Identitas - Animal statistics

Data source

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all animals were kept in Switzerland and were alive during the chosen time period. Animals with poor data quality have been omitted.

Cattle: Data is shown for cattle of the species domestic cattle, zebu, yak, water buffalo and bison since 01.01.2010.
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Equids: Data is shown since 01.01.2016.
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Sheep & goats: Data is shown since 01.01.2020.
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Dogs: Data is shown since 01.01.2016.
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Cats: Data is shown since 01.01.2016.
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Important: All databases are dynamic. New events are notified every day. Evaluations at different points of time can thus result varying numbers for the same dataset and same date (refer also to the paragraph on notification period in the glossary).

Data privacy

Data privacy: Categories with 1 to 4 (inclusive) records only are not shown. Those values are blank in the data files and noted in the figures by an *. This protection measure has the consequence that for different representations, the sum of the individual values is not identical with the total of the respective parameter also presented in the animal statistics. For example, the total of animals of a breed at the level of the municipality does not have to correspond to the total of animals of this breed at the level of the canton or Switzerland.

For further information on data protection, please refer to the Data Protection Statement of Identitas AG.

Glossary

Term Description

?? The two question marks stand for undefined, unknown, invalid and missing data. This may concern the address of an animal holding, the breed designation and other attributes.
Abroad Countries of the world except Switzerland and Liechtenstein, if not explicitly excluded.
Additional marking for small ruminants Small ruminants born before 1 January 2020 must be identified with a second ear tag. The second eartag must have the same number as the first ("Sheep&Goats").
Age at first calving Age of a cow at first calving. Depending on the type of use, breed and intensity of the production system, this lies between approximately 20 and 50 months (e.g. Hare et al. 2006; Froidmont et al. 2012; López-Parades et al. 2018).
Age at first lambing/ kidding Age of a ewe/ goat at first lambing/ kidding. Depending on the type of use, breed and intensity of the production system, age at first lambing/ kidding falls between approximately 10 and 40 months (Stürm et al. 2009; Gazzarin 2019; Rassenstandards SSZV; Auswertungen SZZV).
Age class In Switzerland, it is illegal to import puppies younger than 56 days (8 weeks) without their mother or foster mother, according to Article 22b of the Ordinance on the Protection of Animals. In the EU, an age limit of 15 weeks applies for cross-border traffic with dogs. Individual exceptions are possible according to Regulation (EU) No. 576/2013. The background is the rabies vaccination for pets. Puppies may only be vaccinated against rabies from the 12th week onwards, so that immunological protection and thus entry into most EU countries is only possible from the 15th week of age. The import of young animals from problematic origins is a recurring animal welfare issue.

Additional remark: in the national dog database Amicus we find many dogs with a date of birth on the first of the month, and on the first day of the year, respectively. The number is about 3 - 10 times higher than the daily average. Therefore, a part of these birth dates must be classified as purely administrative. This makes it difficult to determine the exact age of dogs and in some cases overestimates the age of puppies in the 8-15 week age class, or underestimates the number of puppies in the <8 week age class.
Age structure Distribution of registered, living animals according to their age on the reference date.
Agricultural zones In the mountain and hilly regions of Switzerland, agriculture is confronted with aggravating production and living conditions (BLW Landwirtschaftliche Zonen). In the application of the Agriculture Act, these hardships are adequately taken into account. This is ensured by the division of the agriculturally used area into zones. The zoning forms the agricultural production register. The legal basis can be found in Article 4 of the Agriculture Act and in the Ordinance on the agricultural production register and the definition of zones.
Allele Each of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome.
Amicus On behalf of the cantons and based on article 30 of the Law on epizootic diseases and articles 16-18 of the Ordinance on epizootic diseases, respectively, Identitas AG operates the national dog database Amicus. Amicus guarantees compliance with legal requirements and offers high data quality: municipalities register dog keepers and maintain their addresses, veterinarians identify dogs and take care of initial registration, and dog keepers report mutations. This ensures complete traceability, and illegal imports of dogs that are too young and sick can be detected and prevented. In addition, Amicus provides the basis for contacting keepers of abandoned or runaway dogs. About 430'000 active users submit about 170'000 notifications in Amicus per year.
