For a Critter Quest PA video tutorial CLICK HERE
 
CRITTER QUEST PA was developed to help Pennsylvanians learn more about the animals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians that might be living in their own back yards. Developed using Arc-IMS software, the program dynamically creates a new map for each combination of data selected by the user. To begin, click on "Map Page" on the tab above. The following instructions apply to that page.

The toolbar on the left provides basic movement and manipulation of the map of Pennsylvania.  You can toggle the small inset overview on and off, zoom in or out, show the map to its fullest extent, zoom back to the previous image, pan to a different part of the state, measure distances, or print. A small label indicates which of the tools is currently active.
Critter Locations:  "Find Critters in your County!!"
Data layers showing the primary habitat of over 460 mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians in Pennsylvania are contained at the top of the right-hand toolbar labeled “Find Critters in Your County!!”  When you select a county from the menu, you generate a list of all of the critters that might be found in that county. The list will appear in a floating box that can be resized or moved anywhere on your monitor.  (Note:  this floating box will “disappear” when you click on the map, but it can be restored by hitting “Go” at the top of the right toolbar again.) Selecting “All Counties” from the drop-down menu will generate a floating box containing all of the critters that might be found somewhere in the state.

Critter categories (amphibians, birds, fish, etc.) are bookmarked near the top of the floating box. Scroll down to see the entire list of critters that might be living in the selected county or counties that you have selected. Clicking on the checkbox in front of a critter will generate a colored layer upon the state map, showing the critter’s “preferred habitat” (i.e., where it might be living). By checking more than one critter, you can compare and contrast the ranges of a variety of species. Each critter that you check will display in a different color.  (Note: adding critters with overlying habitats will cause a blend of the two colors. After several critters are added, the blending may make interpretation more difficult.)

The “Legend” bar on the right column will help you keep track of the critters and base map layers that you have selected. Critters can be individually unchecked or you can use the “Clear All Critters” buttons on the floating box and at the bottom of the right toolbar to erase all critter checkboxes and start again.

Critter Information
Clicking directly on a critter’s name in the floating box will open an information page in a new window. The page will contain a picture of the critter, its Latin name, its distribution throughout the state and at least 3 links to more detailed information on the internet. Whenever possible, the first link will be to a website developed by a Pennsylvania-based agency or organization. These external links will provide you with more in-depth information about the critter, including its range beyond Pennsylvania, its breeding and migratory habits, and its habitat needs. We hope to include more links in the future, including references to more scholarly databases.


You can also select one or more of the Base Map Layers identified on the right toolbar. Most of the layers increase in detail as you zoom-in to a particular part of the state. For example, smaller cities appear on the first and third click; likewise, smaller rivers and roads appear as you zoom in. Some information, such as the names of school districts and watersheds, do not appear until you are examining a smaller section of the overall map.

  • Selecting too many layers will create a visual mess. (Remember what happens when you used too many crayons to color a picture?)
  • Although much of the data contained within the critter and base map layers are accurate to 90 meters, the images will pixilate long before then. When your image begins to break down, zoom out one or two levels.
  • For some reason, this software package does not take kindly to “Back” or “Refresh” commands. If you get error messages when you perform these functions, you may need to close and then reopen the program.

Not intended as a scientific survey instrument, CRITTER QUEST PA is a teaching tool meant to spark the imagination and encourage further exploration into more scholarly materials—and the outdoors! Base map layers are derived from publicly available geospatial data sets. Critter habitat ranges are derived from Gap analysis data from PASDA, the Pennsylvania Geospatial Data Clearinghouse. (According to the U.S. Geological Service, “Gap analysis” is a scientific method for identifying the degree to which native animal species and natural plant communities are represented in our present-day network of conservation lands.  For more information, refer to the GAP Home site.)

In the future, we hope to add an interactive function to the site, where students will be able to submit GIS locations and photos to the database. We also hope to add classroom activities and guided explorations, all linked to Pennsylvania’s Environment & Ecology Academic Standards. We encourage you to suggest possible areas for growth and development. We hope to keep this program alive and growing—just like the critters of Pennsylvania!


We would appreciate it if you could take approximately 5 minutes to complete a brief evaluation of your experience using this website. Please click here to access a short online survey. Thank you for your suggestions!