity Check (see
chapter on When and How to use Data Integrity Checks) to re-synchronize species names in institution
records with the names now in the updated taxonomic list. ISIS bases taxonomic updates upon widely
accepted world lists that are used by other major conservation organizations, such as CITES and IUCN.
The most current taxon list and an installation program are available on the ISIS quarterly CD-ROM
and at the ISIS web site. Updates from the CD-ROM should be a routine task. The first update is time
consuming, but the instructions are easy to follow; subsequent updates take much less time.
If the updated taxonomic list still lacks the institution's preferred scientific name, an outside
authority (e.g., with a Taxon Advisory Group) or reference should be consulted to determine the
validity of the name. It is possible to edit the ARKS3 taxonomic list to add or change names through
the Utilities menu. If the name to be added has a synonym on the taxonomic list, the data will still
transfer to ISIS. However, non-synonymous additions or changes to ARKS3 species or genus names
may result in specimens disappearing from the ISIS3 pooled database (see chapter on When and How
to use Data Integrity Checks). For this reason, it is advisable to adhere to ISIS3 taxonomic choices;
consistency among ISIS members is more advantageous than following the most current taxonomy. If it
is necessary to add a name to the institutions taxonomic list because it has no ISIS synonym, petition
ISIS to add the name to the ISIS master list by sending them published references. Usually, ISIS will
have the synonym. Petitions to add species and subspecies names are rare. An example of a
synonym follows:
Latin name:
Synonym:
Common name:

Callicebus donacophilus (no subsp)

Callicebus moloch donacophilus
grey titi

Domestic breeds are not included in the ISIS taxonomic list and can be added by editing the
ARKS3 taxonomic list (the user should update this list regularly and use the data validation/integrity
checks). Breed should be recorded in the color phase Comment field (code SG). For species that
have domestic and wild strains, the species name should be entered with a Comment in the color
phase (code SG).
ISIS provides incomplete taxonomy for invertebrates. Invertebrate data are not sent to ISIS3
and an inventory report for invertebrates cannot be generated. If invertebrate data are entered into
ARKS3, it should be with the understanding that these data will be of internal use only. To enter a
specimen that is only known to the family level (genus and species are unknown), create a new header
in the taxon list through the Utilities menu, e.g. "SPONGIDAE UNKNOWN", then create a new
non-header as genus/species unknown. If there are several different taxa (taxa is plural for taxon) to
be added, enter them as "unknown species #1", etc.

38

Scientific names for individual or group records are entered or edited by:
(1)

selecting Data Entry from the Main menu of ARKS3

(2)

selecting the Master system button at the top left of the screen. The cursor will be at
the at the field for <SCIENTIFIC NAME>

(3)

If the scientific name is known, start typing it. After typing 5-6 letters, press Enter to
see the taxonomic list. A common name at the genus level such as "gecko" can also
be entered to get to approximate area on the taxonomic list (the full name "red gecko"
doesn't work for looking up taxonomic names)

(4)

Scroll up or down the taxonomic list using the arrow keys or page up/down keys.
Select the correct scientific name and press enter. To add a comment about a
species identification (also see chapter on Comment Codes):

(5)

Selecting Finished in the Master Work Area

(6)

Selecting Comment at the top of the screen

(7)

Selecting Add at the bottom of the screen

(8)

Add any Comment (code ST). Describe the method used to identify the taxon and who
made the identification, and cite any references that were consulted in making the
taxonomic determination.

39

How to Enter Hybrids

Hybrids vs. Intergrades: Hybrids are crosses between specimens in different species or genera.
For example the "Tigon" or "Liger" Panthera tigris X Panthera leo crosses are species hybrids. The
crosses that have been done in the herpetocultural industry between rat snakes Elaphe and gopher
snakes Pituophis are genus hybrids. Crosses between two different subspecies within a species, or
between a subspeciated specimen and a generic unsubspeciated specimen are sometimes called
subspecies hybrids, but are more correctly referred to as intergrades. The majority of institutional
specimens that are referred to as hybrids are actually intergrade crosses between two specimens of
different subspecies within the same species.
Subspecies-level intergrades and species hybrids regularly occur in nature, and they may play
a critical role in the process of speciation. In captivity, genetic comparisons of intergrades and hybrids
to pure subspecies stock may be useful in determining the extent of natural genetic diversity and
variation. All genetic and demographic information is potentially useful to the future management and
husbandry of a species and should not be discarded.
The scientific name for an intergrade or subspecies hybrid should always be the generic
unsubspeciated species name. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 16.) For
example, the taxonomic name for a cross between two different subspecies of leopards would be the
generic species-level name Panthera pardus, which ARKS3 reports as Panthera pardus [No Subsp].
The convention must be different for true hybrids because there are not generic taxonomic
binomials for most genera and families; the convention is to assign the offspring to the generic
species of the dam. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 14.) For example, the
taxonomic name for a cross between a female Mexican wolf, Canis lupus baileyi, and a male red wolf,
Canis rufus, would be the generic species-level name Canis lupus which ARKS3 reports as Canis lupus
[No Subsp].
Entering Intergrades and Hybrids
When entering a new specimen, on the Master record screen, there is a popup screen with
three options: 1 - {NOT A HYBRID}, 2 - {SPECIES LEVEL HYBRID}, and 3 - {SUB-SPECIES LEVEL
HYBRID}. If either 2 or 3 is selected, the prompt for both the sire and dam taxon will appear. These
are then entered as a Comment (code ST). Unknown parents should not be entered as hybrids.
Some management programs record offspring as hybrids when their parents are generic species-level
specimens. These offspring may be intergrades, but they should not be recorded as hybrids unless
their parents are known to have been different species.
A subspecies level report will only include full members of that subspecies. A species or genus
level report can include intergrades and hybrids such as the Mexican wolf - red wolf cross described
above. Hybrid status is not included on most reports. Hybrid status is reported on the specimen
report. Sire and dam taxon are reported on the ARKS3 taxon report, if they are recorded. Hybrids are
not separated out on the inventory report.
All data on hybrids and intergrades should be sent to studbook keepers. The records keeper
should make sure that any hybrids are clearly indicated, and that the sire and dam have been
recorded.

40

How to Enter Births

When accessioning a new specimen, the following options are available for birth/hatch
acquisitions:
Birth Acquisition
Birth Loan-In
Birth Loan-Out
These options are accessed through a popup screen in the <ACQ. TYPE> field at the lower right
corner of the Master Record Work Area.
<BIRTH ACQ> includes any specimen born/hatched at the recording institution:
1. Of parents, both of whom are owned by the institution
2. Of a dam that arrived at the recording institution gravid
3. Of parent(s) on to the institution, with ownership assigned per breeding loan agreement ot
the recording institution
For the three cases above, <SIRE ID> and <DAM ID> should be entered as follows:
1.

<SIRE ID> and <DAM ID> are entered along with the mnemonic for the recording
institution in <SIRE INSTITUTION> and <DAM INSTITUTION>.

2. The dam ID number is entered in the <DAM ID> field. If the dam arrived gravid from
another institution and the identity of the sire is known, then the sires ID number along with
the mnemonic from the sending institution is entered into the <SIRE ID> field. A Comment
should be used to clarify that the dam arrived pregnant, and the sire is identified if known.
If the dam was impregnated prior to capture, then {WILD} is entered into both the <SIRE ID
>
and <SIRE INSTITUTION> fields. A specific capture location is not used for the <SIRE
INSTITUTION> field because the <SIRE ID> and <SIRE INSTITUTION> fields must be linked for ISIS recognition purposes. (See chapters on How to Enter Sire and Dam ID and How to
Enter Acquisitions from the Wild for further information).
3. For parents that are in-on-loan from another institution, sire and dam ID numbers at
the recording institution along with the mnemonic for the recording institution should be
entered in the <SIRE> and < DAM> fields. (A note should be entered as a Comment
identifying the loaned parents institution and corresponding ID number, and that ownership is
assigned to the recording institution as per breeding loan agreement.) (See Sample Specimen
Report, Accession Number 16.) CAUTION: If the loaned parents institution and corresponding
number are entered in the <SIRE> or <DAM> field, then this offspring will not show up on a
Reproductive Report for that loaned specimen.
<BIRTH, LOAN-IN> includes any specimen whose ownership is assigned to the loaning institution per
breeding loan agreement. Specimens whose parents are owned by government organizations are
accessioned as Birth, Loan-In, not as simple births. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession
Number 20.) Per most breeding loan agreements, ownership is not assigned until the offspring has
survived 30 days. <SIRE ID> and <DAM ID> should be entered as described in the chapter entitled
How to Enter Sire and Dam ID. The recording institutions ID numbers and the recording institutions
mnemonic should be entered. A Comment (code SX) should be entered to identify the loaning
institutions ID number for the parent(s). The loaning institutions ID number and mnemonic for the
accessioned specimen should be entered in the <VENDOR> and <VENDOR SPEC. ID> fields.

41

<BIRTH, LOAN-OUT> includes any specimen that is born at another institution with ownership
assigned to the recording institution as per breeding loan agreement. The recording institution should
enter its own ID number and mnemonic in the <SIRE ID> and <DAM ID> and <SIRE INSTITUTION>
and <DAM INSTITUTION>(even though specimen is out-on-loan to the other institution), and enter as
a Comment (code SX) with the corresponding ID number at the holding institution. The holding
institutions mnemonic and ID number should be recorded in the <RECIPIENT> and <RECIP. SPEC.
ID> fields (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 14).
Taxonomic Work-arounds
Mammals:
Reproductive information is important for demographic and genetic management. A
premature birth or a stillbirth are not a true birth event; however, the first acceptable event in ARKS3 is
a birth event. For this reason, premature births and stillbirths should be entered first as a Birth, then as
a Death on the same date. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 25.) The categories
for premature birth or stillbirth can be selected in the Death/death code section. It is very important to
accession premature births and stillbirths to document reproductive activity, fertility and to provide
information for management and research.
It is often difficult to distinguish between stillbirth and premature birth, although necropsy
results and knowledge of breeding dates, gestation periods, and developmental states can give clues.
For the purposes of standardized record keeping, a stillbirth is defined as a full term fetus that is dead
when it is born; this term does not include specimens that live a few hours or days. A premature birth is
defined as a dead, non-viable fetus (includes spontaneous abortions and miscarriages).
Birds and Reptiles: An egg collected in the wild and hatched in an institution is considered captive
hatched and entered as a Birth Acquisition (Birth, Loan-In if appropriate) with a Comment (code NA)
that identifies a specific collection site, circumstances surrounding the collection, and applicable
permits. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 21.)

42

How to Enter Acquisitions From the Wild

Acquired from the Wild includes three options:
Wild-Caught
Appeared
Rehab From The Wild
Wild-Caught is to be used when specimens have been permanently removed from the wild for
the specific purpose of being included in the collection. This would include specimens acquired on a
collecting expedition by staff or specimens caught by someone else contracted by the facility to make
the collection. In general, wild-caught specimens acquired from animal dealers (or another
institution) should not be recorded as Acquired from the Wild but should be entered as received
from the dealer or institution using Acquired as Follows. In this case, a Comment (code NC)
should be included to state that the specimen was wild-caught and information on specific
capture location, date of capture, and parentage should also be included if known (see below).
The <BIRTH TYPE> for any specimen that was born or hatched in the wild is entered as {WILDBORN}.
The category Appeared should only be used for native wild specimens entering an enclosure
on their own volition. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 23, and see the chapter on
What and When to Accession to determine if these kinds of acquisitions should be given accession
numbers.) Migratory birds that appear on zoo grounds should not be accessioned unless the
institution possesses the appropriate collection permits; nor should the offspring of these migrants be
accessioned. If wild specimens hybridize with collection specimens, these cannot be legally claimed
unless the captive parent is a domesticated species. Appeared should not include specimens placed
in an enclosure by an unknown source, or non-native species found in enclosures (e.g., turtles left by
the public in exhibit ponds); these acquisitions should be entered as Acquired as Follows with a TermFree Acquisition.
Rehab from the Wild should be used to enter native wild specimens temporarily held at a facility
that, at the earliest possible time, intends to return the specimen to the wild (e.g., injured wildlife). (See
Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 17.) Specimens entered as Rehab from the Wild are not
included on inventory reports.
Wild-Caught Pregnant or Gravid Females: These specimens should be entered as wild-caught, but
their offspring should be entered as captive-born. When entering the sire and dam data for the
offspring, follow the instructions in the chapter on How to Enter Sire and Dam ID.

Eggs Collected from the Wild: These specimens should be

accessioned with the same protocols as captive-laid eggs.

For eggs collected from the wild, late-term embryos, pips, or hatches are
accessioned; the <BIRTH TYPE> is captive; parents are recorded as {WILD1},
etc. with the recording institutions mnemonic. (See Sample Specimen Report,
Accession Number 21.) All eggs collected from the wild, including those that
are not accessioned, should be entered in the EGGS database (see Appendix I).

43

ARKS3 does not accommodate all the contingencies that are possible for specimens acquired
from the wild. In particular, it is often difficult to enter specimens that are caught and held at some
staging point or interim location before arriving at the institution. The following information should be
entered for all specimens acquired from the wild regardless of which of the three options is
appropriate: capture location, accession date, birth date.
The exact location of the specimens capture should be recorded. However, since the
<LOCATION> field is limited to eight characters, enter the smallest known geopolitical unit describing
the area of capture (e.g., city, national park or reserve, state, country, or continent). If the capture
location is a city (this is unlikely, but possible), it is important to determine that ISIS has not already
assigned that city name as a mnemonic for a zoo, aquarium or animal dealer. If the geopolitical area
does not have an ISIS Institution code (e.g., Yellowstone NP), apply to ISIS for a new code (see
elsewhere in this manual). If known, enter the latitude and longitude of the collection site as a
Comment (code NC). If the capture location cannot be assigned to a level of detail any more accurate
than a country, provide an explanation as a Comment. When specimens could have originated from
one of several continents, and their location of capture is not known, the origin should be entered as
{UNKNOWN} with an explanation as a Comment (code NC) about why the capture location is unknown.

The Comment field provides the opportunity to record more detailed information. Under the NC
code enter, if known, the latitude and longitude of the capture site and the date of capture. The date
of capture may not be known and will usually be estimated to month or year. Specimens with
approximate ages at the time of capture may have entered captivity a year or more after birth or hatch;
capture dates should be estimated accordingly. Capture dates should always occur after the
estimated date of birth or hatch. Because specimens captured from the wild are not usually maintained
for long periods prior to arrival at the first owners location (or the last dealers location), lengthy
intervals between capture and arrival at the first institution require verification. Verification of specimen
age or capture date might be obtained from the person, program, expedition responsible for capture;
permit information relevant to the capture; or the relationship of a specimen to others captured at the
same time (e.g., two infant tamarins captured in a family group with an adult male and female). ARKS3
does not accept sire and dam information for specimens acquired from the wild. Any information
detailing possible relationships of wild-caught specimens should be recorded as a Comment. For
example, "Likely offspring of 103444 and 103455 and full sib of 103456, all captured with this
specimen" would be a typical means of associating these four specimens. (See subsection on wildcaught specimens under How to Enter Sire and Dam ID for more information on entering parentage of
wild-caught specimens.
Work-around for Different Capture and Arrival Dates
An entry for an animal caught in the wild by the recording institution should reflect both the date
of capture (an ownership event) and the date of arrival (a physical event). However, ARKS3 does not
permit this type of split entry for Acquired from the Wild. In this case, the specimen is accessioned as
wild-caught on the date that it arrives at the institution with information about the capture recorded as a
Comment. The institution is responsible for the specimens from the moment of capture through the
acclimation and shipping periods.
Many specimens are captured when young, and their likely year or month of birth or hatch can
only be estimated based on the specimen's size at the time of arrival to the first location. Dates of
birth/hatch that can be estimated to the nearest calendar year should be entered as {1 July 19__}
(day-month-year) and {Y00} to indicate an estimated year of birth/hatch with an estimated time unit of
one year. While this entry suggests that the specimen was born on the first day of July, only the year
of birth/hatch will be displayed in printed reports. However, the 1 July birth/hatch date can then be
appropriately used in all demographic and genetic analyses. For species that breed seasonally, a

44

more precise date, i.e., May or June, would be more accurate. In situations such as this, an
approximate birth/hatch date in the middle of the breeding season should be used. The basis for
estimating birth/hatch dates should be noted as a Comment (code NE). See the chapter on How to
Enter Birth Dates for more instructions on entering dates when there is some uncertainty.