Animal genetic resources According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) animal genetic resources (AnGR) for food and agriculture are the primary biological capital for livestock development and are vital to food security and sustainable rural development. AnGR are commonly defined as a subset of genetic resources (defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity as "genetic material of actual or potential value") and a specific element of agricultural biodiversity. The term animal genetic resources refers specifically to the genetic resources of avian and mammalian species, which are used for food and agriculture purposes. Further terms referring to AnGR are "farm animal genetic resources" or "livestock diversity". Information on AnGR in Switzerland can be found at the Federal office for Agriculture and organisations such as Pro Specie Rara.
Animal movements database AMD The Animal movements database (AMD) enables the traceability of animals in accordance with the Ordiance on Identitas AG and the animal movements database (only in DE, FR, IT) and thus creates transparency and trust among the stakeholders involved and the consumers of animal derived food products in Switzerland. On behalf of the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG), the AMD assigns animal identities in the form of clearly labelled ear tags to all cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and game kept in enclosures in Switzerland, as well as a "Universal Equine Life Number - UELN" in the case of equids. Around 90'000 users submit around 8.3 million notifications to the AMD annually. The animal movement database is operated by Identitas AG.
Anis Anis is the Swiss database for the identification and registration of pets. If the animals are chipped and registered in Anis, this enables a quick identification e.g. after accidents in road traffic or in case of escaped animals. Police stations (e.g. in the event of an accident), veterinarians, animal shelters and, in some places, municipal employees can read the microchip number and use it to search for the contact details of the animal owners in Anis and notify them if necessary.
Beef breeds Breeds that in Switzerland are principally used for the production of meat.
Birth The live birth of an animal. A birth is defined as a live birth if the animal is born alive and lives for at least 48h. This time window around birth is called perinatal, followed by the postnatal timeframe.
Bitch Female dog.
Breed A group of animals of the same species with similar appearance, similar performances and similar genetics. Selection and breeding within a breed is called pure breeding, between breeds crossbreeding. The affiliation of an animal to a breed is usually accompanied by an entry in a herdbook. See also species.
Breed designation All evaluations by breed on "animal statistics" are based on the self-declaration of the breed by the animal keepers. This information is currently not subject to further plausibility checks.
Breed unkown Animals without any indication of the breed, or missing breed name on the AMD (see "Other breed"), or unspecific or implausible breed description.
Breeding bull Male cattle with offspring. The majority of reproduction in cattle takes place via artificial insemination (AI) with frozen semen produced from domestic bulls or imports. So-called “genetics companies” are active in the breeding and keeping of bulls, semen production and semen sales. In dairy cattle farming, private bull covering is now largely a marginal phenomenon. In suckler cow husbandry, especially in production herds, a bull is usually part of the cow herd during the breeding season. However, the breeding of elite breeding stock also primarily uses artificial insemination for beef breeds. The latter has ensured greater selection gain in Switzerland and worldwide since the 1960s. In addition, the risks involved with keeping bulls and the transmission of reproductive diseases are reduced by AI. Frozen semen from bulls can also be traded worldwide. For local breeds such as the Original Braunvieh, Hérens and Simmental in Switzerland, reproduction with a breeding bull is still widespread and also has advantages in terms of preserving genetic diversity. For example, a breeding bull sires fewer offspring than with AI and it makes sense in these populations to have more and genetically different sires involved in the production of offspring (Bächi 2014; AfA 2024).
Buck Male goat for breeding purposes.
Bull Male bovine, not castrated.
Calving interval The calving interval is the time between two calvings (e.g. Pryce et al. 2000; Hare et al. 2006; Foskolos & Moorby 2018).
Cat Female cat.
Cats The cats (Felidae) are a family from the order of carnivores (Carnivora) within the superfamily of felines (Feloidea). They are distributed on all continents except the polar regions and Australasia and Oceania, although the domesticated domestic cat has also penetrated these regions through humans. They are divided into big cats (such as the lion, tiger and leopard) and small cats (such as the wild cat, lynx and ocelot), although the small cats also include large representatives such as the puma and cheetah. With the domestic cat (Felis catus) descending from the African wildcat, a representative of the family became a world-wide held domestic animal by domestication (Driscoll et al. 2007; Driscoll et al. 2012). Cats are almost exclusively carnivores and active hunters. In appearance and behavior, most of the cat species living today are very similar. The wildcat as well as the lynx belong to the protected animal species of Switzerland (KORA; Wildtier Schweiz).
Chimera Mythical or hybrid creature; in biology an animal with cells of different genetic origins derived from different fertilized oocytes. Bovine chimeras in multiple pregnancies or sheep-goat chimeras ("Schiege") are known. In plant breeding, the grafting of fruit trees or vines leads to chimeras.
