ISIS SOFTWARE PRODUCTS
Software developed for the purpose
of caring for animals
ISIS offers members sophisticated knowledge management tools with full technical support and training services. Working with our members, we encourage cooperative development of software – designed specifically to meet our members' growing data collection and management needs – at a reasonable cost.
ZIMS
Zoological Information Management System application
As a part of membership, ISIS is offering our members our ZIMS application. Zoos, aquariums and other conservation organizations
worldwide will use the ZIMS application to track pertinent information needed by their animal-care staff, including collection management, husbandry, and health and disease history.
In March 2010, we began our journey to integrate and replace the entire suite of ISIS legacy products with our next generation of software -- the ZIMS application. We are now working to assure that all ISIS members will use the ZIMS application as their main animal-knowledge management system as soon as possible.
ARKS
Animal Record Keeping System is used to record core data for all of the animals in a zoo and to provide overall inventory management. This includes husbandry, weights and measures, what animal is living in which enclosure and transfers in and out of the institution. ARKS data is uploaded to the ISIS global database, where ISIS members can access it in a variety of ways.
Currently, we are transitioning our members to the ZIMS application for these basic functionalities. Most new members would begin using the ZIMS application rather than ARKS.
MedARKS
Medical Animal Record Keeping System works in conjunction with the ARKS application. Data in ARKS is transferred to MedARKS where animal health data can then be added to ARKS core data.
MedARKS offers data norms and values and allows the user to run reports on prescriptions used to treat animals. ARKS/MedARKS data is uploaded to the ISIS global database, where ISIS members can access it in a variety of ways.
MedARKS also works with the ZIMS application, but members must export their information from the ZIMS application to use it in MedARKS. The next phase of development for the ZIMS application includes a veterinary module that will replace the MedARKS application.
ISIS Reference Ranges for Physiological Values in Captive Wildlife
SPARKS
Single Population Animal Records System is used to record, analyze and manage records for a population of animals, usually of a single species. Studbook keepers use SPARKS.
The data may be analyzed with SPARKS and may also be exported to other scientific analysis packages such as pm2000, Lineage, MateRx and ZooRisk. The functionality of this application will be included in later development cycles of the ZIMS application.
Other ISIS studbook products
The ISIS Specimen Reference DVD contains historical and pedigree information on 2 million specimens of approximately 10,000 species. The Specimen Reference DVD also contains historical zoological datasets, containing all data in the ISIS system.
The Specimen Reference DVD was last updated and distributed to ISIS members in 2009.
The ISIS/World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) Studbook and Husbandry Manual Library
contains almost 1,400 regional and international studbooks, husbandry manuals, related resources and reference documents pertaining to captive animal data records and population management. ISIS publishes this comprehensive studbook library for our members – and more and more zoos are using it as a primary means of publishing. The 2008 edition includes approximately 190 international and 1,250 regional studbooks and more than 235 husbandry manuals.
What does this mean to you?
- On average, international studbooks include 900 animals (300 living), which translates to 180 pages of text that must be printed.
- This could cost your institution up to US $20 for each copy.
- Most institutions print close to 150 copies – totaling US $3,000 for each international studbook – or an annual community savings of about US $525,000.
Printing regional studbooks – community savings could exceed US $1.4 million annually.