45

How to Enter Acquisition as Follows

Acquisition as Follows should be used when a specimen is acquired by some means other than
birth or captured in the wild.
When accessioning a new specimen, the following options are available for acquisition types in
the Master Record Work Area: Purchase from, Trade from, Donation from, Loan from, Term-free
Acquisition, Quarantine Loan-in
When reacquiring a specimen, the following choices are available, in addition to the above
terms, for acquisition types in the Transaction Work Area: Loan return from, Recapture, Retrieval,
Appeared
There are two components of an ARKS3 specimen transaction: the physical location of
the specimen and ownership of the specimen. These two components emphasize that (1)
ownership may be transferred (or conferred) without moving a specimen between institutions and (2) a
specimen may be moved between institutions without a change in ownership. The terms of the
acquisition influence the physical and ownership components. For example, the legal title of a
specimen may be purchased from another institution, but the specimen is not physically transferred to
the new owner; this specimen is then out-on-loan from the new owner and only the ownership
component of the transaction has been altered.
Purchase, Trade, and Donation from: These acquisitions may involve physical transfers and/or
transfers of ownership: a specimen and the legal title could be transferred from one institution to
another; a specimen may not be transferred but its legal title could be transferred, making the
specimen in-on-loan, out-on-loan, or owned by the recording institution.
Loan from: A specimen could be acquired through a loan agreement; the specimen is located at the
recording institution, but the recording institution has no legal title to the specimen.
Term-Free Acquisition: This acquisition type is used when the terms of the acquisition were not
recorded or in special circumstances. Term-free Acquisition is also used in three special situations:
when individual specimens are accessioned from groups within an institution (see chapter on When
and How to Enter Groups), for animal transfers between two separate facilities operated by the same
governing organization, and for specimens placed in an enclosure by an unknown source or nonnative species found in enclosures. Term-Free Acquisition indicates the physical acquisition of a
specimen and acquisition of ownership.
Quarantine, Loan-In: This type of acquisition is for those institutions that serve as quarantine facilities
and hold a specimen for some period of time for another institution. The specimen is at the institution
physically, however the institution does not have legal title to the specimen and the specimen will not
appear on the institution's inventory report.
Loan return from: This acquisition type is for a specimen that had previously been loaned out and
has now been returned to the recording institution. This transaction will enter the specimen as being
physically present and owned by the recording institution.
Recapture or Retrieval: A specimen could be recaptured after it has escaped or a specimen could
be retrieved after it was released. This transaction is only intended to be used after an escape/release
transaction. When an escape/release transaction is entered, the records keeper must specify the
legal or physical condition of the transaction. Depending on how the ownership/physical component of
the escape/release transaction was entered, the recapture/retrieval transaction may require the user
to specify the ownership/physical component of this transaction as well.
Appeared: This acquisition type is for local or regional native species that literally appear within an

46

exhibit. This option should not be used for non-native species that are dropped off or donated by
unknown sources (i.e., left on grounds or placed in exhibits by unknown persons).
Governmental or Consortium Ownership: Some species are legally owned by the government of
their native country. The SSP or other management group may make recommendations for transfers
or pairings but all specimens (including new births/hatches) of the species are owned by the
government. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 19.) These species should be
entered as loans from [the appropriate government organization]. For example, golden lion tamarins
are recorded as a loan from IBAMA. It is the responsibility of the institution to identify the agency that
owns the specimens. Term-free Acquisition is not appropriate for recording these types of loan
arrangements.
Examples of species and government organization mnemonics
Species
Mnemonic
Lion tamarins
IBAMA
Micronesian kingfisher AGANA
Mauritius pink pigeon
Mauritius
Mexican wolf
USDI
Black-footed ferret
USDI
California condor
USDI
Chacoan peccary
Paraguay

47

How to Enter Sire and Dam ID

The <SIRE ID> and <DAM ID> fields should provide complete and accurate information so that
any analysis of the pedigree is as unambiguous as possible. Accurate information on parentage is
absolutely necessary for the genetic management of the population (i.e., calculation of inbreeding
coefficients and mean kinship) and is important for genetic analysis (examination of inbreeding effects),
and for estimation of demographic vital rates (age-specific fertility).
Sire and Dam Known With Accession Numbers at the Institution
In this simplest case, the sire and dam are known and have accession numbers assigned by
the institution. This will be the case if they are currently at the institution, were at the institution, or are
(or were) owned by the institution. They can be entered by typing the correct accession number in the
<SIRE ID> and <DAM ID> fields, with the institution mnemonic in the <SIRE INSTITUTION> and <DAM
INSTITUTION> fields. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 16.)
Sire and Dam Known With Accession Numbers from Another Institution
If a specimen arrives from another institution, the sire and dam accession numbers from the
other institution are entered in the <SIRE ID> and <DAM ID> fields, and identify the institution which
assigned the accession numbers in the <SIRE INSTITUTION> and <DAM INSTITUTION> fields. (See
Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 19.)
Sometimes the sire and dam have accession numbers from the current and a previous
institution. It is always preferable to enter the current accession numbers and institution.
However, the ID numbers and institution which assigned them must match. (See Sample Specimen
Report, Accession Number 14.)
Wild-Caught Specimens
When Acquired From Wild is specified as the acquisition type, ARKS3 automatically places
{WILD} in the <SIRE ID> and <DAM ID> fields. ARKS3 does not allow any information to be entered
directly into the <SIRE ID> and <DAM ID> fields. Unfortunately, this does not allow relationships
among wild-caught specimens to be identified, so more specific information must be entered as a
Comment (code SX) {DAM/SIRE ID ELSEWHERE}. When Acquisition as Follows is specified as the
acquisition type, and if the specimen is wild-caught with nothing further known about its ancestors or its
relationship to other wild-caught, then enter {WILD} for <SIRE ID> and {WILD} for <DAM ID>. {WILD}
is the generic assignment for wild-caught specimens. If the wild-caught specimen is related to other
wild-caught specimens, see below.
Genetic analyses of the population assume that any parent recorded as generic {WILD} is
unique; it is the parent of that specimen only, and is unrelated to all specimens in the population except
those who descend from that specimen. Thus, when a wild-caught specimen is related to other wildcaught specimens, parentage cannot be recorded as the generic {WILD}. A different approach needs
to be taken to ensure that the relationships among the wild-caught specimens are recorded.
When a wild-caught female is gravid at capture and gives birth in captivity, there are two
options for sire ID. If she produces a single offspring, which is accessioned as a birth or hatch, the
<DAM ID> field will contain the dams accession number and the <SIRE ID> should be recorded as
{WILD}. However, if this female gives birth to or hatches multiple offspring, or if a wild-caught specimen
is known to be, or highly suspected to be, related to other wild-caught specimens, then the parents
must be identified in a manner that clearly denotes the relationships of their offspring.
This is accomplished by attaching a number to {WILD}, as in {WILD1} or {WILD2}. This makes

48

the identification of that parent a specific WILD specimen rather than the generic {WILD}. An example
explains this best: two wild-caught specimens are acquired, captured from the same nest, and it is
assumed they have the same parents, which were not taken into captivity. In this case, enter {WILD1}
as the sire and {WILD2} as the dam for both specimens. Enter the recording institution name in the
<SIRE INST> and <DAM INST> fields. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 21.) These
same specific wild parents indicate that the two specimens are siblings. Another example would be
when a wild-caught female arrives gravid and produces a litter of four. In this case, the <DAM ID> field
would contain the accession number of the dam, and the <SIRE ID> field would be recorded as
{WILD3} for all four offspring. The institution name would be entered in the <SIRE INST> field (See
Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 21.) The next specific {WILD} assigned by the institution
should be {WILD4}, {WILD5}, {WILD6}, {WILDX}. This can be accomplished, for example, by recording
specific {WILD}s in an accession ledger. A Comment (code NA ) should note that the following
specimens (list their accession numbers) are thought to be related (as sibs, half sibs, ? - specify) and
that the specific wild code of (give code, e.g., {WILD1}, {WILD24}) was assigned to their common sire
and/or dam. This note should be placed in the Comment of all specimens involved in the relationship
(parents and offspring).

As with accession numbers, specific wilds (WILDX)

should not be reused. This means that a running list of specific
wilds that have already been assigned must be kept so that the
next specific {WILD} assigned will not be a duplicate of an
already used specific {WILD}.

The
ISIS
error/update report (sent
to users monthly) will
indicate
that
the
specimens WILD1", WILD2", etc., are not in the database. Ignore this error warning.

A special case arises when: A group of related wild-caught specimens are

sent to different institutions
In this case, the institutions receiving the specimens must identify one
of the institutions to assign parentage to all of the specimens. This institution
will assign specific {WILD}s as described above. All the other institutions
receiving the specimens should use the same parentage (i.e., specific
{WILD}s) as the assigning institution, and enter the the name of the
assigning institution in the <SIRE INSTITUTION> and <DAM INSTITUTION>
fields . This will maintain the information of the relationships of the specimens
across several institutions.
An example: a wild-caught clutch of 3 eggs arrives at Los Angeles.
One egg is sent to Lincoln Park and another to Brookfield. Since Los Angeles
arranged for the collection of the clutch, it is decided that they will make the parentage accessions.
Los Angeles enters {WILD27} and {WILD28} in the <SIRE ID> and <DAM ID>fields. Brookfield and
Lincoln Park also enter {WILD27} and {WILD28} in the <SIRE ID> and <DAM ID> fields and enter {LOS
ANGELES} in the <SIRE INSTITUTION> and <DAM INSTITUTION> fields. A Comment (code NA)
explains this situation for each of the three specimens.
Sire and Dam Are Unknown
If absolutely nothing is known about the parents of a specimen, and the specimen has no
siblings, then sire and dam should be entered as the generic {UNK}. If parents are unknown, but the
specimen came from the wild, then the specimen is wild-caught (see above). Sire and dam would also
be entered as {UNK} if the specimen was born in captivity, but there is no information on whom the
parents could have been. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 15.) One parent might
be known, but the other parent is unknown. In this case, the accession number of the known parent is

49

entered and {UNK} is entered for the unknown parent. Completely unknown parentage should be a
rare case in contemporary records; most parentage will either be known or limited to a few possible
sires or dams.
If a specimen with unknown parentage has siblings (e.g., litter mates where the sire is
unknown), enter a specific {UNK}, for example {UNK1} or {UNK15}. All offspring of an unknown
parent should have the same specific UNK listed for that parent. Specific UNKs should only be
assigned to specimens with the same parents. For example, litter mates with an unknown sire might all
have {UNK13} entered as their sire, and no other specimens in the population should have {UNK13} as
the sire. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 20.) As in the case with for specific
{WILD}s, a log should be kept of specific {UNK}s that have been previously used to guard against
re-assigning a specific {UNK} to a different unknown parent.
A Comment (code NP) should note that this specimen is assumed to be related to other
specimens (and list the related specimens). It is also useful to note in the comments if the unknown
status of the parents is potentially resolvable (e.g., by a thorough examination of all historical records).
Entering {UNK} for a parent should be the last recourse of a frustrated record keeper.
Unknowns cause problems for population management and documentation of the legal status of a
specimen. When a sire or dam is {UNK}, it means there is no clue as to whether the specimen is
inbred, who its relatives are in the population, or if it is a valuable breeder. The historical record of the
population and all management decisions based on that record are compromised when specimens are
recorded with either one or both parents as {UNK}.

However, if the parents truly are unknown, there is no other option

but to enter {UNK}.

Sire and/or Dam are One of a List of Potential Parents

Occasionally, such as when specimens are housed in large social groups, when multiple males
are rotated through an enclosure with a female, or when artificial insemination is done with semen
pooled from multiple males, it might be possible to specify that the sire or dam is one of several known
individuals. Offspring in the group may or may not be related. An example of this situation might be a
bat colony. In these cases, {MULT} is entered for parent to indicate that any one of several males (or
females) could have been the sire (or dam). In all cases where {MULT} is used, the possible sires
(or dams) for {MULT} must be recorded as a Comment (code NP). Using {MULT} indicates that a list
of possible parents is provided as a Comment. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number
26.) Whoever analyzes the data should then know what potential parents
can be examined. It would then be possible for someone to analyze the
genetic and demographic characteristics of the population under alternative
assumptions about the parentage. In the future, genetic analyses may be
able to assign more than one sire and one dam for an offspring.
Comments for multiple parentage, it is useful to provide some
indication of which of the parents is the most likely to be the sire or dam, and
the reasons why (e.g., behavioral or husbandry reasons). For example, in a
multi-male group of gorillas, it might be appropriate to enter the sire of a newborn as {MULT}, list all the adult males in the group, and indicate which one
is the silver-back.

50

Additional information collected in the future might require a modification in the list of
specimens specified by the MULT entry. For example, MULT may have specimens of unknown sex.
When sex is later determined, it may be necessary to delete the specimen from the list of possible
parents. Use of molecular genetic analyses (e.g., DNA fingerprinting) might also be used to resolve
paternity and then require changing parentage. In these cases, the comment associated with the
MULT parent should not be erased, but comments should be added that clarify why the original MULT
entry was modified.

Embryo Transfers

In summary, the key is to enter everything that is known. When it

is necessary to make assumptions about some tricky or unusual
parentage determinations, those assumptions should be
documented clearly as a Comment (code NA).

These
are
treated as normal births
with the genetic sire and dam entered as the parents. A Comment should indicate that this is an
embryo transfer ,and identify the surrogate dam and location to clarify the conflict between where the
birth occurred vs. where the parents were.
Embryonic Diapause, Delayed Implantation, Armadillos, Sperm Storage (bats)
In these situations, sire should be listed as {MULT} whenever there is a possibility of more than
one potential sire having access to a dam. Species specific maxima or averages for these periods of
quiescence should be used to determine overlaps between access by potential sires. The basis for
assigning {MULT} or sire should be noted as a Comment.
Multi-sired Litters
When sperm from more than one sire might fertilize ova in a single
litter, the sire should be entered as {MULT} and the potential sires entered as
a Comment.
Parents Known, but Sexes Are Not
The two parents may be known, but which is male and which is female
may not be known. In this case use {MULT} as the sire and the dam, and
identify the parents as a Comment. Explain why sex cannot be assigned.
Parthenogenesis
This refers specifically to the case where there is no recombination.
Enter None as the SIRE and add a Comment on evidence for parthenogenesis.

51

How to Estimate and Enter Dates

Precise or estimated dates are an extremely important component of an institutions specimen
records. Accurate entry of dates is important because dates impact many other variables or reports.
Dates affect selection of data for population management, and inaccurate or erroneous dates can
adversely affect demographic analyses. For example, specimens with unknown ages must be excluded
from all demographic analyses, while specimens transferred out of the managed population are
excluded from analyses based on transaction dates. Dates also serve as a check on other (historical)
data, such as sire and dam IDs (i.e., were the sire and dam actually present at the institution during the
correct time span?), and are potentially important for any retrospective study of the collection or
population. Thus, it is very important to obtain and enter exact dates whenever possible. If
exact dates cannot be obtained, every effort should be made to develop accurate estimates of birth or
hatch dates, ages at acquisition (see the chapter on How to Enter Birth Dates), and transaction
(disposition) dates.
Each date should be entered as {day/month/year}. Throughout this document, dates will be
shown as {1 July 19__}, where the open spaces represent values to be determined by the user (e.g.,
year).
ARKS3 permits data entry in specific date fields associated with births/hatches, acquisitions,
dispositions, enclosures, and length/weight measurements. Dates for other significant events (e.g.,
major medical procedures, midlife crises, etc.) must be entered as a Comment. Each date field has a
corresponding <PRECISION> field that is used to indicate the precision of estimated dates (see
below). ARKS3 uses the <DATE ESTIMATE> and <TRANSACTION DATE QUALITY> fields as
synonyms for the <PRECISION> field.
With the exception of birth/hatch dates, ARKS3 clearly identifies the date required for each type
of transaction. For captive births at the recording institution or out-on-loan (i.e., birth acquisitions),
ARKS3 equates accession date with birth date and as a default automatically enters the value in the
<ACCESSION DATE> field and into the <BIRTH DATE> field. Thus, great care must be given to
ensure that the appropriate birth date is entered in the <ACCESSION DATE> field (see the chapter on
How to Enter Birth Dates).
Records keepers are often confronted with date information of low precision (i.e., the exact
date for an acquisition or disposition is uncertain), particularly when entering historical data or
information for specimens obtained from non-ISIS member institutions. While this variability is usually
small for current acquisitions or dispositions (e.g., ranges of a few days), for historical data it is often
only possible to establish that a specimen arrived or died during a period such as a month, year, or
over several years. For some long-lived species, transaction dates may only be reported to the
nearest decade or for an even broader range of years. ARKS3 allows the records keeper to enter
dates that are less precise than the exact date (ARKS3 permits a maximum range of +/- 99 years).
Dates may be estimated to the nearest calendar year, month, or day by entering the mean date
of the calendar unit as the date and {Y00}, {M00}, or {D00}, respectively, in the <PRECISION> field.
Ranges of uncertainty may be entered using the two digits to the right of the year, month or day
indicators. For example, a transaction that occurred sometime in a two year or three day time span
would be estimated by entering the mean of the time interval in the date field (see below) and either
{Y01} or {D01} in the <PRECISION> field. When it is impossible to estimate the date, {U} may be
entered in the <PRECISION> field to indicate that the date is unknown and cannot be fixed even within
the broadest time period.

ENTERED BIRTH/

REPORTED

52

ACCESSION
DATE

PRECISION

16 July 1980

D00

16 July 1980

M00

16 July 1980

Y00

16 July 1980

AGE
as of 17 August 1984
~

4Y, 1M, 1D
~

4Y, 1M
~

BIRTH/ACCESSION
DATE
16 July 1980 +/- 00 Days
July 1980 +/- 00 Mo.

4Y

1980+/- 00Yrs.

D01

4Y, 1M, 1D +/- 1 Day

16 July 1980 +/- 01 Days

16 July 1980

M01

4Y, 1M, 1D +/- 1 Mo.

July 1980 +/- 01 Mo.

16 July 1980

Y01

4Y, 1M, 16D +/- 1 Yr

1980+/- 01Yrs.

ARKS treats estimated dates as exact values whenever calculations or reports are generated.
Thus, great care should be used when estimating dates. Although ARKS3 provides the <PRECISION>
field to indicate that the date is an estimate, ARKS3 uses the actual date entered in the date field
whenever a specific date is required (e.g., for sorting, demographic analyses when data are sent to
studbook keepers, ARKS3 reports, etc.).

The mean of any estimated range should be entered for use in

calculations or reports.

