Map of Life lets users explore species data and information about its biodiversity platform.
The Catalogue of Life
The Catalogue of Life provides a reference list of the world's species.
About The Catalogue of Life
The Catalogue of Life provides a reference list of the world's species, maintained by hundreds of global taxonomists. It shows species counts for Animalia, Plantae, Fungi and other kingdoms, with a base release verified by taxonomic experts and an Extended Release that adds data from other sources marked with an XR icon.
The site states that its information varies in quality, is still incomplete, contains errors, and cannot be guaranteed for accuracy or completeness.
Key features
- Reference list of the world's species
- Browse species counts for Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, and other kingdoms
- Base release verified by taxonomic experts for COL
- Extended Release adds data from other sources marked with XR icon
- R client (rcol) for programmatic access
- Access via iPhone app
Best for: People who need a reference list of the world's species for research or study.
Good for
- Maintained by hundreds of global taxonomists
- Base release verified by taxonomic experts specifically for COL
- Content offered under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License unless otherwise indicated
Watch out for
- Does not guarantee accuracy or completeness of information
- Described as still incomplete and containing errors
- Includes information with different gradients of quality
The Catalogue of Life at a glance
- Website
- catalogueoflife.org
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- iOS, Web
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
The Catalogue of Life alternatives
Tools and sites you could use instead, ranked by how closely they match.
The Wikispecies project lets visitors browse and contribute information about species through its online reference pages.
iNaturalist lets users record plant and animal observations, share them with others and learn about the natural world.
OneZoom lets visitors browse an interactive tree of life, with suggested starting points for groups of organisms.
A-Z Animal provides an online collection of animal information and articles about the natural world.
Follow tutorials for building network servers on Linux distributions and Windows Server with Server World.
Popular in Science, Math & Technology
Well-known listings from the same topic.
MathNetmathnet.mit.eduThrustCurvethrustcurve.orgTheAlgorithmsthe-algorithms.comHot Nozzle Societyhotnozzlesociety.orgWumbowumbo.net
The Catalogue of Life FAQ
What is the difference between the base release and the Extended Release?
The base release is verified by taxonomic experts specifically for COL, while the Extended Release includes extra data from other sources indicated with the XR icon.
Is the Catalogue of Life complete and accurate?
No. The site states it cannot guarantee accuracy or completeness, is still incomplete, and contains errors.
Is something wrong or out of date?
Tell us and an editor will check it.
Own this website?
Claim this listing
Claim the listing and suggest updates yourself. An editor checks every claim first.