Library Guides: Animal Species: Guide to Finding Information: Home: Phylum, Class, Order, Family

Start here

Use the resources on this page to find information on an animal's phylum, class, order or family. This will lead to more information about the characteristics of an animal than searching by genus and species name.

Taxonomic classification

Use the following resources to find the phylum, class, order and family for your animal species.

Catalogue of Life
Provides complete taxonomic hierarchy for each species from Kingdom down to Species.
ITIS Integrated Taxonomic Informaton System

eBooks (highly recommended)

Instructions for using Kingdoms and Domains ebook:

Select Read Online (blue button in left column)
Type the name of the phylum for your species in the search within book box (Note: if you don't know the phylum search by common name or genus).
Click on the in the By Chapter column to view pages discussing your phylum

eResources

Animal Diversity Web
Searchable by common name, scientific name, phylum, class, order, suborder, subfamily, and genus. Bibliographies included for further research. Highly recommended.
EOL Encyclopedia of Life
Growing collection of information on the world's 1.8 million known species.
Discover Life
Interactive encyclopedia of life with over 1 million species.
Tree of Life Web Project
Searchable by taxonomic or common name. Includes basic information, key references and web sites.

Print books

Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia Volumes 1-17
Call Number: QL7 .G7813 2003
Ellis Library Ready Reference
Concise Encyclopedia of Biology
Call Number: QH 302.5.A2313 1996
Ellis Library Ready Reference
Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms Volumes 1-2
Call Number: QH83 .S89
Ellis Library Ready Reference
Kingdoms and Domains: An Illustrated Guide to the Phyla of Life on Earth
Call Number: QH83 .M36 2009
Ellis Library Ready Reference
Animal Diversity
Call Number: QL47.2 .H527 2015
Ellis Library Ready Reference
Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife
Call Number: QL 45.2 .A56 2011
Ellis Library Ready Reference
Five Kingdoms: An Illustrated Guide to the Phyla of Life on Earth
Call Number: QH83 .M36 1998
Ellis Library Ready Reference
The Tree of Life
Call Number: QH 366.2 .A7313 2014
Ellis Library Ready Reference
The Tree of Life : A Phylogenetic Classification
Call Number: QH83 .L42513 2006
Ellis Library Ready Reference
Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide
Call Number: QL 7 .E53 2004
Ellis Library Ready Reference
The New Encyclopedia of Aquatic Life Volumes 1-2
Call Number: QL 120 .E53 2004
Ellis Library Ready Reference

Databases for locating articles

Google Scholar
Search using the common or genus name and additional keywords like life history, life cycle, taxonomy, morphology, reproduction, ecology or physiology.

Wildlife and Ecology Studies Worldwide
Indexes literature on wild mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. All aspects of wildlife and wildlife management are covered.

Date Coverage: 1935-date

Maximum Users: 5

Truncation:
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License Terms: http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/search/databases/nisclicense.htm
Fish, Fisheries and Aquatic Biodiversity Worldwide
Provides citations and some abstracts on all aspects of ichthyology, fisheries, and related aspects of aquaculture.

Free account can be created for personalization.
Date Coverage: 1971-date
Maximum Users: 1
Truncation: Truncation: *; Wildcard: ?
License Terms: http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/search/databases/nisclicense.htm
Zoological Record
Provides access to worldwide zoological literature, including all major areas of the field: behavior, ecology, evolution, habitat, nutrition, parasitology, reproduction, taxonomy, and zoogeography.

Date Coverage: 1985-present

Maximum Users: Unlimited

Auto Update: http://libraryguides.missouri.edu/c.php?g=27933&p=175486

Truncation:
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Scopus
Database with abstracts and citations of research literature and quality web sources, including journals, conference proceedings, trade publications, abstracts, and patent records. A multidisciplinary resource covering materials from the humanities, sciences and social sciences. Also indexes EMBASE and allows you to locate the most highly cited items and the articles that cite them.

Date Coverage: 1970-present; selected access back to 1823

Maximum Users: Unlimited

Truncation:
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Search Guide: http://help.scopus.com

Tutorial: http://help.scopus.com/robo/projects/schelp/tutorials/sc_menu.htmlInteractive Tutorials

Auto Alerts: http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/search/databases/alertslist.htm#scopus
Web of Science - All Databases
Searches across the following Web of Science databases: Core Collection, BIOSIS Citation Index, Current Contents Connect, Data Citation Index, Derwent Innovations Index, KCI-Korean Journal Database, MEDLINE, SciELO Citation Index and Zoological Record.

Date Coverage: Varies by database
Maximum Users: Unlimited
Truncation: *