For example, if {M00} then the date should be entered as {14, 15, or 16 May
1996}, for months with 28, 30, or 31 days, respectively. The mean date for
{Y00} would be {1 July 19__} which is anytime in the year 19__, and for {Y01}
would be {1 January 19__} which is anytime in a three year time frame from
one year before 19__ to one year after 19__. If the range involves an odd
number of months or years, then precision must be expressed in days or
months, respectively. Thus, for an event that happened sometime in March, April, or May, the date
would be {15 April 19__} with precision as {D45}; if the event happened in either 1942, 1943, or 1944,
the date entered would be {1 July 1943} with a precision of {M18}. Although entering a broad range
(e.g., {Y05} or greater) is preferable to an unknown date, whenever possible broad ranges should be
avoided in favor of the nearest calendar unit (day, month, year). Entering a date as unknown (rather
than as an estimated date) should only be done as a last resort; when there is no information that
would permit an estimate to even the broadest of ranges. For each unknown or estimated date, an
explanation of how and why this determination was made should be entered as a Comment (code PE).
Dates should be estimated using the simplest precision possible. For example, although {16
July 19__} and either {M00} or {D15} and {1 July 19__} and either {Y00} or {M06} are nearly
equivalent ways of indicating that an event occurred within a calendar month or year, respectively,
ARKS3 assumes they represent two different levels of precision; {M00} indicates that the information
used to develop the estimate implied any day within the calendar month while {D15} implies a more
precise knowledge of within 15 days of the date shown. This can be seen in how ARKS3 calculates
and reports age or date for different levels of precision. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession
Numbers 19 and 14.) {M00} and {Y00} clearly identify {15 July 19__} and {1 July 19__} as the means

53

of estimated ranges while {D15} and {M06} might be interpreted as indicating that there was specific
information about the event relative to these dates.
Every effort should be made to enter exact dates for all transactions. If an estimate must
be made, it should be to the smallest calendar unit possible (given the available information).
The more precise the estimate, the less likely that it will bias analyses or mislead anyone using
the data. The method of estimation, including any specific information that was used to identify
the mean date of a range, should be entered as a Comment (code PE).
There are four general categories of date precision permitted by ARKS3: exact (known) dates,
nearest (calendar) unit estimated dates, time range estimates of dates, and unknown dates. Nearest
unit estimates are actually just a special case (shortcut) for a time range estimate.
Exact Dates
When the precise date is reported, that date is entered into the appropriate date field for
acquisitions, dispositions, enclosures, or length/weight measurements. When the precise date is
entered, there is no entry in the <PRECISION> field.
Nearest Unit Estimates
The next lower level of precision is an estimate to the nearest unit of time: either day, month, or
year. These estimates range in precision from within a few days, during a month, or during a year. As
noted above, they indicate that the information used to devise the estimate is of the type any time
within the calendar month. As an example, if it is known that a specimen arrived at an institution
during a specific month, the mean date for that period would be entered as the 16th (for months with
31 days). This is the appropriate date to enter into the <ACCESSION DATE> field. In the
<PRECISION> field, a {M00} is entered. If a specimen arrived sometime during a calendar year, the
mean date for the year {1 July 19__} is entered into the <ACCESSION DATE> field and a {Y00} is
entered into the <PRECISION> field. When the birth/hatch date and death date for a specimen are
estimated to the same calendar year, the birth/hatch date should be entered as splitting the year into
thirds: {2 May 19__} and the death date should be entered as {1 September 19__} with a {M00}
entered in the respective <PRECISION> fields.
Time Range Estimate
The next lower level of precision is a range, plus or minus one or more time units. This level of
precision denotes that an event took place within a range of a given time unit. For example, if an
accession is known to have occurred sometime in either 1941 or 1942, the mean date for that period,
(i.e., {1 January 1942}) would be entered in the <ACCESSION DATE> field and {Y01} (indicating a date
range of plus or minus one year from the mean date) in the <PRECISION> field. When the range is an
odd number of units (e.g., 1941 through 1943), the mean date for that period, would be entered as {1
July 1942} and precision is entered as months {M18}. To estimate an event within a decade, the mean
date for the decade, {1 January 19_5}, would be entered in the date field and {Y05} (indicating a date
range of plus or minus five years) in the <PRECISION> field.
Unknown Date
The lowest level of precision is an unknown date. These are dates for which there is
no information. An event that occurred sometime between 1910 and 1950 is not an unknown
date; it can, and should be estimated to the mean of that range. For example, if a specimen was
born sometime in 1910 at one institution, and died sometime in 1950 at another institution, then the
transaction date for transfer between those two institutions is not unknown; it can be estimated (see
above). Unknown dates are denoted by entering a {U} in the <PRECISION> field with the default

54

(current) date remaining in the date field. ARKS3 reports this date as Unknown in work area screens
and on all reports. If no date is entered in the date field (e.g., if the default date is erased), ARKS3
reports the date as Bad Input rather than Unknown. ARKS3 uses dates to sort transactions into an
appropriate order so erasing the default date will cause the transaction to appear erratically on reports
(e.g., the taxon report). Thus, for unknown dates, it is probably best to enter a best guess date for
sorting purposes.
How To Estimate Dates
ARKS3 treats estimated dates as exact values whenever calculations or reports are generated.
A conscientious records keeper can improve the precision (and often the accuracy) of the date data
by working with the animal management staff to estimate dates. For example, if a species gives birth or
hatches only during a particular season and a specimen was born during a particular year, the level of
precision can often be narrowed to a period of a few months. If a species usually gives birth or
hatches either during January or February, it would be appropriate to enter {1 February 19__} (the
mean date) in the date field, and {M1} in the <PRECISION> field. (See Sample Specimen Report,
Accession Number 14.) This would be far more precise in the demographic calculations than entering
{1 July 19__} and estimating the birth/hatch to the year.
Date estimates should be interpreted as "on any date within the estimated period." Thus, an
estimate to calendar-year means that the event could have occurred on any of the 365 days of that
year (with equal probability). Great care must be given to avoid overlap between events with
estimated dates and events with known dates. These overlaps indicate that dates can be estimated
with greater precision. For example, if information is provided that an event (e.g., a birth/hatch) can be
estimated to a calendar year, but a known event (e.g., a transfer on 12 August) occurred within that
same calendar year, then the birth/hatch event cannot be estimated to calendar year because it could
not have happened throughout the entire calendar year (e.g., it could only have happened before or
after 12 August). In these situations, the estimate must be adjusted to the midpoint of the uncertain
period (e.g., either the midpoint of 1 January to 12 August, or 12 August to 31 December in the
current example).
How To Estimate Death Dates
Death dates should only be estimated with great caution. Estimation of death dates requires
information that can generally fix the time and location of death.

Specimens that have disappeared from an institution and

are probably dead, should be listed as Term-free
Dispositions. Under no circumstances should a specimen be
assumed dead or assigned a death date just to remove it
from the inventory.
For historical data on specimens that are obviously dead (e.g., the species typically lives 20 years and
it has been 50 years since the species was acquired), the specimen
should be listed as a Term-Free Disposition. The reasoning behind this
is as follows. Institutional animal records should accurately reflect what is
known. Thus, although the biology of a species might indicate that a
particular specimen is dead, unless a specific death date can be
assigned (or estimated based on specific information), any estimation of
death date is potentially misleading (e.g., it implies that information exists
that suggests when the species died). Estimated death dates should be
explained as a Comment (code PE or NX).

55

For specimens that are presumed dead after some known date (e.g., there is a known or
estimated acquisition date and a later event at a known or estimated date - for example it sired an
offspring or gave birth), the specimen should be as a Term-Free Disposition on the last known or
estimated date (see the chapter on How to Enter Dispositions).
Death dates should be estimated to the midpoint of the estimated unit (e.g., {1 July 19__} for
an estimate to calendar year; see above section on Date Estimates). When the birth/hatch date and
death date for a specimen are estimated to the same calendar year, the birth/hatch date should be
entered as splitting the year into thirds: {2 May 19__} and the death date should be entered as {1
September 19__}.

56

How to Enter Birth Dates

Birth dates are used to calculate a specimen s age. Accurate age, or close estimates of age,
are important to animal management, veterinary medicine, and the demographic and genetic analyses
used in population management. Missing or inaccurate birth or hatch dates may prohibit inclusion in
many analyses, complicate daily management, and potentially lead to inappropriate management
decisions.
In most instances, recent birth/hatch dates are reported to the records keeper as a specific
date (e.g., 2 July 1996). Entry of known dates is straightforward as an exact date of birth or hatch. If
the exact date of birth or hatch is not known, every effort should be made to develop a
reasonable estimate. The best date estimate is one based on information specific to the
specimen and/or species. For many species, management protocols routinely require entry of an
estimated date of birth or hatch. In some cases, estimation of the birth/hatch date is relatively simple,
such as when the birth/hatch is reported as falling in a very narrow ranges of dates (e.g., sometime
between 1 July 1946 and 5 July 1946). An example of the latter might be a herd situation where the
female was observed to be pregnant, and then seen again with the offspring three days later. The
exact date is not known, however, it was born within the last three days. A similar situation may occur
when a nest is only checked every three days to avoid disturbance. If hatching occurs between nestchecks, then the hatch date can easily be estimated to day or a range of a few days.
In some cases, especially with wild-caught adult specimens, adult specimens obtained from the
private sector, or historical records, birth/hatch dates must be estimated based on the presumed age
of the specimen at the time it is accessioned. For some species, births or hatches are rarely observed
and young first appear from seclusion in a well developed state; in these instances, birth/hatch dates
will almost invariably need to be estimated. Marsupials, bears, and cavity nesting birds, among other
taxa, are examples of species whose biology can be used to estimate the birth or hatch date.
Estimation of Mammalian Birth Dates
For marsupials or species that den, burrow, give birth in a nest or nest box, or otherwise
conceal their young at the time of birth, it is essential to record the date an offspring is first seen or
heard. The date a recently born specimen is first seen or heard should not be entered as the birth
date; it should be entered as a Comment (code NB), with a description of the circumstances and
method of detection. The biology of the species, including information on when nesting or denning
began, should be used to work backwards from when the specimen was first detected to an estimated
birth date. This estimated birth date should be entered as the birth date, using the appropriate
precision of the estimate (see the chapter on How to Estimate and Enter Dates). Back dating will
usually require checking published data on either (1) the time from birth to first emergence from the
nest or pouch or (2) behavioral or physical indicators of age in young animals. Should an institution be
lucky enough to successfully breed a monotreme, estimation of birth dates should follow that for other
oviparous species (see below).
The date of birth should be noted for all premature births with a note as a Comment that
estimates the number of days or weeks the specimen was premature.

Estimation of Avian Birth Dates

If a chick hatches, the hatch date should be entered as the birth date (and accession date) for
all bird species. If a chick pips but doesnt hatch, the pip date is the birth date (and accession and
death date). Pips which die on a day different than pip date but prior to full hatch would have the pip
date as the birth (hatch) date and the death date as the death date (premature death). (See Sample
Specimen Report, Accession Number 16.) As with mammals, for species that conceal their young in

57

nests, nest boxes, holes, etc., the date a recently hatched (or pipped) specimen is first detected should
be recorded as a Comment (code NB), with a description of the circumstances and method of
detection. The biology of the species, including information on when nesting began, eggs were laid, or
incubation began, should be used to back date from when the specimen was first detected to an
estimated hatching (or pipping) date. This estimated date should be entered as the hatch date, using
the appropriate precision of the estimate (see chapter on How to Estimate and Enter Dates). Back
dating will usually require checking published data on either (1) the time from birth (hatching) to first
emergence from the nest or pouch or (2) behavioral or physical indicators of age in young animals.
Estimation of Reptile and Amphibian Birth Dates
Reptiles are either (1) oviparous species, in which case estimation of reptile hatch dates follows
those described above for birds or (2) ovoviviparous and viviparous species, in which case estimates
of hatch dates and birth dates would follow the procedures outlined above for non-oviparous mammals.
The metamorphoses and prolific reproduction of amphibians complicate estimation of pip,
hatch, or metamorphosis dates. All amphibians should have the exact or estimated hatch date entered
as the hatch date; the metamorphosis date should be entered as a Comment (code NB). This is
regardless of whether the tadpoles are accessioned as a group or as individuals (see the chapter on
What and When to Accession). Estimation of uncertain hatch dates should follow the procedures
outlined above for other taxa.
Estimation of Fish and Invertebrate Birth Dates
Fish and invertebrates are accessioned with exact or estimated birth or hatch dates according
to the same protocols established above for oviparous, ovoviviparous, and viviparous species of
mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. Two exceptions to this rule are fish with larval stages and
invertebrate pupa. Unlike amphibians, larval stage fish should be accessioned after metamorphosis, at
which point the hatch date is calculated by back dating and entered as the hatch date with an
appropriate level of precision. Exact numbers or estimates of eggs laid, fry produced, eggs or fry
collected and retained, should be entered as a Comment. Invertebrate pupa should be accessioned
whenever possible, with egg hatch dates back dated from a known pupation date.
Data Entry
Every effort should be made to accession each birth or hatch on the same date as the
birth/hatch occurs. ARKS3 assumes that this is the most common situation and thus uses the current
date as the default accession date. This is true for all types of acquisitions: ARKS3 default dates
equate accession date with acquisition date. When accessioning takes place after acquisition (e.g., for
specimens born out-on-loan), the accessioning date (=data entry date or date accepted into the
collection) should be entered as a Comment.
The five acquisition type options in ARKS determine how birth/hatch date is entered. The
acquisition data entry fields are accessed from the Master Record (lower right, under sex).
Entry of a specimen acquired by birth (or hatching) begins with entry of the scientific name in
the ARKS3 Master Record Work Area. Once a scientific name and taxon have been entered, data can
be entered into the <ACCESSION DATE> and <PRECISION> fields. The birth date should be
entered into the <ACCESSION DATE> field because ARKS3 equates the accession date with
the birth date. For Birth Acquisitions, estimated dates are entered as real dates with the measure of
variability recorded in the <PRECISION> field (see the chapter on How to Estimate and Enter Dates).
An explanation of how and why the date was estimated should be entered as a Comment (code NE).
When the exact date of birth or hatch is known, the <PRECISION> field is left blank.

58

All estimated dates should be entered as the middle of the

estimated interval (i.e., year or month).

For example, a birth occurring sometime in 1988 should be entered as {1

July 1988} with a {Y00} in the <PRECISION> field; {1 January 1988} (the
previous unofficial convention) or another date, should not be entered for a
date estimated to calendar year. Births to seasonal breeders could be
estimated to the middle date of the season. When making date estimates,
the records keeper should work with animal management staff to develop a
scenario that is realistic with regard to the species's biology, husbandry,
and specific animal management practices at the reporting institution (see
chapter on Estimating and Entering Dates).
After entering the accession date, the sex of a specimen and
whether the specimen is a hybrid are entered. The <ACQUISITION TYPE>
field is the next option and birth date entry is dependent upon which
acquisition type is selected (when editing a previously entered record, the
mouse may be used to select the <ACQUISITION TYPE> field). There are five types of acquisitions,
three of these types deal with ownership of specimens and parents: birth; birth, loan-in; birth, loan-out.
For each of these types of birth acquisitions, ARKS3 automatically equates the birth date with
the accession date. The default accession date supplied by ARKS3 is the current date which
must be changed to the correct birth date.
Each of the two other types of acquisition (Acquisition from the Wild and Acquisition as Follows)
require separate entry of a birth date. Selection of either of these options presents a data entry
screen (either the From Wild Work Area or the Acquisition Work Area) that displays the accession
date (=date specimen was obtained by the recording institution; see chapter on Estimating and
Entering Dates) and the <BIRTH DATE>, <AGE>, and <PRECISION> fields. Estimated dates are
entered as real dates in the <BIRTH DATE> field with the measure of variability recorded in the
<PRECISION> field (see the chapter on Estimating and Entering Dates). An explanation of how and
why the date was estimated should be entered as a Comment (code PE). Known birth dates should be
entered in the <BIRTH DATE> field with the <AGE>, and <PRECISION> fields left blank.
For either of these acquisition types, it is possible that a specific birth date will be not be known.
Thus, either an estimated birth date or an estimated age must be entered. ARKS3 permits skipping
entry of a birth date and entering an estimated age in the <AGE> field. ARKS3 will then calculate the
birth date based on this estimate and the current date. Entry of an estimated age requires that either
a {Y00}, {M00}, or {D00} be entered in the <PRECISION> field. ARKS default will add the zeroes if the
leading letter is the only character entered.

59

How to Enter Sex

The sex of each specimen should be recorded in ARKS3. The records keeper should make
every attempt to resolve unknown sexes by contacting the appropriate keeper, supervisor, or manager
at the institution, or the records keeper at the previous institution. If sex is not recorded for a
specimen, accurate sex specific demographic parameters cannot be determined. Knowledge of a
specimen's sex is essential if that specimen is to be paired for breeding.
The sex of a specimen can be entered as one of eight categories: {FEMALE}, {MALE},
{NEUTERED MALE}, {NEUTERED FEMALE}, {ABNORMAL}, {UNKNOWN}, {CONTRACEPTED MALE},
{CONTRACEPTED FEMALE}. {FEMALE} or {MALE} will be entered most frequently. Except for
species in which sex is easily determined, the method for determining sex should be recorded as a
Comment (code SE): visual, xray/ultrasound, palpate, behavior, plumage, probing, vent sexing,
surgical, reproduction, genetic/karyotype, biochemical, hormonal assay.
Unknown will often be used for species that are not sexually dimorphic and have not been
sexed by one of the methods noted above. {UNKNOWN} can be used for hermaphroditic species as
long as a note is entered as a Comment (code SE) for Contraception/Sex Determination.
Contracepted Male or Contracepted Female can be used to record that a specimen has
been or is being given some form of contraceptive which will presumably prevent reproduction for some
time. More details should be recorded as a Comment (code SE), including type of contraceptive agent
being used, date initiated and in the case of implants, the date on which it should be renewed.
Neutered Male or Neutered Female should be used when the specimen has been surgically
or otherwise permanently made non-reproductive. Details about the method used should be recorded
as a Comment (code SE).
Abnormal should be used to record significant chromosomal and/or physical reproductive
organ abnormalities as well as sterile hybrids and intergrades. These specimens should not or cannot
be managed as normal males or females. Details should be recorded as a Comment (code SE).
Changes made to sex automatically generate a Comment (code SE), dated on the date of
entry. Comments describing the change are manually typed in the separate box.
date
*

Contr./Sex Determ. Log

Changed From Unknown to Male

The basis for the change in sex should be recorded as a Comment (code SE), an example follows:
date
*

Contr./Sex Determ. Log

Changed From Unknown to Male. Sexed at necropsy

* Remember to change the date to the actual date the determination was made. The records
keeper should also be aware of how different database software interpret the categories of sex.
Because sex is a categorical field in ARKS3 (and SPARKS), when it is changed (e.g., from male to
contracepted male), it is changed for the entire history of the specimen. For example, if a specimen
entered as male at birth is later neutered at age five, changing its sex will cause ARKS3 (and SPARKS)
to consider it as neutered at birth. Therefore, when a specimen is neutered or contracepted, the date
of the event should be entered as a Comment (code SE), to inform those conducting analysis of the
data.
Furthermore, for demographic analysis, specimens whose sex is entered as {UNKNOWN},
{CONTRACEPTED}, {NEUTERED}, or {ABNORMAL} are considered 50% male and 50% female.

