The primary purpose of the studbook identification number (studbook ID) is to provide a unique identifier for every specimen for which information is available. Once a specimen is published with a permanent studbook number, that number should never be changed.
The studbook numbering system used by the studbook keeper should be as simple as possible. The studbook is meant to continue beyond the studbook keeper and simplicity will help ensure that it can be interpreted now and will remain useful into the future. Embedded coding or complicated numbering systems, such as those indicating year of birth, collection date, or initial location, should not be incorporated into studbook numbers: SPARKS has other fields that record this information. Few individuals besides the initial studbook keeper will understand the system correctly and confusion will increase with time.
Regional studbook numbers should begin with "1" and should increase without a break in the sequence. Numbers need not be sequential according to birth or capture date. Letters and leading zeros should not: be used in the permanent studbook numbers. Letters can be used to designate temporary studbook numbers: regional studbooks should use "T» to designate temporary studbook numbers. The "T" numbers should be unique and never reused, even after they have been changed to a permanent number. When 'T' numbers are replaced with permanent numbers, the former "T" number should always be entered into the <Old SB No.> field in the SPARKS Special Data window. Leading zeras should not be Used because the current software (i.e., SPARKS, ARKS, and ISIS) recognize "001," "01," and "1" as different studbook IDs.
When a regional studbook is started and an international studbook already exists, the regional studbook should use the international studbook numbers.
While waiting for the international studbook keeper to assign permanent studbook numbers, the regional studbook keeper should assign unique temporary (i.e., "T") numbers.
When a regional studbook is started and an international studbook does not exist, the regional should begin a unique numbering system, in sequence, starting with "1"
When an international studbook is started after one or more regional studbooks have already been published, a regional studbook keeper should continue with the existing regional numbering system. The regional studbook keeper should cross-reference the international studbook number with a Special Data field.
41
If a regional or international studbook already exists, the permanent studbook numbers must be retained. Permanent studbook numbers should never be changed. However, in the future, numbers should be as simple and sequential as possible.
Studbook ID number is entered or edited by:
(1) selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu
(2) selecting Edit Animal Data from the Data Entry menu
(3) entering a new studbook number or number to be edited
(4) moving the cursor to the Master Record window (upper left)
(5) pressing enter
42
Identifying a specimen as born in the wild is accomplished through several coordinated entries. It would be useful to review the individual sections of this document prior to entering a new specimen into the database. When recording the vital statistics of a new specimen, the specimen's parents should be entered as (WILD).
READ THE SECTION ON DATE
ESTIMATES AND DOCUMENT ALL
DATE ESTIMATES
The date of birth is also important Many specimens are captured when young and their likely year or month of birth can be only estimated based on the specimen's size at the time of arrival to the first location. Dates of birth estimated to the nearest calendar year should be entered as {1 July 19__}5 (day-month-year) and (Y) to indicate an estimated year of birth. While this entry suggests that the specimen was born on the first day of July, only the year of birth will be displayed in the printed studbook. However, SPARKS will use the 1 July birth date in all demographic and genetic analyses. For species that breed seasonally, a more precise date, i.e., May or June, would be more accurate. In situations such as this, an approximate birth date in the middle of the breeding season should be used. Despite the above, estimated birth dates must
ALL SPECIMENS MUST BE BORN
BEFORE THEY CAN BE
TRANSFERRED OR DIE
precede all known event dates (see pages 70 and 72 on how to estimate dates).
5 SPARKS requires that dates be input as either {day/month/year} or {month/day/year). To avoid confusion between these options, throughout this document, dates will be shown as {1 July 19__} where the open spaces represent values to be determined by the user (e.g., year).
43
Sometimes, birth dates cannot be reliably estimated to the nearest calendar year. In such cases, the date of birth should be entered as unknown.
Rearing method for wild born specimens should be recorded as {PARENT}, {HAND} or {UNKNOWN}.
The first event of a wild born specimen's life in captivity is a capture. The only
exceptions to this rule are eggs collected in the wild. Eggs collected from the wild should have "Hatch" as the first event, with both parents entered as {WILD} or {WILD#}, when parents or siblings have been individually identified.
For species that originate from a single country, the origin should be listed by country or a region within that country (but see page 65 on how to enter location). If capture location can be identified to a continent or region recognized by SPARKS (e.g., all wild-caught gorillas must have originated from Africa), then the location should be entered as region (e.g., {AFRICAN}). When specimens could have originated from one of several continents, and their location of capture,is not known, the origin should be entered as {UNKNOWN}.
