{{Short description|Process done to identify and track animals}} [[File:A calf with eartag and transponder in Agentina.jpg|thumb|Calf identified with ear tag and transponder]] '''Animal identification''' using external marks or internal identifiers is a process done to identify and track specific animals. It is done for a variety of reasons including verification of ownership, biosecurity control, and tracking for research or agricultural purposes.
==History==
Individual identification of animals by means of body markings has been practiced for over 3,800 years, as stated in Code of Hammurabi.<ref>{{Cite journal | pmid = 11548516 | year = 2001 | last1 = Blancou | first1 = J | title = A history of the traceability of animals and animal products | journal = Revue Scientifique et Technique (International Office of Epizootics) | volume = 20 | issue = 2 | pages = 413–25 }}</ref> The first official identification systems are documented as far as the 18th century. In Uruguay for instance maintained at that time a register of hot brands.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allflex-group.com/front-offices/anglais/119-the_history_of_livestock_identification.aspx?idparentnode=120|title=Allflex Corporate Web Site - the history of livestock identification|access-date=2012-01-07|archive-date=2014-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819085853/http://www.allflex-group.com/front-offices/anglais/119-the_history_of_livestock_identification.aspx?idparentnode=120}}</ref>
==Noninvasive methods== ===Wildlife photo-identification=== {{excerpt|Wildlife photo-identification}} ===Biometrics=== {{excerpt|Biometrics|Animal biometrics}}
==Birds== [[File:Spheniscus_humboldti_(54905367747).jpg|thumb|Humboldt penguin with a wing tag at Copenhagen Zoo, Denmark]] * Leg rings * Wing tags * Microchip implants (parrots) * Telemetry (falconry birds)
==Domesticated mammals== ===Sheep=== * Freeze branding * Branding (hot-iron) * Collar * Earmarking * Ear tags (non-electronic) * Ear tags (electronic) * Semi-permanent paint
===Pigs=== * Collars (electronic and non-electronic) * Earmarking * Ear tags (non-electronic) * Ear tags (electronic) * Semi-permanent paint * Tattoo (see animal tattoo)
===Horses=== * Collars (non-electronic) * Branding (hot-iron) * Branding (freeze) * Microchip implants *Lip tattoo
===Cattle=== [[File:Bos taurus by Christian Ursilva.jpg|thumb|Tagged limousin]] * Anklets * Branding (freeze) * Branding (hot-iron) * Collars (electronic and non-electronic) * Earmarking * Ear tags (non-electronic) * Ear tags (electronic) * Rumen bolus (electronic) * Cowbell * Photo-identification of noses<ref name="white-sm"/>
===Dogs=== * Collar * Microchip implants * Tattoo
===Laboratory rodents=== * Earmarking (notching or punching) * Ear tags (nickel, copper or scannable 2D barcode tags) * Microchip implants * Hair dye * Toe clipping{{#tag:ref|'Toe clipping' in mice involves the full or partial amputation of one or more digits as a means of permanent identification.|group="note"}} * Manual tattoos (tail, foot pad or ears) * Automated tail tattoos<ref name=labstamp>{{cite web|url=http://actstraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/1115-2011-August-Labstamp-Power-Point-for-demos.pdf |author=Bell, J. |title=Labstamp system. |access-date=February 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226141008/http://actstraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/1115-2011-August-Labstamp-Power-Point-for-demos.pdf |archive-date=February 26, 2015 }}</ref>
==Wild mammals== ===Bats=== * Photo-identification of wing membranes<ref name="seh-bats">{{Cite journal |last=Seheult |first= Shane D I, Joshua R M Cherney, Paul A Faure |date=2025-09-15 |title= Semi-automated identification of individual big brown bats via collagen–elastin patterns in the wing membrane Open Access |url=https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jmammal/gyaf048/8254357?login=false |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=J of Mammalogy |doi= 10.1093/jmammal/gyaf048 |url-access=subscription |pmc=12527007 }}</ref>
===Koalas=== * Photo-identification of noses<ref name="koa-id">{{Cite web |title=Identifying Koalas by their noses |url=https://www.koalaclancyfoundation.org.au/learn-about-koalas/koala-id-presentation/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=Koala Clancy Foundation |language=en-AU}}</ref>
===Giraffes=== * Photo-identification<ref name="girspo">{{Cite web |title=Wildbook for Giraffe |url=https://giraffespotter.org/?null |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=Wildbook for Giraffe}}</ref>
===Zebras=== * Photo-identification of stripes<ref name="white-sm">{{Cite web |last=White |first=Anna |title=The High-Tech, Humane Ways Biologists Can Identify Individual Animals |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/high-tech-humane-ways-biologists-identify-animals-180971632/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref>