60

These specimens will appear in the age pyramid as one-half male and one-half female. For genetic
analysis, the software GENES assumes that {NEUTERED} means post-reproductive and {ABNORMAL}
means post-reproductive and unknown sex.
For unknown sex specimens that die, necropsy reports can be valuable for obtaining the sex.
This information should be added to the specimen report. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession
Number 25.) Retrospective studies focused on patterns of sex-biased births/hatches and mortality
rely on this information.
Once a specimen has been transferred to another institution, the matter of changing its sex
may become problematic. Sex should not be changed unless the first institution still owns the
specimen. For example, changing the sex of a specimen that is later contracepted at another
institution changes the data for the entire time it was at the first institution. If the specimen was
managed as a male, it might be advisable to keep the original entry and note as a Comment that it was
later sexed as a female. Reliable information should be obtained (written confirmation via ARKS3 or
MedARKS report, veterinary reports, or other institutional records) indicating how the determination of
sex was made. Copies of such information should be attached to the ARKS3 Specimen Report. In any
case, comments of changes in sex should always be included.
However if the specimen still resides at the institution, the change in sex should be entered into
ARKS3. In most of these cases, it will involve the change in sex of a juvenile from {UNKNOWN} to a
known sex.
The sex of a specimen is changed by:
(1)

selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of ARKS3

(2)

selecting User Supplied ID from the Data Entry menu

(3)

entering the specimen ID

(4)

selecting the Master system button at the top of the screen

(5)

selecting sex in the Master Record Work Area

(6)

selecting the appropriate sex from the window appearing in the lower right hand corner

(7)

adding any necessary notes in the Comment section to explain how sex was
determined, and any other information concerning reproductive status

61

How to Enter Birth Type

Birth type information is required for specimens acquired from another party. Whether the
specimen is of wild origin, is captive-born, or is of unknown origin may be recorded. Birth or hatch type
may have significant genetic, demographic, behavioral, or legal/permit implications, so it should be
entered as correctly as possible.
Captive-Born
Captive-born specimens are identified by several coordinated data entry procedures. Ideally,
the birth/hatch location, date of birth/hatch, and parent local ID numbers are known. Most often the
location will be an institution. Usually, the exact date of birth or hatch is known and can be entered
without an estimate. If only the month or year of birth or hatch is known, it should be entered with an
{M} or {Y} in the <DATE ESTIMATE> field; this shows that only the month or year of birth or hatch is
known (see chapter on How to Estimate and Enter Dates). Usually, one or both parents are known and
their local ID numbers and institutions can be entered as the sire and dam (but see chapter on How to
Enter Sire and Dam ID). However, for some specimens, one or both parent identities will be unknown.

Every effort should be made to identify the parents: unknown

parentage has profound effects on genetic analyses.

If parentage cannot be established, either one or both parent local IDs

should be entered as unknown (see chapter on When to Enter Unknown).
Wild-Born
Wild-born refers to a specimen born in the wild which has been taken into captivity. Wildcaught pregnant or gravid females should be entered as {WILD-CAUGHT} but their offspring should be
entered as captive-born.
The origin of the specimen has several important ramifications. Wild-caught specimens may be
subject to additional regulations governing their acquisition and disposition. These specimens are
potential founders, as they contain genetic material presumptively unrelated to the captive population.
(However, several collected at the same location, especially from the same nest, need careful
documentation, as they could be related; see chapter on How to Enter Sire and Dam ID). Wild-caught
specimens may need special quarantine procedures. National regulations often regulate holding,
display, and even carcass disposition of some wild-caught exotic specimens (e.g., the USDA in the
United States for wild-caught African hoofstock).
Identifying a specimen as born in the wild is accomplished through several coordinated entries.
When recording the vital statistics of a new specimen, the specimen's parents should be entered as
{WILD} or {WILD#}. (See chapter on How to Enter Acquisitions from the Wild and How to Enter Sire
and Dam ID.)

62

Specimens of Unknown Origin:

Many institutional databases include specimens with unknown origins. For some of these
specimens, thorough investigations will eventually identify origin as either captive-born or wild-born.
Despite a record keeper's best efforts, some specimens will probably have origins that are truly
unknowable. Such specimens are a problem for genetic analyses because they will eventually require
a decision to treat them as wild-born or exclude them from analyses.
Considering the amount of time required to research the origins of specimens, records keepers
should focus their efforts on documenting the origins of incoming specimens, and studbook and SSP
species. It may also be important to know the origin of other specimens involved in breeding programs.
If parentage cannot be established, either one or both parent ID numbers should be entered as {UNK}.
Birth type is added or edited by:
(1)

selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of ARKS3

(2)

selecting User Supplied ID from the Data Entry menu

(3)

entering the specimen ID

(4)

selecting the Master system button at the top of the screen

(5)

selecting the current Acquisition Type to get a popup screen, then selecting Acquisition
as Follows

(6)

selecting the current Birth Type to get a popup screen, then selecting type of birth

(7)

entering location

(8)

selecting Finished in both the Acquisition Work Area and the Master Work Area

(9)

adding any necessary notes as a Comment (code NA) to explain any other information
concerning the origins of the specimen; (by selecting the Comment system button at
the top of the screen)

One should be aware of the important difference between specimens with unknown, but
captive-born parents and specimens whose parents and birth/hatch type are unknown. In the former
case, it is more likely that the alleles carried by the specimen are carried by other specimens in the
population. In other words, captive-born specimens of unknown parentage are not considered
possible founders under usual circumstances. On the other hand, specimens of unknown parentage
and unknown birth or hatch type may be considered possible founders, for analysis purposes only, if it
is determined that a wild-caught origin is possible or likely given information in other data fields (e.g.,
date of birth/hatch, location of birth/hatch). Unknown birth or hatch type should be used when the
birth/hatch type is unknown, and although there are some rare exceptions, unknown birth or hatch type
will usually be associated with unknown parentage, unknown birth/hatch date, unknown rearing, and
unknown birth/hatch location.

How to Enter Rearing

Rearing refers to the type of parenting in the early history of a specimen. Rearing information is
important because a specimens success at breeding and at rearing offspring may be based on its own
rearing history. For example, evidence from some species suggests that hand-reared specimens are
less likely to be competent breeders or parents.

63

Rearing information impacts the management of species and specimens. Because captive-born
specimens are increasingly the breeding specimens in our management programs, their rearing
histories influence population growth. Thus, in programs that intensely manage populations (i.e.,
SSPs), rearing information is important. Specimens with unknown rearing data can purposefully be
omitted from breeding recommendations; specimens with ambiguous rearing data may hinder
population goals. Therefore, accurate data entry of rearing information is critical for decisions
regarding specimens and species.
In ARKS3, rearing can be entered as {HAND}, {PARENT}, {FOSTER}, {COLONY}, or
{UNKNOWN}. Combinations of different types of rearing are common; for example, an infant may be
parent-reared for a period of time and then hand-reared for a period of time. However, combinations
cannot be entered into ARKS3.

.
If rearing is a combination of types, select hand, foster, or
colony rather than parent. This selection will alert users to
non-normal rearing combinations.

Hand denotes an offspring with either hand-rearing or a

combination of hand-rearing and any other category should be entered as
{HAND} reared. This category indicates non-normal rearing. For example,
specimens reared with puppets should be entered as {HAND} reared. A
Comment (code OH) should be used to explain the reason for handrearing, length of hand -rearing time, and other information associated with
the hand-rearing process.
Parent denotes an offspring with parent rearing by either one or
both parents (no hand or foster rearing). Parent rearing can include
helpers. This category is considered the normal type of rearing for an
offspring. Comments should not be necessary. Offspring receiving
supplemental feedings but residing with the parents are still parent-reared;
a Comment should be entered.
Foster denotes an offspring with a surrogate parent or a combination of surrogate and parent
or hand rearing. Surrogate parents may include the same or different species, but do not include
humans. A Comment (code OF) should be used to explain the reason for foster rearing, length of
foster rearing time, fostering species or specimens, and other rearing information.
Colony denotes an offspring reared with a group of other offspring (and no parents). If an
offspring is parent reared in a colony, it is {PARENT} reared, not colony reared. If an offspring is foster
reared in a colony, it is {FOSTER} reared, not colony reared. However, {COLONY} would be
appropriate for offspring raised in a group (such as precocial offspring - waterfowl or rattites) or
several primate offspring hand reared together .
Unknown should be used when nothing is known about the rearing status. This field should
be updated as rearing information becomes available.
Wild-caught specimens should be entered as {PARENT} reared unless there is evidence to the
contrary. There will be exceptions; a specimen entered as wild-caught but hand reared or foster-

64

reared might be a primate taken from the wild at a young age and reared in captivity.
When entering a birth acquisition, rearing status is recorded as {PARENT} unless there is
information to the contrary. Subsequent changes in the type of rearing, override the {PARENT}
designation; when this occurs, change the field to the appropriate rearing type and enter a Comment.
Because abortions and stillbirths do not have an opportunity to experience any type of rearing, rearing
should always be entered as {UNKNOWN}.
When a specimen is acquired through a transfer into an institution, the rearing data from the
source institution should be entered in the specimens record.
For specimens with unknown birth/hatch type and/or unknown parentage, the rearing type will
usually be {UNKNOWN}. Historic records frequently have {UNKNOWN} entered in the specimens
record. If necessary, it is possible to research this information in keeper and veterinary records.
Work-around
Some species (primarily reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates) do not have parent,
hand, foster, or colony rearing as a part of their development. These specimens would be best
recorded as {NONE} for rearing type; this is not an option in ARKS3. The best solution at this time is to
record rearing as {HAND} with a Comment (code OH).
Rearing status in ARKS3 is recorded in the Master Work Area. It is the last field for a basic
birth accession.
Rearing is entered or edited by:
(1)

selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of ARKS3

(2)

selecting User Supplied ID from the Data Entry menu

(3)

entering the specimen ID

(4)

selecting the Master system button at the top of the screen

(5)

selecting Rearing to get a popup screen, then selecting the type of rearing

(6)

entering Finished

65

How to Enter Vendor and

Vendor Specimen ID
In ARKS3, a vendor may be defined as any person or institution from which a specimen is
acquired (i.e., by purchase, donation, trade, loan, etc.). This may include zoos and aquariums, private
individuals, animal dealers, nature centers, government agencies (e.g., US Fish and Wildlife Service,
state and local agencies). Vendors are entered into an ARKS3 record when a specimen is moved
from one facility to another and when a specimen is born while the parent is in-on-loan. When a
specimen is received from (or born while parent is in-on-loan from) an institution listed in the ISIS
Institutional list, the <VENDOR> field should be filled with the official ISIS3 mnemonic for that particular
institution: a (up to) nine letter code designates either the institution or the city in which it is located
(e.g., CHICAGOLP is Lincoln Park Zoo, AUDUBON is Audubon Park and Zoological Garden). ARKS3
associates each mnemonic with a nine digit institutional code that is the actual identifier of each
vendor. This institutional code conveys information about geographic location: continent or region,
country, department, province, or state.
When entering a vendor for the first time, it is essential that a thorough search be made of the
existing institutions in the ISIS Institution list. The ISIS3 CD-ROM may be used to sort the search by
possible mnemonic, city, state, owner, and country. If a vendor (location) cannot be found in the ISIS
Institution list, and the individual or institution from which the specimen is received (or born while the
parent is in-on-loan from) is an established private breeder, animal dealer, etc., that, in your opinion, is
likely to be interacting with ISIS reporting institutions for some time in the future, a new mnemonic and
institution code should be requested from ISIS. There is a mnemonic assignment form located on the
ISIS website (http://www.worldzoo.org) and this is the preferred method of requesting that a mnemonic
be assigned. ISIS will also respond rapidly to a faxed request that contains the name of the institution,
owner, address, phone, e-mail, and fax numbers.
The information sent to ISIS must include the country and state or province subdivision thereof,
as well as the kind of organization (i.e., zoo or aquarium, research center, private individual,
commercial dealer). New institutions are being added to the list every day so it is possible that ISIS will
have already assigned a mnemonic and number (particularly in the case of an established animal
breeder, animal dealer, etc.).

Do not create new mnemonics and institution codes!

A new mnemonic and institution code should only be requested for

established animal breeders, animal dealers, etc. To do so for every
otherwise unknown individual from which a specimen is received (or
born while the parent is in-on-loan) would create undue stress upon the current hierarchical 9-digit
code capacity at ISIS.

If a location cannot be found in the ISIS Institution list, and the individual or institution from
which the specimen was received (or born while the parent is in-on-loan from) is not an established
animal breeder, animal dealer, etc., (i.e., a person otherwise unknown and, unlikely to be interacting
with ISIS reporting institutions for some time in the future), enter {PUBLIC} in the <VENDOR> field.

66

(See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 24.) Record other identifying information such as
full name, institution name, address, etc., as a Comment, (code NA).
<VENDOR SPECIMEN ID> is also entered into ARKS3 in association with a specimen moving
from one facility to another or with a specimen born while the parent is in-on-loan. If the specimen is
received from an ISIS reporting institution, the <VENDOR SPECIMEN ID> should be recorded as the
exact Specimen ID number (accession number) reflected on the ARKS3 Specimen Report received
from the sending institution. Tag/band numbers and house names should not be recorded in the
<VENDOR SPECIMEN ID> field for ISIS participants; this field should only record ID numbers for those
institutions.
If received from a non-ISIS reporting facility, the <VENDOR SPECIMEN ID> should be recorded
as whatever unique identifying number, name, etc. has been assigned to the specimen by the sending
facility. This may include tag/band numbers and house names provided they will remain unique to all
specimens of the relevant taxa loaded into the ARKS3 database. If no number, name, etc. has been
assigned or if it is unlikely that the number, name, etc. assigned will remain unique within all specimens
of the relevant taxa loaded into the ISIS3 database, enter {NONE}.
If the specimen is born while the parent is in-on-loan, the holding institution must contact the
owning institution to learn their specimen ID number (or in the case of a non-ID reporting institution
whatever unique identifier has been assigned to the specimen by the owning institution).
Vendor and Vendor Specimen ID are entered by:
(1)

selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of ARKS3

(2)

selecting User Supplied ID from the Data Entry menu

(3)

entering the specimen ID

(4)

selecting the Master system button at the top of the screen

There are two cases in which Vendor and Vendor Specimen ID will be called for: Birth, Loan-In
and Acquisition as Follows. For a Birth, Loan-In Vendor and Vendor Specimen ID are entered
by:
(5)

selecting the current Acquisition Type to get a popup screen, then selecting Birth,
Loan-In

(6)

entering Vendor (per instructions above)

(7)

entering Vendor Specimen ID (per instructions above)

(8)

entering additional information as a Comment (code NA)

OR, for an Acquisition as Follows Vendor and Vendor Specimen ID are entered by:
(5)

selecting the current Acquisition Type to get a popup screen, then selecting Acquisition
as Follows

(6)

entering Birth Type

(7)

entering Location

67

(8)

entering Terms of Acquisition

(9)

entering Ownership/Physical move information

(10)

entering Vendor (per instructions above)

(11)

entering Vendor Specimen ID (per instructions above)

(12)

entering additional information as a Comment (code NA)

68

How to Enter Dispositions

Dispositions often involve ownership and legal issues (e.g., permits, fate of specimens
regulated by USFWS) and may have significant consequences for population management. In
particular, estimated death dates (see chapter on How to Estimate and Enter Dates) or improper use of
the death disposition to remove a specimen from the inventory can compromise genetic and
demographic analyses. From the legal and population biology perspectives, it is important that the
disposition is accurate.
ARKS3 uses the term disposition to denote the removal or status of a specimen. Thus,
although ARKS3 treats dispositions as transactions, the majority of dispositions represent a final status
with regard to the recording institution. Dispositions available in ARKS3 consider physical location and
ownership. The disposition options in ARKS3 are accessed from the Add bar (lower right) of the
Transaction Work Area. Disposition appears at the upper right portion of the screen, directly below
Acquisitions. Selection of dispositions offers the following options: Death, Death in Transit, Loan
Return to Owner, Loan to Another Institution, Loan Transfer, Sale to Another Institution, Trade(d) to
Another Institution, Donation, Theft, Escape, Release, Disappeared, Term- Free Disposition.
ARKS3 offers two basic data entry screens for dispositions: one for deaths and one for all other
dispositions. For non-deaths, ARKS3 offers several default combinations of physical location and
ownership.
Death: Death as a disposition for a specimen should be selected carefully because genetic and
demographic analysis use this information; dates should be carefully entered for the same reason.

Specimens whose death date is known or can be

estimated with some certainty should be entered as
{DEATH}. Specimens that are presumed dead, but for
which there is no direct evidence of death, should be
entered as {TERM-FREE DISPOSITION}.