The date of capture will rarely be known and will usually be estimated to month or year (see page 70 on estimating dates). Specimens with approximate ages at the time of capture may have entered captivity a year or more after birth; capture dates should be estimated accordingly. Capture dates should always occur after the estimated date of birth. Because specimens captured from the wild are not usually maintained for long periods prior to arrival at the first owner's location (or the last dealer's location), lengthy intervals between capture and arrival at the first institution require verification.
After entering all captive locations and dates of transfer, the actual origin of the specimen should be entered in the <BIRTH TYPE> field as {WILD CAUGHT}.
IT IS EASY TO ENTER THE WRONG
BIRTH TYPE!!
VERIFY BIRTH TYPE BEFORE
ACCEPTING A NEW RECORD
44
Wild caught specimens are entered or edited by:
(1) selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of SPARKS
(2) selecting Edif Animal Data from the Data Entry menu
(3) entering a new studbook number or number to be edited
(4) moving the cursor to the Master Record window (upper left) and pressing return
(5) entering sex of the specimen
(6) entering birth date (and date estimate if appropriate)
(7) entering each parent as {WlLD}
(8) entering rearing as {PARENT}, {HAND} or {UNKNOWN}
(9) entering global management-plan (usually {NO})
(10) entering surplus (default is {NO})
If the specimen being entered is new (i,e, not previously in the studbook), then upon acceptance of information in the Master Record window, SPARKS automatically opens the Events window and requests a first event for this specimen. This first event is entered by:
(11) selecting first event as {WILD CAUGHT}
(12) entering capture location
(13) entering loan as {NO} (unless ownership is being tracked)
(14) entering local ID as {UNK}
(15) entering date of capture (and date estimate if appropriate)
(16) entering removal date and removal date estimate as blanks
(17) entering lost-to-follow-up as {N}
45
(18) entering birth type as {WILD BORN}
SPARKS will then request another event that, for a wild-caught specimen, should be a transfer to the first captive location. This event is entered by:
(19) selecting second event as {TRANSFER}
(20) entering a transfer location (usually a dealer or first place in captivity)
(21) entering loan as {NO}
(22) entering local ID as {UNK}
(23) entering date of transfer (and date estimate if appropriate)
(24) entering removal date and removal date estimate as blanks
(25) entering lost-to-follow-up (default is {N})
46
Captive-born specimens are identified by several coordinated data entry procedures. Usually, the exact date of birth is known and can be entered without an estimate. If only the month or year of birth is known, it should be entered with an {M} or {Y} in the <DATE ESTIMATE> field; this shows that only the month or year of birth is known (see page 70 on estimating dates).
Usually, one or both parents are known and their studbook numbers can be entered as the dam and sire (but see page 55 on how to enter dam and sire). However, for some specimens, one or both parent identities will be unknown. Every effort should be made to identify the parents: unknown parentage has profound effects on genetic analyses. If parentage cannot be established, either one or both parent studbook numbers should be entered as {UNK}. Blanks should not be entered to denote unknown parents. Subsequent studbook keeper,s and population managers will not be able to interpret blanks. For examples; a blank could represent "unknown," data lost through software or hardware error, or an error of omission during data entry.
Rearing method should be entered if known (see page 60 on how to enter rearing type).
Captive-born specimens are entered or edited by:
(1) selecting Data Entry from the Main Menu of SPARKS
(2) selecting Edit Animal Data from the Data Entry menu
(3) entering a new studbook number or number to be edited
(4) moving the cursor to the Master Record window (upper left) and pressing return
(5) entering sex of the specimen
(6) entering birth date (and date estimate if appropriate)
(7) entering each parent's studbook ID
(8) entering rearing as {PARENT}, {HAND} or {UNKNOWN}
(9) entering global management plan (usually {NO})
47
(10) entering surplus (default is {NO})
If the specimen being entered is new (i.e., not previously in the studbook), then upon acceptance of information in the Master Record window, SPARKS automatically opens the Events window and requests a first event for this specimen. This first event is entered by:
(11) entering the first event as a {BIRTH}
(12) entering birth location
(13) entering loan as {NO} (unless ownership is being tracked)
(14) entering local ID
(15) entering date of birth (and.date estimate if appropriate)
(16) entering removal date and removal date estimate as blanks
(17) entering lost-to-follow-up
(18) entering birth type as {CAPTIVE BORN}
The birth type of every captive-born specimen should be entered as {CAPTIVE BORN} (see page 77 on how to enter birth type).
48