===Marine mammals=== * Transponders * Adhesive tags * Fin photographs<ref name="noaa-photo">{{Cite web |last=Fisheries |first=NOAA |date=June 26, 2024 |title=Marine Mammal Photo-Identification Research in the Southeast |url=https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/endangered-species-conservation/marine-mammal-photo-identification-research-southeast |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=NOAA |language=en}}</ref><ref name="whofis">{{Cite web |title=A beginner's guide to photo ID |url=https://www.whalesoficeland.is/post/a-beginners-guide-to-photo-id |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=www.whalesoficeland.is}}</ref> * Fluke photographs<ref name="hawh">{{Cite web |title=Happywhale |url=https://happywhale.com/about |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=happywhale.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="nature-happy">{{Cite journal |last1=Cheeseman |first1=Ted |last2=Southerland |first2=Ken |last3=Acebes |first3=Jo Marie |last4=Audley |first4=Katherina |last5=Barlow |first5=Jay |last6=Bejder |first6=Lars |last7=Birdsall |first7=Caitlin |last8=Bradford |first8=Amanda L. |last9=Byington |first9=Josie K. |last10=Calambokidis |first10=John |last11=Cartwright |first11=Rachel |last12=Cedarleaf |first12=Jen |last13=Chavez |first13=Andrea Jacqueline García |last14=Currie |first14=Jens J. |last15=De Weerdt |first15=Joëlle |date=June 23, 2023 |title=A collaborative and near-comprehensive North Pacific humpback whale photo-ID dataset |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=10237 |doi=10.1038/s41598-023-36928-1 |pmid=37353581 |pmc=10290149 |bibcode=2023NatSR..1310237C |issn=2045-2322}}</ref><ref name="cbc-whitten">{{Cite news |last=Whitten |first=Elizabeth |date=2024-08-06 |title='Facebook for whales' is helping this researcher catalogue whale populations across the globe |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/nl-happywhale-research-1.7285519 |access-date=September 30, 2025 |work=CBC}}</ref>
==Fish== * Microchip implants * Fin clipping * Coded wire tag * Passive integrated transponder * Acoustic tag *Visible implant elastomer (VIE)
==Sharks== * Photo-identification<ref name="whash-id">{{Cite web |title=Whale Shark Photo ID Library |url=https://whaleshark.org.au/whale-shark-id/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=E C O C E A N |language=en}}</ref>
== Amphibians == *Microchip implants * Toe clippings *Passive integrated transponder * Visible implant elastomer (VIE)<ref name="fou">{{cite journal |last1=Fouilloux |first1=Chloe |last2=Garcia-Costoya |first2=Guillermo |last3=Rojas |first3=Bibiana |title=Visible Implant Elastomer (VIE) Success in Early Larval Stages of a Tropical Amphibian Species |journal=PeerJ |year=2020 |volume=8 |article-number=e9630 |doi=10.7717/peerj.9630 |pmid=32864207 |pmc=7425637 |doi-access=free }}</ref> * Photo-identification<ref name="fou"/>
==Invertebrates== * Adhesive tags * Semi-permanent paint * Photo-identification<ref name=labstamp/>
==National animal identification schemes== * British Cattle Movement Service in Britain * National Animal Identification and Tracing in New Zealand * National Animal Identification System in the United States * National Livestock Identification System in Australia
==Footnotes== {{reflist|group="note"}}
==Gallery== <gallery> File:Wing tag Great Frigatebird.JPG|Great frigatebird with a wing tag File:Kaka parrot foot.jpg|Bird ring File:Notched ear sheep.jpg|Sheep with an earmark File:Penn state university pigs.jpg|Pig with earmark File:Branded Shackleford Pony.jpg|Horse with a brand File:Santa Gertrudis.jpg|Santa Gertudis cattle with electronic and non-electronic ear tags File:A calf with eartag and transponder in Agentina.jpg|Calf with a non-electronic ear tag, numbered collar and transponder (blue device) File:Bear with identification.jpg|Bear with an ear tag and transponder File:Greyhound right ear tattoo.jpg|Tattoo inside a Greyhound's ear File:DogTags license fxwb.jpg|Dog collar with dog license and other dog tags File:134 2khz rfid animal tag.jpg|A microchip implant and applicator File:Lab mouse mg 3308.jpg|A laboratory mouse with an ear tag File:Tagging for future reference - geograph.org.uk - 1220926.jpg|Fish with a transponder File:Halichoerus grypus Telemetry.jpg|Harbour seal with a transponder File:Sealwithhattag.jpg|Common seal with an adhesive tag File:Apis mellifera scutellata 1355021.jpg|European queen honey bee marked with a paint spot surrounded by Africanised honeybees File:Ewe with lamb - geograph.org.uk - 1119783.jpg|Sheep with painted number File:Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus Tagged Closeup 3008px.jpg|Monarch butterfly tagged with a sticker File:Tagging mussels (7008974195).jpg|Mussels being tagged </gallery>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Commons category|Animal identification}}
Category:Animal identification Category:Ethology