The <CURRENT TRANSACTION> field for Death is tailored by ARKS3

to the appropriate situation (e.g., death - physical, death-ownership, deathphysical and ownership).
The Edit Death Codes prompt gives access to the <CARCASS
RECIPIENT> field and four sets of codes pertaining to the death and carcass:
Circumstances of Death, Carcass Disposition (with access to the <CARCASS RECIPIENT> field),
Necropsy - Topological, Necropsy - Etiological.
Every effort should be made to use these codings as accurately as possible. When necessary,
explanations should be entered as a Comment (code NX). In particular, a carcass recipient should be
identified whenever possible, as there are legal issues regarding the final disposition of endangered
species, marine mammals, migratory birds, etc. ARKS3 supplies a default of unknown ({UNK}) if
nothing is entered in the <CARCASS RECIPIENT> field. (See chapter on How to Enter Death Codes).
The date of death is entered in the <TRANSACTION DATE> field. If the specimen was born at
the institution, ARKS3 uses the current date as the default (under the assumption that deaths are
entered on the day they occur). Otherwise, ARKS3 uses the date the specimen was acquired.
Because ARKS3 uses default dates, it is important to change the default date in the field to
the correct date. The <PRECISION> field for this date is labeled <TRANSACTION DATE QUALITY>.
Information on precision of estimated death dates should follow the guidelines in the chapter on How

69

to Estimate and Enter Dates, and be entered in the <TRANSACTION DATE QUALITY> field.
Death in Transit: This option is only available for specimens that have been sold, traded, donated to
another institution, or given a Term-Free disposition (i.e. both physical and legal transfer), and died in
transit to that other institution. The sending institution should record the transaction followed by the
{DEATH IN TRANSIT} option. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 22.) Specimens that
are loaned out and die in transit to the loaning institution cannot be listed using the Death in Transit
disposition option (ARKS3 assumes that physical location is not transferred until a specimen in transit
arrives at its destination, and specimens out-on-loan that die in transit, require entry of a regular death
transaction to terminate the institutions ownership as of that date); the disposition of these loaned
specimens must be {DEATH} (by the recording institution). ARKS3 offers a non-transactional Death
Code for deaths in transit: this should be used for all deaths in transit, including loans out. Entry of
death codes and dates for the Death in Transit disposition is identical to that for Death.
Institutions receiving specimens that die in transit should enter the specimen as a {TERM-FREE
ACQUISITION} followed by a {TERM-FREE DISPOSITION}. Then use the {DEATH IN TRANSIT} option.
(see the chapter on How to Enter Acquisitions).
Theft: This option should only be used when there is strong evidence that a specimen was stolen.
Such evidence might include signs of illegal entry to the grounds or enclosure. Although ARKS3 does
offer the option of identifying the individual that stole the specimen, unless there is evidence about the
thief, the <RECIPIENT INSTITUTION> field should be left blank (ARKS automatically enters {UNK}); the
<RECIPIENT SPECIMEN ID> field should also be left blank. Without direct evidence of theft,
specimens that vanish from an enclosure should be entered as either {DISAPPEARED} or {TERMFREE DISPOSITION} (as described in the chapter on How to Estimate and Enter Dates).
Escape: This option should only be used when there is direct evidence that a specimen escaped.
Such evidence might include escape routes (e.g., open doors or holes in mesh that are clearly
manufactured by the escapee), direct observation of the escape, observation of the specimen after the
escape, etc. Unless there is evidence to the contrary, the <RECIPIENT INSTITUTION> field should be
left blank (ARKS3 automatically enters {UNK}); the <RECIPIENT SPECIMEN ID> field should also be
left blank. Without direct evidence of an escape, specimens that vanish from an enclosure should be
entered as either {DISAPPEARED} or {TERM-FREE DISPOSITION}. (For transaction date see the
chapter on How to Estimate and Enter Dates).
Release: This option should only be used for specimens that are intentionally released from captivity.
The release location, or geographic region, should be entered in the <RECIPIENT INSTITUTION>
field; the <RECIPIENT SPECIMEN ID> field should be left blank. The most common use of this option
would be for species reintroduced into the wild as part of organized reintroduction programs.
Specimens that escape, are stolen or vanish from an enclosure should not be entered as releases;
they should be entered as either {DISAPPEARED} or {TERM-FREE DISPOSITION}. (For transaction
date, see the chapter on How to Estimate and Enter Dates.)
Disappeared: This option is for specimens that vanish without a trace from their enclosure. While
these specimens may have escaped or been stolen, unless there is direct evidence of theft or escape,
this is the appropriate disposition when the physical presence of a specimen is known on a specific
date and its absence is noted within a few days (e.g., here today, gone tomorrow). The <RECIPIENT
INSTITUTION> field should be left blank (ARKS3 automatically enters {UNK}); the <RECIPIENT
SPECIMEN ID> field should also be left blank. Disappeared should not be used for historical
instances of specimens that disappear from the zoo or aquariums records: historical disappearance
should be entered as Term-Free Dispositions (see the chapter on How to Estimate and Enter Dates).
Term-Free Disposition: This option might be called disappeared from records or no idea what
happened to it or when it happened. There is always a last date that a specimen is known to be at an

70

institution (this may be the only known date, or an estimated date). There may be a medical note,
photo, or offspring born that can help establish this last known date. Because the status of this
specimen is unknown following this last known date, it should be made a {TERM-FREE DISPOSITION}
one day after the last known date.

Specimens that are

fed out or euthanized for nonmedical reasons should have
an explanation (e.g., fed out
or euthanized because...) as
a Comment (code NX).

This option should be used only when there is no direct

evidence as to the physical location or fate of a specimen,
when specimens are transferred between facilities owned
by the same institution, when individuals lose unique
identification and go into a group, or in the case of
specimens that are used as feeders or euthanized for nonmedical reasons (this is to avoid potential bias in
demographic analyses).

Loans: There are several types of dispositions that deal with loans: loans-in (physical acquisition of a
specimen from another party, with that party retaining ownership), loan transfer (the physical removal
of a specimen in-on-loan that does not return to the owner, being transferred instead directly to a third
facility which will typically then have the specimen in-on-loan from the owner), loans-out (loan to), and
returns of specimens in-on-loan (loan return to). The data entry screens for
these dispositions are identical. Each requests either an ISIS mnemonic
name of an institution or vendor in the <RECIPIENT INSTITUTION> field and
a local identification number (local ID) from that institution (<RECIPIENT
SPECIMEN ID> field). It is essential that these two fields be completed
accurately as they are the primary means of following movement of
specimens between institutions.
ISIS3 does not link a physical
transaction between two institutions unless the vendor/recipient and local ID
numbers match. If the IDs do not match, the resulting link discrepancy in the
ISIS database makes it appear as if two (or more) specimens were involved.
Loans that involve physical transfers, or transfers of ownership from
the recording institution, are easily entered by following the ARKS3 data
entry screens. However, for specimens in-on-loan, transfers of ownership to
a third party cannot be accomplished while retaining the specimen in-onloan. In this situation, the record for the specimen must indicate a return to
the loaning institution, then an acquisition as a loan in from the new owner (these events should all
take place on the same date). Documentation of this transaction should be entered as a Comment
(code NO).
Sales, Trades, and Donations: Data entry for these dispositions is nearly identical to that of loans.
Each requests an ISIS mnemonic name of an institution in the <RECIPIENT INSTITUTION> field and a
local identification number (local ID) from that institution (<RECIPIENT SPECIMEN ID> field). Link
discrepancies (see above) may result in the ISIS3 database if the recipient institution and local ID are
not entered (or are entered incorrectly).
Dispositions of Individuals From Groups of Individuals
For groups in which all individuals are identified, removal of known individuals is straightforward and should follow the procedures as outlined above. However, to avoid fictionalization of
deaths and disappearances, for groups of individually marked specimens that can only be individually
identified by periodic census (or round-up), specimens should be moved in and out of group records
as dictated by known events. Specimens destined for this type of group should be accessioned

71

individually, then deaccessioned as a Term-Free Disposition, and moved into the group as a TermFree Acquisition all on the same date. When specimens disappear from the group, or are seen as
dead but cannot be identified, the group is reduced by one death with an attendant Comment on the
date and circumstances. When the missing specimens are finally identified (e.g., via a periodic roundup of the group), they are a Term-Free Acquisition from the group back to individual specimens, then
entered as the appropriate disposition (e.g., {DEATH}, {DISAPPEARED}). The Comment for the event
should contain a detailed description of the circumstances. In particular, when multiple specimens are
missing, each specimens Comment should relate the possible disappearance or death dates. For
specimens whose absence was not noted prior to the census, a range of dates (i.e., from last to
present census) should be entered as a Comment. This avoids creation of fiction that arbitrarily, albeit
tidily, assigns events to specific specimens.
For species with larvae or many small young (e.g., fish fry), deaths should only be recorded if
there is good evidence; disappeared should be used in all other instances. This will prevent
overestimates of death rates resulting from overestimates of initial group size.

72

How to Enter Death Codes

Information regarding the death of a specimen can be added in the Death Codes. These codes
were developed by the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV). Ideally, complete
information about the death will be recorded in MedARKS. However, ARKS3 provides the opportunity
to code information in addition to the required death date. The information can be valuable for
demographic, genetic, husbandry and medical management.
Death codes are added or edited by:
(1)

selecting Add at the bottom right of the Transaction Work Area

(2)

selecting Disposition from the menu

(3)

selecting Death at the top of the Transaction Code list

(4)

selecting Edit Death Codes to the right of the enclosed box to access the Death code
screen

There are four options:

1. Circumstances of Death
2. Carcass disposition
3. Necropsy - Topological
4. Necropsy - Etiological
Circumstances of Death: This is valuable information for subsequent management and should be
recorded whenever possible. The categories may not fit every case, so the records keeper must
select the one that most closely describes the circumstances of death. (See Sample Specimen Report,
Accession Number 16.) In any case, a note should be entered as a Comment (code NX) with specific
details of the situation surrounding the death. For example, it is important to include the possible
cause of death, identify other specimens if involved, record the situation that occurred which may have
caused the death (e.g., noisy crowd scared the animal and he ran into the enclosure wall), or indicate
a medical problem that could have contributed to the death. Necropsy results should be recorded as a
separate entry from the death note as a Comment (code MN).
A.

Euthanasia - elective humane killing for medical or management reasons. If a

specimen dies while under anesthesia, this is not euthanasia: K (see below) should be
selected

B.

Self-inflicted injuries - self-mutilation, running into enclosure walls, etc.

C.

Injury from exhibit mate - includes young being killed by parents

D.

Malicious destruction - killed by vandals

E.
F.

(No longer used)

Infection associated

G.

Injury from predator - killed by a natural predator that gained access to the enclosure

H.

Environmental/behavioral conditions - e.g., neonate that dies of exposure, a specimen

that refuses to eat

73

I.

Stillbirth - for mammals, all stillbirths should be accessioned with the birth date = death
date. For birds, stillbirth is selected for eggs that have pipped, but the chick dies
before actually hatching. Pip date = hatch date; actual death date = death date (See
Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 16.)

J.

Premature birth - for mammals, all aborted fetuses should be accessioned, birth date =
death date. For birds, late-term dead in shell embryos are coded as premature birth,
birth date = death date (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 27.)

K.

Anesthesia/restraint related - died while under anesthesia during a procedure

L.

Died in transit - died after leaving one facility and before arriving at its destination

M.

Stranded - used primarily for rescued marine mammals that fail to survive

N.

Other/unknown - for unknown cause of death and/or if circumstances cannot be

described by one of the above situations

Carcass Disposition: Recording the carcass disposition is important for documenting the
disposition of protected species such as marine mammals and endangered animals, for tracking
donations to museums and research facilities, or for maintaining records on carcasses kept at
the owning facility for education or research purposes. Comments on carcass disposition should
be entered as a Comment (code NX). Comments may include specific information on the receiving
institution (name, address, etc.), the particular body part that was donated (skin, skeleton, skull, etc.),
a corresponding museum number if one was assigned, or a notation of the donation in order to
document the legal disposition of protected species. The following choices are available for Carcass
Disposition:
A.

Incinerate

B.

Bury - the site of burial can be recorded as a Comment

C.

Given to an Institution - specify the receiving institution in the space provided. Check
ISIS Institution Directory since many museums and research facilities have mnemonics

D.

Sold to an Institution - follow guidelines for Given to an Institution (C)

E.

Mounted or Preserved - kept at the institution for educational purposes or frozen at the
veterinary/pathology department for future study

F.

(No longer used)

G.

Unknown

H.

Rendered - processed by a commercial rendering company

Necropsy: These categories make it possible to record a crude characterization of Autopsy Results.
Since MedARKS contains a complete module on Pathology for full recording of autopsy results, use of
this section in ARKS3 will be up to the discretion of each individual facility. For a generalized
description of the categories, go to the ARKS3 Help screen by selecting Quit/System at the Main Menu
of ARKS3, and searching for Autopsy.

74

How to Enter Identifiers

Specimen identifiers allow the records keeper to easily track and find individual specimens.
Identifiers are extremely important in assembling a specimen's history at all of the different institutions
in which it has been held.
There are many different ways to identify an individual specimen. In ARKS3, the local ID, or
accession number is the primary identifier of a specimen. ARKS3 program also allows other identifiers
to be recorded, for example: {INTERNATIONAL STUDBOOK NUMBER}, {STUDBOOK NAME} (Breeder
Number), {HOUSE NAME}, {TATTOO}, {PERMIT}, {REGIONAL STUDBOOK NUMBER}, {OLD
STUDBOOK #}, {TAG/BAND/RING}, {TRANSPONDER ID}, {NOTCHING MARK}, {OLD ACCESSION #},
{DEATH NUMBER}, {SIRE TAXON}, and {DAM TAXON}.
It is important to be aware of issues of uniqueness and permanency when dealing with
identifiers. Some identifiers are supposed to be unique within a certain scope. For example, an
International Studbook number is unique per species around the world, while a Regional Studbook
number is unique per species within the region governing the regional studbook. Some identifiers are
more permanent than others. For example, tattoos tend to be permanent while an ear tag can fall off.
A standard set of identifiers are stored in the ARKS3 program. This set of identifiers is
controlled by the ARKS3 program and cannot be modified by the user.
ARKS3 will allow the records keeper to enter multiple identifiers for a specimen. It will not give a
warning or prevent the assignment of non-unique identifiers even though a particular identifier tends to
be unique. For example, two International Studbook Numbers could be added to a specimen, even
though International Studbook Numbers are supposed to be unique.

Identifiers are never deleted from the record unless

they are incorrect.

Identifiers are critical to identification at any stage in an animals life;

even after an animal dies or leaves an institution, the identifiers should remain
unique and should be retained in their records. When an identifier is changed,
the first identifier should not be deleted; the second identifier should just be
added. For example, a specimen named RAO in 1975, can be re-named Andy in 1980, but the old
name is left in the database.
The <IDENTIFIER> field can hold up to 35 characters, and leading spaces are automatically
removed before the identifier is saved. The <LOCATION> field can hold up to 16 characters, and
leading spaces are automatically removed before the location is saved. When recording an identifier
there are several pieces of information that should be entered as a Comment: the date the identifier
was assigned, the identifier itself, and the location of the identifier, if appropriate (i.e., band placed on
left leg).
If an identifier is lost or removed, another identifier record should be added using the same

75

identifier specifying {LOST} in the <LOCATION> field. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession
Number 20.) The <ID DATE> field should be the date the identifier was noticed missing or the date it
was removed. Previous identifiers should never be deleted.
When entering a location that will use right, left, inner or outer, the following upper case one
character abbreviations should be used: R for right, L for left, I for inner, and O for outer. (See Sample
Specimen Report, Accession Number 14.) These abbreviations should then be followed by the body
location (i.e., R Ear, L Leg).
All identifiers have an <ID DATE> field associated with the identifier; in most cases the date will
be the actual date that the specimen received the identifier. However for all studbook numbers, the
birth date should be used because it is a lifetime number. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession
Number 14.) If the studbook number changes, the date of change should be recorded as a Comment
starting with the key words {DATA CHANGE} to alert users of the data change. When an institution
receives a specimen from another institution, the specimens existing identifiers should be entered in
the database along with the original identifier date from the sending institution.
International Studbook Number: This studbook number is six characters or fewer. Leading zeros
should not be entered unless the International Studbook keeper has assigned a studbook number with
leading zeros. All known studbook numbers should be recorded for each specimen.
Regional Studbook Number: This studbook number is six characters or fewer. Leading zeros
should not be entered unless the regional studbook keeper has assigned a studbook number with
leading zeros. The ARKS3 program displays a list of standard region names to choose from so that
this studbook number can be properly categorized. If the desired region is not on the list, the Other
option allows entry of the appropriate region. This information is stored in the location field. Studbook
numbers should be recorded for each specimen.
Old Studbook Number: This studbook number is six characters or fewer. This identifier would be
used if a studbook keeper were to re-number the studbook. The <LOCATION> field is available to
record the region if this were a regional studbook number, however, the pick list of standard regions is
not available for this identifier.
Studbook Name (Breeder #): Only the <IDENTIFIER> field is available for this identifier. Upper and
lower case characters can be entered in this field; leading spaces are automatically removed before
the identifier is saved. This identifier is used in some studbooks, typically to manually record the
number of captive births at each institution. Generally the <STUDBOOK NAME> field is the city or
institution name followed by a number (i.e., BROOKFIELD 5).
Studbook regions listed on the ARKS3 pick-list are:
AZA (American Zoo and Aquarium Association),
ARAZPA (Australasian Assoc. of Zoos, Parks and Aq.)
BRITFED (British Federation)
CZA (Chinese Zoo Association)
EAZA (European Assoc. of Zoos and Aquaria)
JAZGA (Japanese Assoc. of Zoos and Aquaria)
SEAZA (SE Asian Zoo Association)
Old Accession Number: Accession numbers are six characters or fewer and only the <IDENTIFIER>
field is available. Upper and lower case characters can be entered in this field; leading spaces are
automatically removed before the identifier is saved. This field is for in-house number changes only.
However, changing accession numbers is not recommended. Accession numbers from other
institutions should be recorded either in <VENDOR ID> field or as a Comment (code NA) .

