Search for a UK species
An Otter, Lutra lutra in Southwold, Suffolk, England. © C. Trigg
You can search the Dictionary of UK species for
- Individual species found in the UK (by scientific or common name)
- Higher taxa and their members e.g. lepidoptera (by scientific name)
- Informal groups of animals, plants, amphibians and insects found in the UK e.g. butterflies (by common name).
Search by scientific name
Search by common name
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Notice
The Dictionary of UK species is currently providing data for 57 out of 100 taxonomic groups. The data is being released in stages, as we convert the existing content to an improved data structure.
You may also find some of the larger data sets are slow to load and solutions are currently being investigated.
This site is replacing the previous version of the online National Biodiversity Network's Species Dictionary.
Glossary
- Rank:
- The level or relative position of a taxon within the taxonomic hierarchy eg species, genus, family, and class. Taxonomic ranks are for nomenclatural purposes eg all families are at the same rank, which lies between superfamily and subfamily.
- Group:
- Informally named groups of animals, plants, amphibians and insects e.g. butterflies, frogs and birds.
- Recommended:
- for scientific name: The currently recognised scientific name for a species as recommended by the Natural History Museum and the National Biodiversity Network for use in the UK (in a few cases, this may differ from the name used in other countries). For common names: this is either an 'official' name or one in wide usage.
- Well-formed:
- for a scientific name: (with rank below genus) to be 'well-formed', it must be correctly spelled and include an authority that complies with the applicable code of nomenclature. For a common name : it should have correct capitalisation and spelling.
Help
If you are having problems with this checklist please let us know by email