Adding and Editing Identifiers

How to add one or more identifiers for a specimen and how/when to edit or delete assigned identifiers.

To add an identifier, open the animal record > Details tab > Identifiers grid > Actions > Add

You will need to select if you are adding a Logical or a Physical Identifier. A Logical Identifier cannot be seen, felt or heard and includes Local ID, Studbook Number and House Name. Physical Identifiers can be seen, felt or heard and include tags, bands, transponders, coloration and vocalizations. The data entry screens are different for each type. Adding a transponder also has its own workflow. For transponders see Transponders .

Logical Identifier screen:

1.The Date the identifier was assigned

2.Data standard list of appropriate Identifier Types

3.Active (being currently used) or Inactive (not being currently used)

4.The Identifier (free text field)

5.If this box is checked this identifier will display in search results and on reports

6.If the animal was acquired with this identifier you can check this box. More commonly used with physical identifiers.

7.Any Details that you want to add

IMPORTANT NOTE! As of March 2020, when a Studbook Keeper records a Studbook Number in their studbook, it will automatically display in the Husbandry module identifier grid. The Type will be Regional or International and the Reported By will be the Association that the studbook is associated with. This entry cannot be deleted by you. If this results in duplicate Studbook Numbers in your Identifier grid, you can delete the one your institution entered.

Physical Identifier screen:

1.The Date the identifier was applied

2.Data standard list of appropriate Identifier Types

3.A single select list of locations

4.The identifier (free text field)

5.A multiple select list of Locations

6.Single select list of Statuses

7.Who applied the identifier

8.If this box is checked this identifier will display in search results and on reports

9.If the animal was acquired with this identifier you can check this box

10.Any additional Details you want to add

If the animal has been at other Species360 member institutions, identifiers entered by them will display. If, instead of re-entering one of these identifiers, you want to accept it at your institution as a Local identifier, see Accepting an Identifier .

The only time an identifier should be deleted is if it was entered incorrectly. Otherwise it should be edited. The reason you should not delete an identifier is that there may be documentation that refers to the identifier and if it is deleted the record cannot be found. You can edit or delete only identifiers that you have recorded or accepted.

In our example above, we recorded a new House Name of Sir George. We want to mark his old House Name as Inactive. To edit an identifier, highlight it > Actions > View/Edit Identifier. Below we edited the old House Name to a Status of Inactive.

Revised 5 March 2025