76

Transponder ID: The transponder number should be recorded exactly as it would appear when read
with the transponder reader. This includes dashes and upper case letters. The <LOCATION> field
should be completed for this identifier. (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number 20.)
Transponder numbers only use the first eight letters of the alphabet and the number zero has a
dot in the center so that it can be distinguished it from the letter "O". An example of how a transponder
number would be entered is: 00-004D-683E.
Each transponder number is unique. Although it is possible to reuse transponders, they
should not be reused for the same reasons that accession numbers and studbook numbers are
never reused.
House Name: Upper and lower case characters can be entered in this field; leading spaces are
automatically removed before the identifier is saved.
Tag/Band/Ring: Upper and lower case characters can be entered in this field; leading spaces are
removed automatically before the identifier is saved. The <LOCATION> field should be completed for
this identifier. When entering a tag, band, or ring identifier, each tag, band or ring must be entered
separately. The identifier should be entered as color followed by number (i.e., {RED 15}). When
entering the number, enter what is printed on the tag, band or ring (e.g., not what is on a list or report
that accompanies the tag).
Notching Mark: Upper and lower case characters can be entered in this field; leading spaces are
removed automatically before the identifier is saved. The <LOCATION> field is available to be filled in
on this identifier. A standardized notching system should be used. Toe clipping is not recommended
as a reliable form of identification.
Tattoo: Upper and lower case characters can be entered in this field; leading spaces are removed
automatically before the identifier is saved. The location of the tattoo should be entered in the
associated <LOCATION> field.
Permit: Upper and lower case characters can be entered in this field; leading spaces are removed
automatically before the identifier is saved. The user is presented with a pick list of possible permit
types so that this permit can be properly categorized. If the type of permit is not in the pick list, then
the user can select Other and enter the appropriate type. The date of the permit should be entered in
the associated <ID DATE> field.
Possible permit types that are available in ARKS3 are:
CITES for a CITES Permit
MMP for a Marine Mammal Permit
ES for an Endangered Species Permit
PPEQ for a Post Entry Quarantine Permit
Death Number: Upper and lower case characters can be entered in this field; leading spaces are
removed automatically before the identifier is saved. It is recommended that the necropsy number
is entered in this identifier. If possible the institution should use the accession number as the
necropsy number; this procedure will minimize the quantity of numbers assigned to specimens.
Sire Taxon and Dam Taxon: Upper and lower case characters can be entered in this field; leading
spaces are removed automatically before the identifier is saved. The taxonomic name entered in this
field is not validated against the taxonomic authority file.

77

Identifiers are added or edited by:

(1)

selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of ARKS3

(2)

selecting User Supplied ID from the Data Entry menu

(3)

entering the specimen ID

(4)

selecting the ID system button at the top of the screen to make the ID system the
active one

(5)

selecting the Add (or Edit) action button at the bottom of the screen to add (or edit) a
new identifier

(6)

entering the date this identifier was assigned (or lost or removed) in the <ID DATE>
field

(7)

selecting the type of identifier being added (i.e., Transponder) in the ID TYPE> field (if
editing, the type of identifier cannot be modified)

(8)

entering the actual identifier in the <IDENTIFIER> field

(9)

entering the location (if appropriate) in the <LOCATION> field

(10)

entering any comments about this identifier (if appropriate) in the <ID COMMENTS>
field

(11)

selecting Finished

78

How to Enter Weight and Length Information

Weight and length data are important to animal records because this information reflects the
health and development of the specimen; in addition, the data can be useful for age estimates and for
species level research. Measurements differ for different taxa, but there are standard ways in which
measurements are taken. When measurements are standardized, they can be used for comparative
purposes or they may be useful for identification. Descriptions of the measurements that should be
taken for each group are given below. All measurements should be recorded in metric units (grams,
kilograms, meters, millimeters).
Options under the <LENGTH> field include: {TOTAL LENGTH}, {TAIL LENGTH}, {EAR
LENGTH}, {HINDFOOT LENGTH}, {TARSUS LENGTH}, {WING LENGTH}, {SNOUT -VENT LENGTH},
{SHELL WIDTH}, {SHELL LENGTH}, and {NON-STANDARD}, however the {NON-STANDARD} option is
not to be used. Weight (mass) is also recorded, and should be recorded in grams for small and
medium-sized specimens, in kilograms for large specimens. Appendix 2 describes how to take weight
and length data. The default for entries is to two decimal places, which may erroneously imply accuracy
to two decimal places (this cannot be changed in the program). For example, some scales may show
10.2 grams (2 tenths of a gram), yet ARKS3 will show this entry as 10.20 grams; each entry should
contain all decimal places that are available on the measuring device.
Weight/length data are added by:
(1)

selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of ARKS3

(2)

selecting User Supplied ID from the Data Entry menu

(3)

selecting Wgt/Len at the top of the screen

(4)

selecting Add at the bottom of the screen (the cursor defaults to the current date)

(5)

pressing enter to move to the <TYPE> field, and choosing either weight or length (the
appropriate blank field and units box is highlighted)

(6)

selecting the <WEIGHT> or <LENGTH> field and entering the weight or length value
(ARKS3 allows entry to two decimal places)

(7)

pressing enter to highlight the units box and selecting the current units to get a popup
screen for selecting the appropriate units (grams, millimeters, etc.)

(8)

adding any comments in Comment, (for example tragus length and forearm length for
bats). These comments do not print out; they are only visible on the screen

(9)

selecting Finished

Weight/length data are edited by:

(1)

selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of ARKS3

(2)

selecting User Supplied ID from the Data Entry menu

(3)

selecting Wgt/Len at the top of the screen

(4)

selecting the line of data that needs editing

79

(5)

selecting Edit at the bottom of the screen

(6)

making the necessary changes and entering either Finished or Edit to return to the
Wgt/Len work area screen

80

How to Use the Enclosure System

The Enclosure System allows tracking of a specimen through the different enclosures in which
it has been held. The records keeper can define an enclosure hierarchy and print reports. Enclosure
Reports show which specimens were present in an enclosure at a specific time or range of time.
Historical enclosures appear on Specimen Reports, but only the current enclosure appears on Taxon
Reports. Enclosure information is not reported to ISIS. The Enclosure System can be used most
effectively for individually accessioned specimens; it does not work well with groups.
Consistent use of the Enclosure System can:
?

Assist in parental tracking when a specific sire/dam is unknown, by assisting with

identification of MULT parentage.

Assist in providing information about disease and exposure to parasites.

Track transfers of an individual specimen within the institution.

Assist in identifying greater mortality of a species in a specific enclosure.

Assist in locating specimens when a species is kept in more than one enclosure.

Assist in answering studbook questionnaires regarding pairings, groupings and infantrearing experiences.

Assist in answering TAG survey requests for animal space and exhibit use.

Provide a history of enclosure use.

Track quarantine release dates.

Once enclosure data are entered, they must be kept up

to date! Otherwise, specimens will continue to appear
in enclosures they no longer occupy!

It is recommended that enclosure changes are recorded for each daily change. That is, if a
specimen changes an enclosure for 24 hours or more, the enclosure change should be recorded.
This can also be thought of as the motel rule, if it spends the night it has to pay (i.e., the enclosure
change should be documented).
Although enclosures are often used to record social groupings, they should not be used as the
sole source of this information. For some species, there can be more than one social group
maintained within a single enclosure. Whenever practical, Comment codes should be used to
determine the members of a social group in these cases.

81

Enclosure Auto Remove: Enclosure Auto Remove should always be activated. Otherwise,
specimens will continue to appear on enclosure reports long after they are removed from that
enclosure.
Once Enclosure Auto Remove is activated and a specimen is removed
from the collection, an Enclosure Log entry of {REMOVED} is generated and the
specimen will no longer show up in that enclosure on reports requested for a time
frame later than the removal date.
Enclosure Auto Remove is activated by:
(1)
selecting Examine/Edit Systems Parameters under the Utilities Menu of
ARKS3
(2)
(3)

selecting Switches

changing Enclosure Auto Remove from OFF to ON

The Enclosure System does not work well for groups. This is due to the fact that whenever a
specimen is removed from the group count, either by death or disposition, the Enclosure Code
becomes {REMOVED} (providing the Enclosure Auto Remove has been activated, as suggested
above), and the remaining members of the group can no longer be located under the former Enclosure
Code. If the Enclosure System must be used with a group count, the {REMOVED} must be manually
changed to the proper Enclosure Code after the desired specimens have been removed. A way
around this is to deactivate the Enclosure Auto Remove under the Switches menu; this is not
recommended as this will cause many specimens to appear on enclosure reports after they have been
removed.
Enclosure Table
Although it is initially time-consuming, setting up an Exhibit and Enclosure Table will permit the
retrieval of information on exhibits or sets of enclosures which can provide data not readily available
elsewhere. Codes can be assigned to as many or as few exhibits and/or enclosures as needed to
make the system work effectively. Some institutions assign codes only to major exhibits, while others
assign codes to all exhibits, including sky kennels.
The Enclosure System can be used without setting up a table, but it is highly
recommended that an Exhibit and Enclosure Table be created. It is much less effective without
one.
Creating an Exhibit and Enclosure Table will ensure consistent enclosure entries. Once the
Exhibit and Enclosure Table is built, it will enable the selection of an entry via the mouse or control
keys rather than by manual re-entry each time it is necessary to designate a code. If entries are made
manually, the message Warning - this Enclosure is not on your official list appears if an entry is
incorrect.
In the Exhibit and Enclosure Table, an Exhibit is a grouping of Enclosures defined by area,
building, keeper assignments, etc. For example, African Plains is the Exhibit; the elephant, cheetah
and oryx yards are Enclosures within the Exhibit. It is possible to have a third layer by entering the
Enclosure as an Exhibit, and defining a smaller Enclosure under it. A Simple Enclosure has no
additional levels under it. In the given example, the oryx outside pen and its inside holding would be
"Simple Enclosures" within the oryx yard "Enclosure" in the African Plain Exhibit. It is important to note,
however, that if more than two levels are defined, a specimen will appear on more than one Enclosure
Report.

82

How the exhibit and enclosure codes will be used should be

decided before they are assigned.
There should be
no overlap in assigning the exhibit and enclosure codes. The codes can be up to eight characters in
length and should not have spaces on the left.
The following are recommendations for assigning codes:
?

Species names should not be used! Specimens within an exhibit change.

The codes must be unique within the institution, (i.e., both the Hospital and the Africa
Pavilion cannot have an enclosure labeled ROOM 1).

Roman numerals should not be used as they are easily misidentified.

Mnemonics that provide clues should be used. (Example: CZ = Children's Zoo, AC =

Animal Care Center, H = holding space, E = exhibit.)

Naming of enclosures should be consistent.

An Exhibit and Enclosure Table is created by:

(1)

selecting Exhibit/Enclosure Table Management under the Utilities Menu. A list of

example Exhibits and Enclosures appears)

(2)

pressing {F7}

(3)

typing in the Exhibit Code under Exhibit

(4)

typing in the Enclosure Code under Enclosure

(5)

typing in the Reason (a description of the Enclosure)

(6)

pressing {F7} to continue adding, or pressing {F2} to end additions and return to the
Utilities Menu

ISIS codes already in the program, or codes that have been entered by mistake can be deleted
by selecting the appropriate entry and pressing {F8}. They will be marked at the left for deletion.
Codes can be edited by selecting the appropriate entry and typing in the changes. However there is
nothing that prevents changes to entries that are correct, so be especially careful when editing.
A specimen is assigned to an enclosure by:
(1)

selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of ARKS3

(2)

selecting User Supplied ID from the Data Entry menu

(3)

entering the specimen ID

(4)

selecting the Enclosure system button

83

(5)

selecting Add or Edit

(6)

entering the date of the entry into the enclosure

Once the Enclosure Table has been created, enter the Enclosure Code for recording transfers
or producing reports by:
(7)

selecting Exhibit/Enclosure Lists progresses through each level of the Table starting
with the Exhibit by selecting it and pressing {ENTER}. All the Enclosures within the
Exhibit are listed to the right. Proceed by pressing {F5} and {SELECT "Exhibit"}, {NEXT
LEVEL}, or {CANCEL}. To proceed to the next level, select the desired enclosure or
highlight it and press {ENTER}. Choose from {SELECT "Enclosure"}, or {CANCEL} to
select a different enclosure.

(8)

selecting Official Simple Enclosure presents a list of all Simple Enclosures that have
been entered into the Table. Select the appropriate code and press {ENTER}.

(9)

selecting Actual Simple Enclosure provides a list of all enclosures on the official list,
plus any that have been entered into a specimen history, including misspelled codes
and historical codes. Any codes that have not been entered into the Table are noted
as "Not in Exhibit File". Once the Table is set up, this is a very cumbersome method of
entry and is probably best avoided. Select the appropriate code and press {ENTER}.

(10)

selecting Manual Enclosure Entry will allow the records keeper to type in an enclosure
name in a dialog box. If the name chosen does not match an Enclosure in the Table,
the following message appears: "Warning - this Enclosure is not on your official list."
The code can then be corrected.

If an Enclosure Table is not set up, the Enclosure Code can be entered by using {ACTUAL
SIMPLE ENCLOSURE} (which provides a list of all enclosure codes, correct or incorrect, that have ever
been used), or {MANUAL ENCLOSURE ENTRY} (which requires that the code is entered manually).
Using {EXHIBIT/ENCLOSURE LIST} or (OFFICIAL SIMPLE ENCLOSURE} are not options.
It is OK to use the "Reasons" line of an enclosure move as an enclosure "Description"
instead of a why.

A Batch Move by Enclosure allows for quick transfers of a large number of specimens between
two enclosures. The specimens that are being moved must all be going from the same origin
enclosure to the same destination enclosure.
A Batch Move is made by:
(1)

selecting Batch Move by Enclosure from the Utilities Menu

(2)

selecting the origin (where the specimens are moving FROM) enclosure. (See above
for a description of the four methods for entering an Enclosure Code.)

(3)

selecting the destination (where the specimens are moving TO) enclosure. (See above
for a description of the four methods for entering an Enclosure Code.)

(4)

selecting {YES} or {NO} for correct enclosures. Selecting {NO} means the enclosures
are incorrect. (Refer back to step #2)

84

(5)

entering the date of the move

(6)

entering the reason for the move

(7)

selecting {YES} or {NO} for Skip Browse. Selecting {YES}, DOES NOT provide a list of
the specimens currently in each of the enclosures and DOES NOT allow the selection
of any that are not to be moved. The move will be written directly into the monthly files.
Selecting {NO}, DOES provide a list of specimens in the original enclosure.

(8)

marking any specimens that are not to be moved by clicking on the far left margin or
highlighting them. If the enclosure is correct, press F2 to move all the specimens
listed. Press Ctrl T, and then press F2 when finished.

(9)

selecting {CONTINUE} (if all is correct), {PRINT} (to make a hard copy of the specimens
to be moved) or {CANCEL} (to abort)

(10)

pressing {F2} if the destination enclosure shows the correct specimens (or lack of
specimens). Press {ESC} if it is incorrect.

(11)

selecting {CONTINUE}, {PRINT} or {CANCEL} (see #9 above)

It is highly recommended to select No when asked for Skip Browse. Otherwise,

specimens that are not to be moved may inadvertently be transferred.
Sometimes the Enclosure Log can get out of synch with the Transactions file. To assure that
the Enclosure Log is synchronized, run Enclosure Synchronization under the Utilities Menu.
An Enclosure List is printed by:
(1)

selecting Utilities from the Main Menu of ARKS3

(2)

selecting {EXHIBIT/ENCLOSURE TABLE MANAGEMENT}

(3)

pressing {F4} (Print)

This will print not only the Official Enclosure List, but also any Actual Enclosures not on the official list.
To avoid printing the entire list, save to a file and delete any not on the official list prior to printing.

85

Comment Codes
Comment codes are composed of one or two characters representing specific topics or data
fields. These codes are found in the Comment section of the ARKS3 program. Explanatory text
entered in a specimens record can be entered with a code appropriate to the information. Thus, the
codes identify the content of the text and allow users to sort and segregate information within the
Comment section.

Because future retrieval of the text is based on the code, the

choice of the specific code is important.

When comments are used, additional or explanatory information

can be added to the specimen's record, making it more useful to
institutions, ISIS and conservation programs. Institutions use information
from Comment for animal management, animal health care, educational programs and public

information. In addition, studbook keepers, SSP Coordinators and Population Management Programs
(PMPs) use information from the codes to help manage captive populations.
Comment should be used to:
?

Enter information that is not found in other sections of the specimen record; for
example, the specimen is diabetic, blind or has a missing ear, toe or finger.

Give a more complete or additional explanation of data entered in other fields; for
example, if there is more than one sire, to list the possible sires and their ID numbers.

Record additional transaction details; for example to record the complete address of
non-ISIS institutions, dealers and breeders.

Record information which will help with the captive management of the species; for
example, genetic information, rearing information and reproductive availability.

Record information which assists zoo staff with the husbandry and management of a
specimen; for example, behavioral information, diet information and enrichment.