Chromosome Carrier structure of the DNA in the nucleus of a cell.
Classification The ordinance on the fatstock and the meat market regulates the criteria for the neutral quality classification and grading of slaughter animals and carcasses, respectively. In Switzerland, the CH-TAX system is applied. The basis for CH-TAX was provided by the "Beef Project" of 1988 (Dissertation ETHZ Nr. 8560) and other preliminary work inspired by the related EUROP classification system. In contrast to the EUROP system, CH-TAX is used for both live cattle and carcasses. In addition to subjective classification by experts, methods based on image analysis are likely to be increasingly used for classification in the future.
Cloven-hoofed animals According to Article 6(t) of the Ordinance on epizootic diseases: cloven-hoofed animals, domestic animals of the bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine species, including buffalo and new-world camelids (llamas, alpacas) and domestic ungulates of the order even-toed ungulates, excluding zoo animals.
Exceptions which do not have to be reported in the animal movement database AMD: New world camelids (llamas, alpacas), zoo, circus and small breed companion animals, if they are neither slaughtered nor displayed at markets.
Companion animal Equids are born as livestock animals, but may at any time obtain the status (utilization type) of companion animal, which is not reversible. The companion animal status is recorded in the AMD and the equine passport. The decision as to whether an equid is considered as livestock or a companion animal rests with the owner. Depending on whether an equid is registered as livestock or as a companion animal, different rules and regulations apply to the administration and documentation of veterinary drugs (Ordinance on veterinary drugs, articles 12, 15, 23, 26, 28), slaughter or use of the carcass (Ordinance on animal slaughter and meat control, articles 9, 10, 22, 24). In case of doubt, the entry in the AMD applies.
Contingent Share in the regulated import of goods. Concerning import and export of equids, e.g., the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) and the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) provide extensive information: "import equids"; "assignment of contingents"; "import & export".
Cow Female cattle after the first calving.
Crossbred Having parents of different breeds or breed combinations (Künzi N. & Stranzinger G. 1993. Allgemeine Tierzucht. Ulmer Verlag D; Bourdon R. 2000. Understanding animal breeding. Prentice-Hall Inc. USA). Crossbreeding techniques are used selectively in breeding programs (see "Hybrid"). In Swiss cattle breeding, the mating of beef breeds to dairy cows is of great importance. These so-called commercial crosses make a significant contribution to beef production. The proportion of commercial crosses has been steadily increasing for years. In addition, the use of sexed semen enables dairy cattle breeders to further increase their share of commercial crosses in the dairy herd. In some cases, female crossbred animals are kept for replacement. Furthermore, new breeds can be developed through crossbreeding.
Dairy breeds Breeds that in Switzerland are principally used for the production of milk.
Dairy cow Dairy cows are defined as cows milked with or without marketed milk production, including dry cows, which are kept in the herd of milked cows (IdAMD-Ordinance (only in DE, FR, IT), Ordinance on agricultural terms (only in DE, FR, IT)).
Death Refers to the death of an animal regardless of slaughtering.
Decreasing notification Any notification that reduces the number of animals of a population. Notifications comprise slaughter, death/ euthanasia, and exports.
Difference between horse and pony Horses and ponies belong to the same domesticated species Equus caballus caballus. The word pony comes from the old French term poulenet (small foal), or in Latin Pullanus (young animal). Pony generally means a small horse. The height at the withers is the decisive criterion for classification. Horses under 148cm are generally considered ponies, those above this height are considered horses. The term pony is often associated with certain "pony-typical" characteristics. These phenotypes can primarily be traced back to the origin of small horses under harsh environmental conditions and their use as draught and pack animals. Some breeds have always been called ponies (e.g. Dartmoor or Shetland Pony), others are called horses despite their small size (e.g. Haflinger Horse, Fjord Horse, Camargue Horse). The term "Kleinpferd (small horse)" is also used to distinguish between larger (>148cm) and smaller horses.
Distribution of births Distribution of registered animals by date and month of birth.
Doe Female goat.
Dog types The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) is the world organization of cynology. Currently, the FCI recognizes 355 different dog breeds. Each of them is the "property" of a particular country, which is called the country of origin of the breed. The countries of origin create the standards for their breeds - description of the ideal type of the breed - in cooperation with the Standards and Scientific Commission of the FCI. The dog breeds managed by the FCI are divided into 10 categories or classes of dog types. These dog types are grouped based on the characteristics, morphology, use, and origin of the various breeds (Parker et al. 2017).
