How to use the data
The KFWIS species database is a collection of animal observations from professional biologists. It is not an absolute list of animals that or do not occur in Kentucky or specific counties. An animal not listed as occurring in a county or quad may be absent only because it has not been reported from that area. The KY State Nature Preserves Commission maintains a similar database that should be consulted for additional species occurrences. The information provided through this Internet application is not intended for making legal decisions based on the presence or absence of an animal in a particular area.
When looking at a record for an observation, the Reference link contains more information to evaluate the record as described below:
| ID#: | This OriginalDataID is a unique identifier which allows us to track the data back to its source. |
| Observed Date: | Observation date and time associated with the record if known. |
| Observed Year: | If the exact date of observation is not know, but the year of the observation is known, then this field is displayed |
| Publish Year: | If the actual observation date or year is not known, then the date the observation was published is included |
| Project Description: | Description of the source data, may include the technical publication associated with the data |
| Secondary Source: | If the original source is a compilation of material, the secondary source provides a reference to the original source |
| Observer: | The name of the observer. Maybe be "unknown" or "none" for older records. |
| Review Status: | This indicates the level of review by KDFWR or KSNPC biologists.
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