Insure that a record is as complete as possible and that it is understandable to any

reader now or 10 years from now; for example, to clarify who the vendor is and in which
city they are located.
The retrieval process for information recorded as a Comment influences the data entry
process; information is recorded as free-form text and can be retrieved either by search codes or by
search text. For this reason standardized use of codes and language within and among institutions is
essential. Abbreviations and other institutional acronyms should not be used in the Comment text. A
set of ARKS codes has been in use for a decade without any universal attempt to coordinate data
entry. The accompanying table of codes is the first attempt to evaluate these existing codes and

86

propose changes. The goal has been to generalize the codes wherever possible and to develop new
codes as gaps were identified. With consistent use of these codes in the future, the Comment
information should be more valuable within and among institutions.
New codes are added or edited by:
(1)

selecting Utilities from the Main Menu of ARKS3

(2)

selecting User Defined Code Management

(3)

selecting User Defined Codes

(4)

selecting {F7} to add

(4)

adding code text

(5)

adding code abbreviation

(6)

adding character text

New codes are placed at the bottom of the Code Assistance list.

The record needs to be clear on its own, without

interpretation.

When a specimen arrives at the institution, information in Comment

from the past history should be added to the database: from the sending
institutions specimen report enter the appropriate information as Comment
text with the sending institutions dates in the associated date field.

Comment text is added or edited by:

(1)

selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of ARKS3

(2)

selecting User Supplied ID from the Data Entry menu

(3)

entering the specimen ID

(4)

selecting the Comment system button at the top of the screen to make the Comment
system the active one

(5)

selecting the Add (or Edit) action button at the bottom of the screen to add (or edit) a
new comment

87

(6)

entering the date of the comment in the Comment Date field

(7)

entering a Comment code if you know the desired code or select Code Assistance for a
popup list

(8)

entering the text using standardized language when appropriate

(9)

selecting OK

88

RECOMMENDED COMMENT CODE REORGANIZATION

CODE

DESCRIPTION
OF CODE

PRIORITY PRESENTLY
REPLACES
FOR DATA SENT TO ISIS EXISTING
ENTRY
CODES

DEFINITION OF CODE

COMMENT

BEHAVIOR NOTE

1st

DIET

NEST/EGG
INFORMATION

FEEDING

GROUP NOTE

ID

IDENTIFICATION

IN

INTRODUCTION
NOTE

No

MEDICAL NOTE

No

No

B1-B9, BA, BG,

BI, BS

All non-reproductive behavior including: aggression

(aggression, submission, rank, etc.),
territoriality (scent marking, display, etc.),
grooming, stereotypic behavior and vocalizations, and
general activity including play, routines, habits,
adult/adult behavior, adult/infant behavior ,individual
behavior and group behavior

Use search to retrieve specific

categories

No

NEW CODE

Nutrition and diet information

Removed from Animal Management

Note

No

EG,OI, SY

Nesting, egg laying note, incubation, brooding,

pipping, hatching

Use this code if you are not using Egg

Log. Use for pipping, hatching
information.

No

NEW CODE

Details on feeding placement, schedules, interactions

Removed from Behavior Note

1st

No

NEW CODE,
replaces TH

Notes on group, abundance, and how count is estimated

1st

No

NI, UK

Identification information not found in any other fields

1st

Information on animal introductions

MD, MF, MH, MI

89

General medical notes, medical diagnosis, medical

treatments, medical procedures, immobilizations, foot
management, medications, and medical observation

Use for all medical information except

necropsy results. Details will depend
on institutions use of MEDARKS.

CODE

DESCRIPTION
OF CODE

MN

NECROPSY
RESULTS

PRIORITY PRESENTLY
FOR DATA BEING SENT
ENTRY
TO ISIS

REPLACES
EXISTING
CODES

DEFINITION OF CODE

COMMENT

No

Necropsy results and histopath reports

Use NX for notes on circumstances of

death

NOTE

No

Information not covered by other codes or fields

Use only if there is no other place to

put information

NA

ACQUISITION NOTE 1st

No

All information and details on acquisitions including

collecting data, physical and legal arrival, shipper,
broker

Give the complete address of non-ISIS

institutions, dealers, breeders or
private parties

NB

BIRTH NOTE

No

All information on details and circumstance of birth

including time of day, breech birth, C-section, and
abortion

Use search to retrieve categories

NE

AGE ESTIMATE

1st

No

All information on the age estimate including what the

estimated age is based on, who made the
determination, when the estimate was made, and any
relevant history at earlier sites

NO

DISPOSITION NOTE 1st

No

NM, NN, NS

All information and details on dispositions including

shipped to location other than legal recipient, late
notice received from loan recipient, special terms of
trade or sale

Give complete address of non-ISIS

institutions, dealers, breeders and
private parties

NP

POSSIBLE
PARENTS

1st

No

PA, PT

Information on parents where there are multiple

possibilities

Include ID numbers of all possibilities

NX

DEATH NOTE

1st

No

NU, NX

All information on circumstances of death including

Use MN for necropsy information
body found decomposed, late notice of death received
from loan recipient, carcass notes and museum number

NC, ND, NN, TB,

TS

90

CODE

DESCRIPTION
OF CODE

PRIORITY PRESENTLY
FOR DATA BEING SENT
ENTRY
TO ISIS

BREEDING
MANAGEMENT
NOTE

OF

FOSTERING NOTE

1st

No

All information on fostering

OG

GENETIC
INFORMATION

1st

No

Genetic information (known carrier of certain alleles,

i.e. albinism, DNA)

OH

HAND REARING
NOTE

1st

No

All information on hand-rearing

OR

REPRODUCTIVE
AVAILABILITY

1st

No

NEW CODE

All information relating to the potential for an animal

to breed including pairing, social grouping, breeding
age, reproductive status

PHYSICAL
CONDITION

No

BL, PA, PS

All information on physical condition including beak

length, shed, molt, antler,or horn information

PE

PRECISION
ESTIMATE

No

NEW CODE

Use for all comments on estimates except for age. For

age estimate use NE.

ANIMAL
MANAGEMENT
NOTE

No

QD, QE, QH,

All animal management notes including environment,

human interaction, enrichment, and
training/conditioning

REPRODUCTIVE
BEHAVIOR

No

RA, RC, RG, RN,

RP, NS

All reproducti ve behavior including: pre -copulatory

behavior, copulatory behavior, gestation behavior,
neonatal behavior and parturition behavior

No

1st

1st

REPLACES
EXISTING
CODES

DEFINITION OF CODE

COMMENT

OA, OB, OC, OE, All breeding management information except handUse search to retrieve category
OM, ON, OS
rearing, fostering, genetic information and reproductive
availability

91

CODE

DESCRIPTION
OF CODE

PRIORITY PRESENTLY
FOR DATA BEING SENT
ENTRY
TO ISIS

SE

CONTRACEPTION/S 1st
EX DETERM. LOG

Yes

SG

COLOR PHASE

Yes

ST

TAXON
INFORMATION

SW

FLEDGE DATE

SX

DAM/SIRE
ELSEWHERE

TB

1st

REPLACES
EXISTING
CODES

DEFINITION OF CODE

COMMENT

All sexing information, including sexing method and

sex change comments

ISIS Defined Code- Note broadened

description
ISIS Defined Code

Yes

New Code
Replaces SR, SV

Includes comments on how taxon was determined,

taxon of vendor or recipient if different, subspecies
hybrid information, and why & when taxon was
changed

Yes
1st

Combine Taxon per recipient and

Taxon per vendor into one code

ISIS Defined Code

Yes

Sire and Dam IDs at recording institution should be

entered in master record. Use this code to record Sire
and Dam IDs at other institutions.

ISIS Defined Code

BROKER

Yes

Replaced by NA. Use NA, acquisition note to record

information.

ISIS Defined Code

TG

GROWTH STAGE

Yes

TH

GROUP HISTORY

1st

Yes

Replaced by G. Use G for all group comments

including group history.

ISIS Defined Code

TI

ACCESSIONED
FROM GROUP

1st

Yes

Use when an individual is accessioned from a group

ISIS Defined Code

TL

LITTER/CLUTCH

ISIS Defined Code

Yes

ISIS Defined Code

92

CODE

DESCRIPTION
OF CODE

PRIORITY PRESENTLY
FOR DATA BEING SENT
ENTRY
TO ISIS

TS

SHIPPER

Yes

RESEARCH
OBSERVATION

No

REPLACES
EXISTING
CODES

X1- X9

93

DEFINITION OF CODE

COMMENT

Replaced by NA. Use NA, acquisition note to record

information on the shipper.

ISIS Defined Code

All research observations

Use search to retrieve observations

How to Use and Enter

Management Plan Information

This option was created to track how many SSP specimens are on an institution's grounds.
However, ARKS3 does not provide a report that clearly summarizes this information. Use of this option
does permit management plan specimens to be identified on Specimen and Taxon Reports. This
information is not sent to ISIS as part of the primary data base.

94

When and How to Enter Groups

ARKS3 provides the option of accessioning specimens either as an individual specimen or as
part of a group. Group accession provides less information than individual tracking; group records
make information less retrievable, and often require more clarifying comments than individual
accessions. Examples of information that require comments with group records are parentage, medical
treatments, and behaviors of specimens within the group.
Although group records are often referred to as colony records, the term colony should only be
used to designate truly colonial organisms (i.e., those that must live and function as an intact group)
such as corals and eusocial insects. Most true colonies can be more effectively tracked as an
individual accession with qualifying comments.

Group records are only available within an institutions

ARKS3 database and are not incorporated into the ISIS3
database.

Group census information is currently missing from ISIS3

reports, and species housed only as groups are not reported in ISIS Abstracts. In the past, some
institutions have used the work-around of entering one individually identified specimen of a group
housed species as a means of having the species listed in ISIS Abstracts. This practice should be
discontinued because it is misleading and promotes entry of false data (see chapter on Truth vs.
Fiction).
When to Enter Groups
Because group data entry is awkward and provides less accurate records, it is only appropriate
under certain circumstances. Accuracy in individual records takes priority over accurate group
records. Group accessions are recommended when:
?

Specimens from the same species are moved and cared for as a whole.

Individual identification is not possible.

Group size may only be a crude estimate.

Fecundity and mortality are often high.

This commonly occurs with groups of tank-housed animals such as fish or frogs, or with large clutches
of hatchlings until they are old enough to be treated individually. Specimens should be accessioned
when they are separated from the group or become individually identifiable. (See Sample
Specimen Report, Accession Numbers 29 and 30.) For example, at hatching most amphibians with
large clutches should be accessioned as a group, and then accessioned as individual specimens when
they metamorphose.
Groups should be censused at regular intervals, ideally no longer than one inter-birth interval.
Censuses should provide as much detail as possible by recording numbers in distinctive life stages or
categories, such as newborn, immature, male or female (unfortunately, ARKS3 only tracks inventories
by the category sex, so institutions that keep a lot of group counts may want to explore alternate group

95

or colony software). If it becomes possible to individually identify a member of the group, then its
records will be better served by creating an individual accession for that specimen.
Group Accessions are entered by:
(1)

selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of ARKS3 as for an individual accession, and
assigning a unique accession number; some institutions like to flag group records by
beginning each group accession with a prefix, such as G# (for example G1 for group
#1). Do not embed any other information and follow the regular guidelines for assigning
accession numbers.

(2)

entering yes (y or Y) at the first prompt: Is this a group?

(3)

entering the Scientific Name as for an individual accession; doing the same for Hybrid
status

(4)

indicating Group Type --see the on-line help screens for the definitions. This field
serves little if any purpose. In general, just enter {NONE}

(5)

selecting Finished to go to the ARKS3 Transactions Work Area

(6)

selecting the Add button at the bottom of the screen

(7)

selecting a transaction type, generally an Acquisition for a new group accession.

Continue as with an individual transaction by choosing birth, purchase, etc.)

(8)

adding the number of males, females or unknowns that have been added or removed at
the sign box. A "+" is used for transactions that add specimens and a "-" for those that
remove specimens from the group. Each change in the count for males, females or
unknowns must be a separate transaction.

Moving Specimens to Individual Records:

.

(1)

accession all hatches into a group as above.

(2)

accession all specimens that leave the group as individually identified specimens. The
individual transaction date is the day they were deaccessioned from the group. The
transaction code selection is Term-free Acquisition. Enter {GROUP} in the <VENDOR>
field. Enter the old group accession number in the <SIRE ID> and <DAM ID> fields of
the specimens record.

(3)

remove each of these, now individual specimens from the group records as a
Term-Free Disposition on the same day they were accessioned as individuals (in step 2
above). Each individual should have its own Term-Free Disposition with a Comment
that identifies the new individual accession number; the Comment date is the date it left
the group (code G). For example, "0.0.0 removed from group and individually
accessioned as 3405 and 3406." (See Sample Specimen Report, Accession Number
29.)

Maintaining Group Records

Like individual records, group records also need to be maintained and updated. Additions of
specimens through births or other transactions such as loans, purchases, donations, trades, or termfree acquisitions should be entered as acquisitions. Subtraction of specimens through deaths or other

96

transactions such as loans, sales, donations, trades, or term-free dispositions should be entered as
dispositions. More complex cases of group fission, fusion and relocation are elaborated upon below.
For taxa in which births or hatches and deaths tend to go undetected, census data should be obtained,
or as often as possible so that the colony record can be kept current. Other changes in the group
record need to be maintained as well; a Comment should be entered in the group record whenever
specimens change in status.
One important peculiarity of the group module is the Sexed transaction. This transaction is
commonly needed for groups of maturing animals as their sex becomes obvious. The sexing inventory
change needs to be done as a two-step transaction: (1) delete the sexed specimens from the group by
subtracting the appropriate number of unknown sex individuals from the old inventory. (2) add them
back into the group as males or females. For example as a group of 10 maturing peacocks are sexed,
change the inventory by: first creating a transaction for "Sexed, -, 10, unknown" and then creating a
second set of transactions for "Sexed, +, 6, male," and "Sexed, +, 4, female." (See Sample Specimen
Report, Accession Number 29.)
Splitting and Combining Groups
Fission, fusion and relocation are realities of group management. It is sometimes necessary to
split or combine group records when specimens move from one group to another. However, when a
group moves to a new location (e.g., different tank) it should retain the same accession number.
Record changes of location through the Enclosure menu.
When a single group splits into two or more groups, one of the new groups keeps the old
accession number and the others get new group accession numbers. The new groups should be
removed from the old group record, with a Comment that identifies the new group accession numbers;
the Comment dates are the dates each new group was formed. Similarly, each newly accessioned
group is added as a Term-Free Acquisition and should have a Comment that identifies its origin in the
old group and the date it was split off.
When two or more groups combine to form a larger group, all but one of the groups should be
deaccessioned as Term-Free Disposition, with a Comment that the groups were merged into the
remaining group with the group's accession number and date of merger. In the record of the
remaining, mega-group, add the new groups as Term-Free Acquisition with a Comment for the old
group accession numbers and date of merger.
Moving Individually Accessioned Specimens to Group Records
Good husbandry dictates the use of identification methods that allow specimens to be tracked
as individuals, whenever possible. Thus, most institutions will try to start out correctly by accessioning
newly acquired animals as individual specimens with individual identifiers.
Despite the best intentions, individual identification sometimes becomes muddled. For example,
naked mole rats or antelopes may lose their tags. Another common scenario is waterfowl and softbill
birds on large ponds or big aviaries, where some individuals disappear (body sinks or lost in high
vines), some lose bands, and some unbanded birds are added through birth. When the error in
individual identification rises above 5-10% of the specimens in the enclosure, and probably cant be
resolved in a reasonable amount of time, it is best to move all unidentifiable specimens to a group
record (also see chapter on Truth vs. Fiction).
If there is a good expectation of tracking individual specimens, they should be accessioned as
individuals. When individual identification becomes difficult, specimens of questionable identity should
be deaccessioned as a Term-Free Disposition with a Comment that they have been moved to a
specific group. On the same day, Term-Free Acquisition all these individuals into one group record

97

with a Comment listing the potential individual accession numbers. Add more information as a
Comment when it becomes available. When specimens again become individually identified, they can
be moved back to individual accessions (see section above) to again capture their demographic
information.

98

How to Enter Historical Specimens

The majority of this document deals with active records, data concerning specimens that are
physically or legally in the current living collection, and non-current records, those specimens recently
deceased or transferred. Historical records, data on specimens held long ago that were not entered
into ARKS3 or another appropriate records-keeping system, are extremely important for husbandry
and population management. The extent to which an institution is able to accession specimens from
historical records greatly depends upon the staff or volunteer time available and the quality of the data
available.
There are many locations within the institution that may contain records for historical specimens.
Animal buildings, curatorial and administrative offices, records storage areas, animal hospitals and
libraries may all be valuable sources of information. Other possible sources include guidebooks,
annual inventories, institutional publications, local newspapers, and society offices. Some of the best
references may be the staff, especially those keepers that have been employees for many years.

Top priority should be given to entering historical records for SSP , PMP and studbook
species. Once data have been entered on these species, updated Taxon Reports should be sent to
the studbook keepers and Species Coordinators. Specimens with living descendants should be
researched as thoroughly as possible.

Records keepers should follow these general guidelines when researching, and verifying historical
records:
?

Use primary source material as much as possible when researching information. Errors
can occur when data are transferred from primary to secondary sources.

Attach copies of supporting information to the Specimen Report in a paper file.

Use the Comment section liberally, explain assumptions and conclusions, and provide
references to sources.

Establish criteria for determining if the information is too vague to enter. It might be
helpful to keep a text document referencing vague information. At some point there
may be enough data to make an entry.

Watch out for species name changes. Common names are notoriously inconsistent;
taxonomic names can also change.

Be aware of older practices in recording specimen data. For example, in the past it was
a common practice to wait until an offspring survived for 30 days before recording the
birth. Much information was lost with this decision. Careful review of old records may
allow some missing data to be completed.