Dogs The dogs (Canidae) are a family within the superfamily of canines (Canoidea). This family includes various species known as foxes and jackals, coyotes, and the wolves, whose domesticated relatives (the domestic dogs) serve as the group's namesake. The domestic dogs are considered the first animal species domesticated by humans (Larson et al. 2012; Perri et al. 2021; Dog domestication). The wild ancestor of the dog, the wolf, is one of Switzerland's protected species (KORA).
Donkey The donkey is one of nine living species of equidae and one of two domesticated types. It is a descendant from the African wild donkey and served primarily as a load and pack animal.
Dry cow A dry cow is a cow that is between two lactations. About 6 to 8 weeks before expected calving, a cow is not milked anymore. Her organism can thus regenerate and prepare for the next lactation. In German, she is "galt", "gust" (dialect) or dry.
Ear tags Ear tags shall be used to identify cloven-hoofed animals (Ordinance on epizootic diseases (OFE) Article 6(t); Article 10). Llamas, alpacas, zoo and circus animals need not be marked until further notice. Small-breed companion animals also do not need to be marked if neither slaughter nor exhibitions / markets are planned (technical instructions on the identification of cloven-hoofed animals Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO). The terms "right" or "left" in connection with ear tags are understood in relation to the direction of vision of the animal. The perforated part is on the inner ear and the mandrel part on the outer ear. Ear tags for initial identification are produced by the ear tag manufacturer and sent by Swiss Post directly to the animal keeper. The delivery takes place in 14 to 21 calendar days. In order for cloven-hoofed animals to be moved to another farm, they must be correctly marked with the valid ear tags.
Equid types To illustrate the population development of different types of equids over time, Identitas AG has created the following nine categories: Thoroughbreds include classic thoroughbred breeds; Warmbloods include modern sport horse breeds with a strong relationship to the Thoroughbred; Draft horses include classic draught horse breeds including the Franches-Montagnes; Ponies and Small Horses form a heterogeneous group of horse breeds of different origins, which are characterized by a size at withers <148cm; Iberians include breeds with characteristic Iberian origin; Court breeds include the carousel, riding and parade horses of the European courts of the 16th to the 18th century; donkeys include all donkey breeds and donkeys of unknown origin; mules and hinnies are called hybrids and the category wild equids includes Przewalski horses. Other wild equids are currently not registered to the AMD. The classification is based on the current state of scientific knowledge on the genetics and history of equids (e.g. Petersen et al. 2013). Categorizations are always debatable. Identitas AG tries to show clear trends in this graph by means of numerically large groups. For fanciers of single breeds, a chart by breed is available.
Equids In taxonomy, the Equidae (horses or solipeds/ solidungulates) correspond to the zoological hierarchy level of the family. This includes the still living species of horses (Equus caballus), wild horses (Equus ferus przewalskii), donkeys (Equus asinus), hemiones (Equus hemionus, Equus kiang), zebras (Equus hippotigris) and their hybrids ("Krüger et al. 2005"). In the context of animal identification and registration article 6, letter y of the Ordinance on epizootic deseases has to be considered.
Euthanasia The killing of an animal with a drug (narcotic, barbiturate) by a specialist.
Evolution The change of a parameter over time.
Ewe Female sheep.
Export Export of animals to other countries in the world, except Lichtenstein. In the case of a dog keeper moving abroad, this automatically leads to the export of all his dogs.
Farm Definition of a farm according to the farm structure survey by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) (minimum standards per farm):
1 hectare of utilised agricultural area or 30 ares of special crops or 10 ares of protected
crops or 8 sows or 80 fattening pigs or a pig shed to house 80 fattening pigs or 300 poultry units.
Female Biological female sex.
First registration Initial notification for the registration of animals in the AMD which cannot be registered by birth, import or the arrival on a holding. Examples are the subsequent registration of previously unregistered animals due to new registration requirements.
Further breeds Groups all breeds that are not explicitly shown.
Further countries Groups all countries that are not explicitly shown.
Gelding Castrated male equid, gelded, respectively.
Gene Most basic hereditary unit of DNA. Some genes contain the basic information for the synthesis of a protein.
Genome The total inheritable information of an individual. In mammals, this is approximately 3.5 billion DNA building blocks in the cell nucleus (nucleotide-base pairs). Mitochondrial DNA is also passed on to the offspring via the females. This comprises about 16.5k base pairs.
