A calf with eartag and transponder in Agentina

Animal identification using a means of marking is a process done to identify and track specific

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Biology, biological Kingdom (biology), kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, ...

s. It is done for a variety of reasons including verification of ownership,

biosecurity Biosecurity refers to measures aimed at preventing the introduction or spread of harmful organisms (e.g. viruses, bacteria, plants, animals etc.) intentionally or unintentionally outside their native range or within new environments. In agricult ...

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 The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian legal text composed during 1755–1750 BC. It is the longest, best-organized, and best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East. It is written in the Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian language, Akkadi ...

. The first official identification systems are documented as far as the 18th century. In

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

for instance maintained at that time a register of hot brands.

Methods

Biometrics

Birds

* Leg rings * Wing tags * Microchip implants (parrots) *

Telemetry Telemetry is the in situ collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Greek roots ''tele'', 'far off', an ...

(falconry birds)

Sheep

Freeze branding Freeze branding (sometimes called CryoBranding and the resulting brands, trichoglyphs) is a technique involving a Cryogenics, cryogenic coolant instead of heat to produce permanent marks on a variety of animals. The coolant is used to lower the ...

Branding Branding may refer to: Physical markings * Making a mark, typically by charring: ** Wood branding, permanently marking, by way of heat, typically of wood (also applied to plastic, cork, leather, etc.) ** Livestock branding, the marking of animals ...

(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 A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes ...

(see animal tattoo)

Horses

* Collars (non-electronic) *

(hot-iron) *

(freeze) * Microchip implants *Lip tattoo

Cattle

* Anklets *

(freeze) *

(hot-iron) * Collars (electronic and non-electronic) * Earmarking * Ear tags (non-electronic) * Ear tags (electronic) * Rumen bolus (electronic) *

Cowbell A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell (instrument), bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes or vast plains. ...

Dogs

* Collar * Microchip implants * Tattoo

Laboratory mice

* Earmarking (notching or punching) * Ear tags (nickel, copper or scannable 2D barcode tags) * Microchip implants * Hair dye * Toe clipping * Manual tattoos (tail, foot pad or ears) * Automated tail tattoos

Fish

* Microchip implants * Fin clipping * Coded wire tag * Passive integrated transponder * Acoustic tag *Visible implant elastomer (VIE)

Marine mammals

* Transponders * Adhesive tags

Amphibians

*Microchip implants * Toe clippings * Passive integrated transponder * Visible implant elastomer (VIE)

Invertebrates

* Adhesive tags * Semi-permanent paint

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

Wildlife photo-identification

Footnotes

Gallery

File:Wing tag Great Frigatebird.JPG,

Great frigatebird The great frigatebird (''Fregata minor'') is a large seabird in the frigatebird family (biology), family. There are major nesting populations in the tropical Pacific Ocean, such as Hawaii and the Galápagos Islands; in the Indian Ocean, colonies ...

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

References

{{Commons category, Animal identification Ethology