Notes on Spatial Data in AmphibiaWeb
AmphibiaWeb strives to check and update its pages regularly, but cannot guarantee nor assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of content. We integrate content from many partners and are not responsible for data accuracy from these sources. Please help us keep AmphibiaWeb updated and report any errors or inaccuracies.
Spatial Data Sources
On every species page, the BerkeleyMapper icon links to the mapping widget to display the available spatial data for each species. The displayed species data may come from one or more of these sources:
- Species occurrences data. From 2015-2020, species occurrences were provided by our partner VertNet, supplying amphibian specimen data on a regular basis. In 2021, we started using the GBIF API displaying both preserved specimens and human observations (mainly from iNaturalist). Due to the large number of records for some species, we limit the maximum number of records that are displayed. Our current thresholds are a maximum of 15,000 for specimens (basis of record is preserved specimen) and 1,000 for observations (basis of record is human observation), balancing performance and representative spatial information for species. The pop-up window for mapped points includes a link to its GBIF record to let users see all available up-to-date metadata on GBIF.
- Type locality. For newly discovered species, type localities, mainly holotypes, are often the only known sites of their distribution. We extract the locality data directly from the original publication and enter those in our database to display on maps.
- Range maps. When available, we show a range map for each species with the sites, which come from two sources: the IUCN Redlist and the AmphibiaWeb mapping lab by UC Berkeley GIS/informatics undergraduate apprentices. When we create the GIS polygons to depict ranges, we conduct primary literature research, use reliable species occurrence from published checklists and data from GBIF, and consult experts on the species. Clicking on a range map in BerkeleyMapper will display metadata on the GIS layer including the compiler (e.g., IUCN or AmphibiaWeb) and date of creation.
- Last GBIF harvest on: 14 August 2024 (6,109,959 records)
In Spring 2017, we started including the Map of Life species range widget on each species page in a separate tab which displays spatial data from the Map of Life Project. The Map of Life displays data that is currently independent from AmphibiaWeb's but we hope to coordinate our projects in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why are there (so many) points outside of the range of the species?
There may be several reasons a species' range map and their point-data observations (vouchered by a physical specimen or media) may not align. Some range maps are drawn without consulting the observation points, and consider habitat only. This is common of many of the older range maps. Another reason may be that the point data is purposely obfuscated. iNaturalist has a geoprivacy policy and automated reduction of positional accuracy (read more here) for species of conservation concern or if desired by the observer. Lastly, range maps are always being updated. If you see a range map where its point data appear in conflict or out of whack, let us know, and we will put the species on our priority list of review.More FAQ's to come...TIP: Click on the range map polygon in BerkeleyMapper to see information about the range map, such as year, compiler, references, etc.
Click on a point to access details, and if available, a link to GBIF for full record details.
AmphibiaWeb's Data Use Policy
Need to Access Data from AmphibiaWeb? Read more here
Need to Access AmphibiaWeb Archives? Try the Wayback Machine
The Internet Archive also allows a way to archive a web page for future citation-- try it with an AmphibiaWeb Species page.
Simply copy and paste the URL of the target web page into their box to Save Page Now.