As Alaska’s Natural Heritage program, we collect information on what species occur in the state so that we can assess which ones are of conservation concern. The idea for a synonymized checklist arose after struggling to reconcile old taxonomic names that we encountered when poring over reference books, reports, and conservation plans. We quickly discovered that we weren’t alone in this struggle, and that biologists working in Alaska needed a way to keep track of taxonomic changes.
In 2021, we compiled an initial checklist of accepted names using lists from the University of Alaska Museum Birds, University of Alaska Museum Mammals, and the Amphibians and Reptiles of Alaska (MacDonald 2010). We then reconciled this list with recently published to populate invalid names, including spelling variants and junior synonyms. Over time, we’ve added additional invalid names as we’ve encountered them in the literature.
In creating this checklist, we hope to help you:
- Resolve some of the confusion you may be feeling.
- Stay current on taxonomic changes.
- Have a starting point until a comprehensive, synonymized checklist becomes available.
Invalid Names
The invalid names that we’ve included are not meant to be an exhaustive list. Instead, they’re a collection of names that we’ve encountered during our research. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Avibase (birds) and the Mammals of Diversity Database (mammals) are more comprehensive, however, the names they include have not necessarily been applied to Alaska populations.
At the moment, every non-accepted name is labeled as “invalid”, regardless of whether it results from a taxonomic split, a corrected spelling, or a change in genus. In the future, we hope to collaborate with taxonomic experts who can help us refine how we label these names.
Infraspecies
The Fauna of Alaska doesn’t currently include infraspecies such as subspecies or populations. I recommend consulting NatureServe Explorer (all taxa), Avibase (birds), and MacDonald and Cook’s Recent Mammals of Alaska.
Unsubstantiated records
We do not include taxa whose occurrences are unsubstantiated in Alaska. A list of birds can be found in the Checklist of Alaska Birds, which is published by the University of Alaska Museum.