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Species360

Formation	1973; 52 years ago (1973)
Type	International not-for-profit organization
Purpose	Zoo and aquarium animal records database
Location	Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S.
Region	Global
Method	Membership

Species360 is a global non-profit group. It was started in 1974. Its main job is to keep a huge online database of wild animals. These are animals that live in human care, like in zoos and aquariums.

By 2023, over 1,300 zoos, aquariums, and animal groups used Species360. They are located on six continents and in 102 countries. Species360 gives its members special computer programs. These programs help them collect and manage animal information. The main program is called ZIMS, which stands for Zoological Information Management System.

The ZIMS project was a big team effort. About 600 people helped create it. Nate Flesness and Hassan Syed led this huge project. The ZIMS database holds amazing facts. It has info on 22,000 different animal species. It tracks 10 million individual animals. Plus, it has 82 million medical records for animals.

Zoos use this basic info to care for their animals. This includes their age, sex, and who their parents are. They also record where animals were born and how they died. This helps zoos manage their animal groups. It also supports programs to breed animals outside their natural homes. This helps with conservation research.

Since 1973, Species360 has been a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). This means it's a group that works for animal conservation. It partners with many zoo groups around the world. Species360 has staff in many countries. These include the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Israel, the UK, and the United States. Its main office is in Minnesota, USA.

Why a Central Database is Important
Amazing Software for Animal Care
Member Organizations
History of Species360
See also

Why a Central Database is Important

Modern zoos and aquariums are like "gene banks" for animals. They help protect endangered species. These are animals that are at risk of disappearing forever. Sometimes, animals bred in zoos can even go back to the wild.

Here are some examples of animals returned to the wild:

One zoo usually doesn't have enough space for many animals. To keep a species healthy, you need a large group. For many mammals and birds, this means over 500 animals. This helps keep their genes diverse. So, many zoos must work together. They share information to keep animal populations strong.

Experts from zoos worldwide share knowledge. They know about animal care, food, and health. Breeding and managing animal groups needs good information. This includes knowing an animal's family history (pedigree). It also includes facts about births and deaths (demography).

Species360 records are accepted by big international groups. One such group is CITES. This group makes rules about trading wild animals and plants. Many zoos in North America use Species360. The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) even requires its members to join. The World Association of Zoos and Aquaria's (WAZA) also suggests that all zoos join. They want zoos to share data using ZIMS.

Amazing Software for Animal Care

Species360 offers several special software tools. These tools help zoos and aquariums manage their animals.

ZIMS for Animal Care

This tool helps zoos manage all their animal records. It tracks when animals arrive and leave. It also notes animals that are wanted or available. Keepers can record animal behaviors and what they eat. ZIMS for Husbandry also creates reports needed for CITES. It's made for curators, registrars, and animal care staff. It's the only real-time, worldwide database for zoo and aquarium animals.

ZIMS for Animal Health

This is a web-based system for animal medical records. It records anesthesia, treatments, and tests. It also tracks what vets observe about animals. This tool can replace other medical record systems. It helps vets find health info for thousands of species. It also lists common medicines and risks. Vets, vet techs, and keepers use ZIMS for Medical. It even helps manage biological samples for animal care.

ZIMS for Breeding Programs

This web-based system helps manage animal breeding. It's used by people who keep "studbooks." Studbooks track the family trees of animal groups. This tool connects records from different zoos. It makes studbooks more accurate and up-to-date. This makes it easier to manage species.

ZIMS for Water Animals

This system is for animals that live in water. It helps manage records for enclosures and aquatic animals. It also provides insights into marine and freshwater species.

ZIMS for Learning

This version of ZIMS is for schools and colleges. It helps students learn about animal care. Students can practice entering their own data. They can also see data from other schools. LearnZIMS uses made-up data to teach how the system works.

Hortis by Species360

This is a special cloud-based software for plants. It helps users track their plant collections. You can use it on your phone, tablet, or computer. Hortis lets staff work together easily. They can share plant data, add photos, and analyze their collections.

Conservation Science Alliance

This group works with other conservation and research organizations. They use the huge amount of data in ZIMS. This helps them answer important questions. Their goal is to use data to help save species. They created the first Species Knowledge Index (SKI). This index shows how much is known about the world's four-legged animals.

Member Organizations

Many regional animal associations are members of Species360. Here are some of them:

American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK)
American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV)
Asociación Colombiana de Parques Zoológicos y Acuarios (ACOPAZOA)
Asociación de Zoológicos Criaderos y Acuarios de México (AZCARM)
Asociación Ecuatoriana de Zoológicos y Acuarios (AEZA)
Asociación Latinoamericana de Parques Zoológicos y Acuarios (ALPZA)
Asociación Mesoamericana y del Caribe de Zoológicos y Acuarios (AMAZOO)
Associação Portuguesa de Zoos e Aquária (APZA)
Asociación Venezolana de Parques Zoológicos y Acuarios (AVZA)
Association of British and Irish WIld Animal Keepers (ABWAK)
Association Française des Parcs Zoologiques (AFdPZ)
Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA)
Brazilian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZAB)
British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA)
Canadian Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA)
Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA)
Danish Association for Zool Gardens and Aquaria (DAZA)
Eurasian Regional Association of Zoos & Aquariums (EARAZA)
European Association of Zoos & Aquaria (EAZA)
Florida Association of Zoos and Aquariums (FAZA)
Iberian Association of Zoos & Aquaria (AIZA)
Israel Nature & Parks Authority (INPA)
Israeli Zoo Association (IZA)
Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA)
Korean Association of Zoos and Aquariums (KAZA)
Malaysian Association of Zoological Parks & Aquaria (MAZPA)
Nederlandse Vereniging van Dierentuinen (NVD)
Nigerian Association of Zoological Gardens and Wildlife Parks (NAZAP)
Pan-African Association of Zoos and Aquaria
Perhimpunan Kebun Binatang - Indonesian Zoo & Aquarium Association (PKBSI)
Polish Association of Directors of Zoos & Aquaria (PZDA)
Romanian Zoo & Aquarium Federation (RZAF)
Russian Union of Zoos & Aquaria (RUZA)
South-East Asia Zoos Association (SEAZA)
Swedish Association of Zoos & Aquaria (SAZA)
Taiwan Aquarium & Zoo Association (TAZA)
Thai Zoological Park Organization Under The Royal Patronage of HM The King (ZPO)
Ukrainian Association of Zoos & Aquariums (UAZA)
Unione Italiana Giardini Zoologici e Acquari (UIZA)
Verband der Zoologischen Gärten (VdZ) e.V.
Vietnam Zoo and Aquarium Association (VZA)
Wildlife Animal Rescue Network (WARN - ASIA)
Wildlife Preservation Canada (WPC)
World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA)
Zoo Aquarium Association (ARAZPA Inc) (ZAA)
Zoological Association of America (ZAA)
Zooschweiz - Swiss Association of Scientific Zoos

History of Species360

In 1973, two people named Ulysses Seal and Dale Makey had an idea. They wanted an "International Species Information System" (ISIS). This would be a global database. It would help zoos and aquariums manage animals for long-term conservation.

The group officially started in 1974. It began with 51 zoos in North America and Europe. Since then, more and more members have joined every year. Groups like the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) helped fund it. They also got money from private foundations. For the first 30 years, the Minnesota Zoo hosted the program.

Since 1989, the organization has been a non-profit group. It's led by a Board of Trustees. These trustees are chosen by the member zoos. In 2016, the organization changed its name to Species360. This was because the old name, ISIS, was also used by a different, unrelated group.