Genotyping Determination of the paternal and maternal allele at a gene site. A genotype is the combination of the paternal and maternal allele at a gene site. If only two different alleles (A1 and A2) are known for a gene position in a population, this results in three different genotypes (A1A1, A1A2, A2A2). If the paternal and maternal alleles are identical, one speaks of homozygosity, if they are different, one speaks of heterozygosity.
Genus A genus is a hierarchical level of biological systematics (zoological taxonomy). It comprises one or more species. The bovidae, for example, are grouped into the genera cattle (Bos), Asian buffalo (Bubalus), African buffalo (Syncerus) and Vietnamese forest cattle (Pseudoryx). Bos and Bubalus include i.a. the domesticated species domestic cattle, yak and water buffalo.
Goats Like cattle, goats belong to the family of horn carriers, the Bovidae. They are part of the genus goats (Capra). Their wild form is the Bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus). The domesticated form is called Capra hircus (FAO. 2015. The Second Report on the State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, edited by B.D. Scherf & D. Pilling. FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Assessments. Rome.).
Guardian dogs A guardian dog is a dog that has undergone guardian dog training and has successfully completed a series of tests. The guardian dog is the real all-rounder among the service dogs in the police. German Shepherds, Malinois, Rottweilers and Giant Schnauzers are mainly used. The intensive and versatile training lasts 2 to 3 years and includes the areas of protection service in all its variations, tracking, personal area (area search for missing persons), property area (search for objects) and obedience exercises (Schweizerischer Polizeihundeführer-Verband SPV). Protection dogs are working dogs, which are also used in dog sports (Technische Kommission für das Gebrauchs- und Sporthundewesen der Schweizerischen kynologischen Gesellschaft SKG).
Heifer Female cattle before the first calving.
Herd According to Article 6(p) of the Ordinance on epizootic diseases the term "herd" means: animals from an animal holding forming an epidemiological unit; an animal holding may comprise one or more herds. In general: a group of animals belonging to an animal keeper.
Herd protection Livestock guardian dogs have been protecting livestock for thousands of years, especially in Europe and Asia. In contrast to herding dogs and other working dogs, guardian dogs work largely independently - without humans, but in association with other dogs. Most livestock guardian dogs protect sheep and goat herds, some also cattle herds. In Switzerland, livestock guardian dogs have only been kept since the return of the wolf at the end of the last century. Herd protection plays a central role in the implementation of the national concepts for the lynx, wolf and bear (Fachstelle Herdenschutz Agridea; Bundesamt für Umwelt BAFU - Herdenschutz).
Herdbook A herd book, also called stud book, contains the genealogy (the ancestors) of a group of animals and their performance records. From the 18th century onwards, herd books increasingly became the cornerstone of animal breeding efforts. Knowledge about the relationship between animals and their performance, as well as findings about the heredity of traits (Darwin, Mendel), combined with statistical models (population genetics - Hardy, Weinberg, Wright, Fisher, Haldane), enabled a selection and breeding progress in the 19th and 20th century to a previously unprecedented extent. Since the 21st century, thanks to technical progress and decreasing genotyping costs, information from the genome of animals can directly be accessed and has become widely used in animal breeding ("Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms - SNP", "Whole Genome Sequencing - WGS"; literature 1, 2, 3).
Heredity Hereditary part of the expression of a trait (phenotype) also called genotype. The phenotype, corrected for environmental effects, results in the genotype (phenotype - environment = genotype). An individual, whether human or animal, has a unique genotype in sexually reproducing species, consisting of the alleles inherited from the parents and the resulting allele combinations. Exceptions are identical twins and clones.
Heritability Heritability is a statistical value at the population level. It is the genetically determined proportion of the observed phenotypic variance, given a particular trait. Heritability can achieve values between 0 (no genetic effect detectable) to 1 (a trait is completely genetically determined) - also 0-100%.
Hermaphrodite (Freemartin) Animal with different, simultaneous expression of male and female sexual characteristics. Typical in bi-sexual multiparous gestations in cattle (Freemartins, Chimeras), or homozygous hornless female goats. Hermaphrodites are usually infertile.
Heterozygous A gene site consists of distinct paternal and maternal alleles/ chromosomes.
Hinny Hybrid between a horse stallion and a female donkey (jenny).
Holding Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the figures, the term "holding" (article 6, letter o of the Ordinance on epizootic diseases) is equivalent to the AMD number of an animal holding. An AMD number does not equal per se a farm, because a farm may comprise several livestock holdings (articles 6-11 of the Ordinance on agricultural terms and the recognition of farm types). On the reference date, the holding must have at least one alive animal of the corresponding genus.
