Green areas represent species records collected by scientists in the past. Information to describe these records has been gathered from museums, institutions and personal collections then entered into the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI). In some cases, current field surveys have found these historically known locations to have been lost to habitat destruction. In other cases, plants and animals have not been located because past records are not specific enough to direct researchers to preciously documented sites. Although historical records may not completely reflect the known range of a particular species, they are the best documentation available to estimate the former distribution of the Commonwealth's plants and animals.

Red areas represent species locations that are known to exist today. Many of these sites were found based on directions given by historical records, others were found by looking for species in appropriate habitats. Species ranges were identifies by using the PNDI information system.

PNDI is organized by computer, map and manual files that describe locations of endangered, threatened and rare species and the most outstanding examples of the state's natural community and geologic features. PNDI was established in 1980 as a cooperative project of the Bureau of Forestry, the Nature Conservancy and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, and is a member of the Association for Biodiversity Information.

Invertebrates | Birds & Mammals | Fish, Reptiles & Amphibians | Plants