# Animal coverage and research policy Reviewed 2026-10-16. The unit is a reference entry: a named species, subspecies, culture, taxonomic group or identification overview. Counts are never presented as verified specimen or species totals. ## Inclusion and stopping rules Add an entry when it answers a distinct specimen-identification, ecological, feeding or enclosure-planning question and a reviewed source supports that purpose. A round total, color morph, product listing or similar appearance alone is insufficient. Keep the explicit trade label when identity cannot be resolved. Check coverage across animal groups, ecological role, wet/dry/cool/arboreal habitats, adult size and life stage. Prioritize missing practical niches and deeper evidence for existing entries before adding near-duplicates. There is no target number of entries and no claim to cover every terrarium animal. A source fact requires a source ID, section locator, evidence scope, life stage and measurement context. Source publication/update age is distinct from the research review date. An HTTP 200 response is not content verification. A blocked fetch is not proof of a dead link. No source pages or restricted PDFs are redistributed. ## Use and reliability For curiosity, use cited identification, ecology and behavior facts. For building, use the cited care facts and the missing-topic checklist. Profiles and plant-impact notes are planning synthesis. A single reviewed fact does not make a complete care sheet. The database does not independently identify a purchased or photographed specimen. Core planning topics: enclosure, temperature, moisture, substrate, diet, water, light_uvb, grouping. Locality, sex, adult size, season, health and life stage may require more detail even when all eight are documented. Entry count and documented-topic count are not confidence scores. ## Current coverage and gaps ### Ants 1 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Beetles 4 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 3 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Booklice and barklice 1 entries; 0 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 1 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Centipedes 1 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Cockroaches 4 entries; 0 with at least one species/culture fact; 4 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Dart frogs 12 entries; 6 with at least one species/culture fact; 6 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Common floor and thumbnail groups represented; several species still lack reviewed full protocols and locality-specific care. ### Earthworms 2 entries; 2 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Feeder insects 6 entries; 4 with at least one species/culture fact; 2 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Small flies, seed beetles, crickets and beetle larvae represented; feeder nutrition, gut loading and additional prey taxa need deeper review. ### Fire-bellied toads 1 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Harvestmen 1 entries; 0 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 1 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Horned frogs 1 entries; 0 with at least one species/culture fact; 1 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Isopods 21 entries; 21 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Culture gradients documented for many entries; independent species climate/space guidance is still incomplete. ### Jumping spiders 1 entries; 0 with at least one species/culture fact; 1 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Land crabs 2 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 1 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Land snails 2 entries; 0 with at least one species/culture fact; 1 group overviews; 1 identification/ecology entries. Plant-feeding examples represented; temperate pet-snail housing and additional lawful captive taxa need dedicated care review. ### Lizards 13 entries; 11 with at least one species/culture fact; 2 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Arboreal, forest-floor and dry examples represented; tiny gecko lineages and locality/sex differences remain incomplete. ### Mantellas 2 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 1 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Mantises 3 entries; 0 with at least one species/culture fact; 3 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Millipedes 8 entries; 4 with at least one species/culture fact; 4 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Round-bodied examples represented; flat-backed and pill millipedes need specialist review before adding care entries. ### Mossy frogs 1 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Newts 1 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Predatory mites 1 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Pseudoscorpions 1 entries; 0 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 1 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Salamanders 2 entries; 0 with at least one species/culture fact; 2 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Scorpions 3 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 2 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Snakes 3 entries; 2 with at least one species/culture fact; 1 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Springtails 5 entries; 5 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Named culture media reviewed; drier-habitat taxa and independent climate trials remain gaps. ### Stick and leaf insects 3 entries; 0 with at least one species/culture fact; 3 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Tailless whip spiders 1 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Tarantulas 5 entries; 5 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Terrestrial and arboreal architectures represented; fossorial species and specimen-identification issues remain incomplete. ### Terrestrial amphipods 1 entries; 0 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 1 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Tomato frogs 1 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Tortoises 2 entries; 2 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Humid and dry large-habitat examples represented; age/sex-specific care and current taxonomy need corroboration. ### Tree frogs 2 entries; 2 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Turtles 1 entries; 1 with at least one species/culture fact; 0 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ### Vinegaroons 1 entries; 0 with at least one species/culture fact; 1 group overviews; 0 identification/ecology entries. Representative coverage only; see entry-level missing care topics. Additional species are added when reviewed evidence supports a distinct use. ## Other gaps to retain Soil mite guilds, potworms, small native snail cultures, additional microgeckos, flat-backed/pill millipedes and specialist fossorial invertebrates need dedicated sources before receiving care entries. This backlog records omissions rather than filling them with invented protocols. Animal photographs, full global accepted-name resolution, jurisdiction-specific legal status, independent source corroboration for every care value and species-specific mixed-enclosure trials remain incomplete.