Entering Incomplete Historical Information

Many times a reference is found on a specimen with no information on its exact arrival or
departure date. In these cases, the transaction dates should be estimated as accurately as possible.
For example, a guidebook for 1955 might have the first reference to a giraffe for which no other
information can be found. It is assumed that it arrived no later than 1954. The acquisition date would
be estimated as 1 July 1954 (mid-year) with a precision of {M6} (see chapter on How to Enter and
Estimate Dates). If the last reference to this same giraffe was a 1957 guidebook, the disposition date

99

would be estimated as 1 July 1958 (mid-year) with a precision of {M6}. (See Sample Specimen Report,
Accession Number 15.) This method will minimize the amount of fiction created in a specimen record.
A note should be added as a Comment, explaining how the estimated acquisition and disposition dates
were determined.
In some instances, there is information regarding the specimen, such as medical treatments or
diet notes but no indication of arrival or departure dates. For example, consider that the only records
for a hedgehog tenrec were treatment on 14 July 1954 for hair loss and a notation on 14 September
1955 that the problem had returned. In this case, the acquisition date should be the day before the
first reference, with a precision field of <U>, ({13 July 1954}, {U}) and the disposition day should be the
date after the last reference with a date quality of {U} ({15 September 1955}, {U}). The Comment
should explain why these dates were chosen. These dates will not appear on the specimen report, the
dates are only stored in the data field.
Many times it is not known whether the specimen was acquired as a birth or transaction (e.g.,
loan, donation, purchase). In other cases, it is not known whether it died or was transferred to another
location. Also, many times the terms of an acquisition or disposition are unknown. In these cases the
transaction terms should be Term-Free Acquisition or Term-Free Disposition.

100

References
ISIS (International Species Information System), 1995. ARKS Animal Records Keeping System,
USER MANUAL, VERSION 3, Apple Valley, MN.
Earnhardt, J. M. , Thompson, S. D., Willis, K.W., 1995. ISIS DATABASE: An evaluation of records
captive management. Zoo Biology 14:493-508.

for

Miller, J. and Block, J., 1992. Animal Records-Keeping. ZRA (Zoo Registrars Association) and AZA
(American Zoo and Aquarium Association), Bethesda, MD.

101

Appendix 1: EGGS Software

The EGGS software was designed by Laurie Bingaman Lackey and is distributed by ISIS.
EGGS can record important information such as egg production, incubation periods, fertility,
hatchability, egg weights and measurements for breeding and management purposes. If there is not
sufficient time or resources for an institution to enter all avian and reptile eggs in the EGGS program, it
is highly recommended that eggs of SSP, PMP, and studbook species be entered. Egg data on other
priority species for breeding would benefit from EGGS.
The EGGS software is organized by clutch, with each clutch receiving a unique ID number
assigned by the program or records keeper. Within each clutch, individual eggs are numbered (1 - x;
clutch number - egg number). Alternatively, each egg may be entered as a clutch. Data collected on
each clutch includes: sire and dam, type of fertility (natural, artificial, unfertilized), dates eggs are laid
or found, weights, measurements, type of incubation (parental, incubator, foster, etc.), enclosure
where eggs were laid, incubation data (temperature and relative humidity), fertility, stages of embryo
development, and results of fertile eggs (hatched, pip did not hatch, discarded, broken, died in shell,
spoiled, predation, etc.). Codes are developed for notes on nest building, egg laying, disinfection,
incubation/brooding, embryo development, pipping/hatching, cause of mortality, and field collection.
As in ARKS3, other codes can be added as needed.
A variety of reports can be printed:
?

The Taxon Data Analysis Report provides information on average clutch size, egg
laying seasonality, fertility, egg measurements and weights, results of fertile eggs,
average incubation period.

The Rearing and Viability Analysis Report records number of eggs hatched, rearing
type, and mortality as a percent (< 30 days, < 1 year, > 1 year).

The Clutch Report summarizes details for each egg and shows the specimen number
assigned to each hatchling.

The Individual Report summarizes number of eggs, percent fertile, percent hatched, and
mates.

Sample data collection forms for egg incubation, incubators, and egg weights are included with
the program.
Eggs that pip or hatch should be entered as a {HATCH} in the egglog <RESULT> field. The
program provides a prompt for the accession number that will be assigned to each specimen.

102

Appendix 2: How to Measure Weight and Length

Measurements for Mammals
There are four standard measurements for mammals: total length (=head length plus body
length), tail length, length of the hind foot, and ear length. Bats have two additional standard
measurements: length of tragus and length of forearm. Length measurements should be recorded in
millimeters for small specimens, centimeters for larger specimens. Weight should be recorded in
grams for small and medium-sized specimens, in kilograms for large specimens. If measurements are
initially taken in ounces, pounds, inches, etc., they must be converted to the metric system. Some
examples of how to make this conversion are given at the end of this section.
These measurements, are taken as follows:
Total Length: Measure from the tip of the nose to the anterior end of the tail vertebrae. If possible,
the specimen should be placed on its back so that the backbone is straightened, but not stretched.
Position the head with the rostrum extending straight forward in the same plane as the backbone.
Measure the distance between the tip of the nose to the point of the first tail vertebrae.
Tail Length: Bend the tail up at a right angle to the body and measure the distance from the angle to
the distal end of the last tail vertebrae. Do not include any protruding hairs.
Hind Foot Length: Measure from the back edge of the heel to the tip of the longest toe, excluding
the claw.
Ear Length: Measure from the notch at the base of the ear to the furthermost point on the edge of
the pinna.
The next 2 measurements are not provided as options in ARKS3. They can only be entered as
comments.
Tragus Length (bats): The tragus is a leaflike structure projecting up from the base of the ear in
many bats. Measure from the base to the tip.
Forearm Length (bats): Fold the wing and measure from the outside of the wrist to the outside of the
elbow.
Measurements for Birds
The following standard measurements are recorded for birds: total length, wing length, tail
length, and tarsus length, bill length, weight, and length of cere, or similar structure if present.
Measurements should be taken using a caliper, not a measuring tape, as tapes are less accurate, and
all measurements should be recorded in metric unite (e.g. millimeters, grams). If these measurements
are initially taken in ounces, pounds, inches, etc., they must be converted to the metric system. Some
examples are given at the end of this section.
To take these measurements, follow these guidelines:
Total Length: The distance from the tip of the bill to the tip of the longest rectrix. The specimen is
placed flat on its back and is gently stretched. The commissure of the bill is brought parallel to the
ruler.
Wing Length: The distance from the bend of the wing to the tip of the longest primary. The curvature
is not straightened and the measurement is made from the bend directly to the tip.

103

Tail Length: The distance from the tip of the longest rectrix to the point between the middle rectrices
where they emerge from the skin.
Tarsus Length: The distance from the point of the joint between the tibia and metatarsus to the point
of the joint at the base of the middle toe in front.
The next measurement is not provided as an option. It must be entered as a Comment.
Bill Length: This is measured from the tip of the upper mandible in a straight line to the base of the
feathers on the forehead. In birds with a cere, or similar structure, the measurement is made from the
anterior edge of the cere to the tip of the bill.
Measurements for Amphibians and Reptiles
The standard measurement for amphibians is snout-vent length (SVL). This is typically
measured in centimeters or millimeters. Since most frogs have no caudal appendages, this can also
be thought of as total length (TL). Many zoo workers will take both SVL and TL on both salamanders
and caecilians, noting that TL-SVL=tail length. A standard ruler will usually suffice when taking these
measurements. A string, or measuring tape, which can later be measured accurately, can also be
used to determine these lengths.
For snakes, lizards, crocodilians, and tuaturas, the standard measurements consist of SVL in
centimeters or millimeters; many institutions often include TL. Snakes can sometimes be difficult to
measure accurately, since a specimen artifically stretched can be considerably longer than the same
specimen at rest. The squeeze-box technique is often used for these specimens. This consists of
laying the specimen on a soft surface (towel, snake bag, etc.) and pressing the specimen gently
downward, utilizing a piece of transparent material such as plexiglass. The outline of the specimen is
traced using a soft-tipped pen. Using a string, length is determined from the outline.
Standard measurements of chelonians include both straight-line length and width of carapace,
ideally utilizing large calipers. Shell height, plastron length and width are also recorded by many in the
same way. Another method of measuring turtles is across the hump, utilizing a tape measure or string.
This measurement starts at the mid-front of the carapace and follows along the contour of the shell to
the mid-rear of the carapace. Whichever method is used for measuring turtles should be noted as a
Comment, as the two methods will elicit very different results.
A rather novel approach to measurement, especially of snakes, involves photocopying the
specimen, preferably in a coiled position. Accurate measurements can then be taken of the
photocopy, utilizing a string which is then measured. It should be noted that, while this gives a good
basic measurement, there is a small discrepancy (c. 98% of actual size) between the size of the actual
specimen and the final photocopy.
Converting weight and length measurements to the metric system
Weight conversion factors:
1 lb. = 0.45 kg.

1 kg = 1000 gm

1 lb. = 453.59 gm

1 kg. = 2.2 lb.

Convert pounds to grams with the conversion factor of 453.59 grams per pound. As an example:
2 lbs. X 453.59 gms. = 907.18 gm.

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1 lb.
A weight of 2 pounds, 8 oz. needs to first be converted so that all units are the same (all in pounds or
all in ounces). For example if the weight is 2 pounds, 8 ounces, the 8 ounces must be converted to
pounds. The conversion factor is 16 ounces = 1 pound, so multiply as follows:
8 oz. X 1 pound = 0.5 pounds
16 oz.
Add the 2 pounds + 0.5 pounds for a total of 2.5 pound, then convert pounds to grams, using the
conversion factor of 453.59 grams per pound.
2.5 lbs. X 453.59 gm = 1133.98 gm
1 lb
To convert 120 pounds to grams:
120 lbs. X 453.59 gm = 54,430.80 grams
1 lb.
To convert grams to kg:
54,430 gm X

1 kg
1000 g

= 54.43 kg

Length conversion factors:

25.4 mm = 1 inch
2.5 cm = 1 inch
0.0254 m = 1 inch
0.3048 m = 1 foot

1 m = 1000 mm
1 m = 100 cm

To convert inches to millimeters, use the conversion factor of 25.4mm per one inch:
2 inches X 25.4 mm = 50.8 mm
1 in.
A measurement with different units must be converted individually. For example, if the length is 5 feet,
2 inches, the 2 inches must first be converted:
2 inches X 1 foot = 0.17 ft.
12 in.
Add the 5 feet + 0.17 feet for a total of 5.17 feet, then convert feet to meters, using the conversion
factor of 0.3048 meters per one foot:
5.17 ft. X .3048 m. = 1.58 m
1 ft.
If necessary, convert from meters to millimeters:
1.58 m X 1000 mm = 1580 mm
1m

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Appendix 3: Transponder Implantation Site Recommendations

The Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) has made recommendations for
standardized transponder sites. All transponders should be inserted on the animals left side when
applicable; sizes are for adults.
The following are global implantation site recommendations for different classes of vertebrates.
Fish
Large (>30 cm): left base of dorsal fin
Small (<30 cm): coelomic cavity
Amphibians
Lymphatic, cover wound with skin bond
Reptiles
Chelonians: (left) hind limb socket
Crocodilians: anterior to nuchal cluster
Lizards-large (>12.5 cm snout to vent): (left) inguinal region
Lizards-small (<12.5 cm snout to vent): intercoelomic cavity
Snakes: nape of neck (left)
Birds
Large (>1.5 kg and/or long-legged): dorsally at juncture of neck and body
Medium to small (<1.5 kg): on pectoral muscle
Note:

all Psittaciformes=left pectoral muscle

all New World and Old World vultures=base of neck
all other Falconiformes=pectoral muscle

Mammals
Large to medium-large (>17 cm): behind left ear, at base
Small to medium-small (<17 cm): between shoulder blades, left of center
Note: size is distance between back bone and shoulder blade.
If the animal cannot be implanted in either of the two locations, an alternate site (always on the
left side) should be used and included in a list of exceptions.

The following are exceptions to global implantation site recommendations:

Species

Implant site comment

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Elephant

Main caudal fold parallel to tail on left side

Hyrax

Intralumbar, left of centerThick skin on neck makes implantation difficult

Loris

Intralumbar, left of centerDermal shield makes scapular implantation difficult

When transponders are lost or no longer functioning, the information should be recorded in the
transponder ID field as described in the chapter on How to Enter ID Information.

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Appendix 4: Glossary
Aborted fetus: a fetus that is expelled before it is viable
Accession: the act of creating a record file for a newly acquired specimen; in ARKS, the act of adding a
new specimen to the database
Accession date: the date a specimen is born at the institution or the institution gains legal title to that
specimen (usually the date the specimen arrives at the institution)
Acquisition: the act of securing physical possession or legal ownership of a specimen
AGANA: Guam DAWR (Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources)
ARKS: Animal Record Keeping System; ARKS3 is the version that is covered in this manual; it is a
specialized computer program developed by ISIS for collecting, reporting, and analyzing animal data
within an individual institution
AZA: American Zoo and Aquarium Association
Cere: in birds, a soft swollen area at the base of the upper part of the bill, in which the nostrils open.
Usually found in birds of prey and parrots. In parrots it may be feathered. The proximal portion of the
upper mandible may be thick and soft, producing a cere, as in a hawk
Character: a symbol that requires a single space in an ID number or data field and is not treated as a
numeral; letters, numbers, blank spaces, and graphics may all be used as characters; usually refers to
a keyboard symbol
CITES: Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species
Clone: an individual derived by asexual reproduction from a single ancestor; one of a population of
genetically identical individuals
Colony: any collection of individuals of the same species living together; in many cases these
individuals are interdependent
Comment: text field for information that clarifies or amends one or more aspects of a specimen record;
comments may explain work-arounds or they may contain information that cannot be entered in a
standard format (e.g., formatted data fields); it is placed in the ARKS3 Comment section
Dam: the female parent
Data field: an individual data item in a record within a database file; a group of adjacent characters
(e.g. accession number, birth date, sex, ID numbers) all occupy a field; all entries in a specific field
convey the same type of information
Disposition: the removal of a specimen from the collection; this may be by physical transfer, transfer of
title, disappearance or unknown means, or death
Egglog: any record system dedicated to recording and tracking information about individual eggs; the
EGGS software program and a written ledger would both be considered an egglog
Fission: asexual reproduction by a division of the cell or body into two or more parts of roughly equal
size

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Fledge date: date at which a bird takes flight for the first time
Fledgling: a young bird which has acquired feathers for flight
Founder: a wild-caught animal that has living descendents in the population; it is assumed that all
founders are unrelated to each other
Gestation: in mammals, the act of retaining and nourishing the young in the uterus; pregnancy
Group: specimens of the same species, housed together; these specimens are often either not
individually marked or readily distinguishable from other individuals in the group
Hermaphroditic: an organism with both male and female functional reproductive organs; may or may
not be self-fertilizing
Hybrid: offspring of two different species
IBAMA: Inst Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e Rec
Identifier: the different labels in ARKS3 used to associate a specimen with data; used to trace a
specimen, e.g. specimen ID, house name, tag, band, tattoo, transponder, ear notch, studbook number.
etc.
IMLS: Institute of Museum and Library Services (previously IMS)
IMS: Institute of Museum Services
ISIS: International Species Information System
ISIS Abstracts:
ISIS3: the computer database at ISIS
Leading zero: a zero preceding the first non-blank character in a character variable
MedARKS: software developed by ISIS to track medical information. The software is dependent
on ARKS2.
Oviparous: egg laying; unfertilized or fertilized eggs are released by the female; embryonic
development and hatching take place outside the maternal body
Ovoviviparous: eggs are retained and hatch in the female; hatchlings emerge from mother as livebirths.
Ownership: possessing legal title to a specimen
Parthenogenesis: the development of an egg without fertilization, as in aphids, bees, ants, and some
lizards
Parturition: in viviparous animals, the act of bringing forth young
Phenotype: the manifestation of the genotype; the physical appearance or functional expression of a
trait
Pinna(e): in mammals, the external cartilaginous structure of the ear; in birds, the feather or the vane

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of a feather
Pip: to crack or break through, as an eggshell, during the process of hatching
PMP: Population Management Plan
Precocial: advanced developmental state at birth or hatching; eyes and ears open, capable of
independent locomotion, thermoregulation, and excretion without assistance (e.g. ducks and grazing
mammals)
Premature birth: birth before term of a dead or inviable fetus
Rectrix (pl. rectrices): the strong conspicuous feathers whose outer ends form the posterior margin of
the tail; they are the flight feathers of the tail
Registrar/Records keeper: the individual responsible for maintaining the records system
Sire: the male parent
SPARKS: Single Population Analysis and Records Keeping System; is the software used by all AZA
regional and most international studbook keepers for management of studbook data
Species: a kind of organism
Specimen: individual animal

SSP : Species Survival Plan

Stillbirth: the full-term birth of a dead fetus

Subspecies: a subdivision of species, often a geographically distinct race and capable of reproducing
with others of the same subspecies
TAG: Taxon Advisory Group
Term-Free Acquisition/Disposition: in ARKS3, a transaction that is used to record transfers or
ownership of specimens that do not fit any of the pre-defined ARKS3 transactions (e.g. transfer of a
specimen from a colony to an individual record, movement of owned specimens for institutions with
several satellite sites, or for historical specimens whose transactions cannot be confirmed or verified)
USDI: United States Department of the Interior
USF&WS: United States Fish and Wildlife Service of the USDI
Vendor: any person or institution from which a specimen is acquired (i.e., by purchase, donation, trade,
loan, etc.). This may include zoos and aquariums, private individuals, animal dealers, nature centers,
government agencies (e.g., US Fish and Wildlife Service, state and local agencies, etc.).
Viviparous: type of reproduction in which eggs develop within the mother's body, with her nutritional
aid; characteristic of mammals, many reptiles, and some fishes; offspring are born as juveniles.

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Appendix 5: Sample Daily Report

A daily report and instructions are included as samples of the data collection process. These
are presented on pages 140 through 142.

111

Appendix 6: Sample Specimen Reports

Sample specimen reports are included to illustrate specific data entry standards. These are
presented on pages 144 through 166

112