Animal Diversity Web
It happens to us all: sometimes you’re just sitting there, minding your own business, when all of a sudden you’re overcome with a vast sense of zoological curiosity. Exactly how many species of toothed whale ARE there? What on Earth IS a dugong? And how long IS the gestation period of the average okapi?
Thankfully, the invention of the internet means that moments like these need no longer necessarily lead to overwhelming frustration and ultimate unhappiness. Now, with just a single click, you can find yourself immersed in all the natural history information you could possibly need. The Animal Diversity Web, which comes from the Zoology department at the University of Michigan, allows you to search, or simply browse, through an enormous database of factfiles, all arranged by taxonomic group, to find just the nugget of information you require. The well written, scientifically referenced text is coupled with pictures and 3D QuickTime movies in many cases. And while you’re searching for the answer to your specific query, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll stumble upon another fascinating avenue to peruse. You can follow the Animal Kingdom family tree from root to tip, finding out not only about the characteristics of individual species, but also about the larger groups into which those species fall. For example: what is it that makes an arthropod an arthropod? What is it about monotremes that’s so unusual? Why and how are elephants related to hyraxes?
The internet may have most of these answers in other places, but often you find information that’s incomplete or just completely wrong. The Animal Diversity Web isn’t perfect - you won’t find absolutely everything in here - but you will find authoritative information, and much more of it than you expected.