Homozygous A gene site consists of identical paternal and maternal alleles/ chromosomes.
Hybrid Crosses in animal and plant breeding are called hybrids. Hybrids are sometimes infertile and considered a breeding end product. Well-known are, among others, species crosses between donkey and horse, which lead to mules or hinnies depending on the mating. Hybrid breeding is also practiced in the pig and poultry industry. Hybrid plant varieties are routinely found in agriculture worldwide. From a genetic point of view, hybridization uses the effect of heterosis (cross-breeding effect, hybrid vigor). As a result of heterosis, individual characteristics are more pronounced in hybrid animals and plants than in the individual parent breeds - plant varieties, respectively. In the case of fertile hybrids, the effect is lost in the progeny according to Mendel's segregation law.
Import Imports of animals from other countries of the world, except Liechtenstein.
Import after export Imports of exported animals from other countries of the world, except Liechtenstein.
Increasing notification Any notification that increases the number of animals of a population. Notifications comprise births, imports, and import after export.
Inheritance Passing on the genetic material from the parents to the offspring. The paternal and maternal germ cells (gametes) contain a haploid ("half") set of chromosomes. The chromosomes are the carrier structure of DNA. During mating, the sperm head (male gamete), with the haploid paternal set of chromosomes, enters the haploid egg cell (female gamete), a zygote is formed. The zygote has a full, diploid ("double") set of chromosomes. Since Mendel, a distinction is made between dominant and recessive inheritance. Other forms of inheritance such as incomplete dominance, co-dominance, sex-linked, linkage, epistasis, imprinting, etc. are known today. A further distinction is made between the inheritance of monogenic (qualitative), oligo- and polygenic (quantitative) traits. Typical monogenic traits are coat colour, blood groups, polledness, and a series of hereditary diseases. Polygenic traits are for example growth, size, milk yield, morphology, and health. Envirnomental influences can affect both polygenic and monogenic traits but usually have a stronger influence on polygenic traits.
Initial notification Initial notifications are birth, import and first registrations. With these messages the respective animal story begins in the TVD.
International Committee for Animal Recording The International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) is an Non-Governmental Organisation which was formed 1951, in Rome. ICAR is composed of more than 100 members from about 60 different countries. ICAR strives to be the leading global provider of Guidelines, Standards and Certification for animal identification, animal recording and animal evaluation. ICAR wants to improve the profitability, and sustainability of farm animal production by: establishing and maintaining guidelines and standards for best practice in all aspects of animal identification and recording; certifying equipment, and processes used in animal identification, recording and genetic evaluations; stimulating and leading continuous improvement, innovation, research, knowledge development, and knowledge exchange; providing services essential to achieving international collaboration in key aspects of animal recording and animal breeding.
Interquartile range The interquartile range describes the variation in a sample. If a sample is sorted by size, the interquartile distance indicates how wide the interval is in which the middle 50% of the sample elements lie.
Kid Young goat kid up to the age of about 120 days.
Lamb Young sheep up to the age of about one year.
Lambing/ kidding interval Lambing/ kidding interval is the time between two lambings/ kiddings (see also calving interval; Stürm et al. 2009; Casellas & Bach 2012; Montaldo et al. 2010; Garcia-Peniche et al. 2012; SZZV;).
Late registration The animal was chipped but not registered to Amicus/Anis. The registration cannot be reported as a standard registration, as the microchip is no longer on stock.
Listed dogs The colloquial term "listed dogs" includes those dog breeds that are classified as potentially dangerous on the basis of cantonal legislation and which are accordingly listed, restricted or even banned from being kept. As an example canton Basel-Stadt: "The government council has listed the following dog breeds and their crossbreeds as potentially dangerous according to § 14 para. 2 of the law concerning the keeping of dogs[1]: Rottweiler, Doberman, American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier incl. Miniature Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro." Currently, 13 Swiss cantons know a permit requirement or holding bans for potentially dangerous dog breeds. An overview with references to the respective cantonal legislation can be found under the following link. Potentially dangerous dog breeds, most often so-called fighting dogs, are those breeds that have been bred specifically for fights between dogs and other animals. Special emphasis was given to aggressiveness, biting power and muscular bodies. Regardless of breed and whether an individual dog is ultimately classified as dangerous or not, the legislation is designed to limit harm. Dogs of potentially dangerous type can simply cause more damage than others, even though it is undisputed that in principle every dog is capable of biting. In this context, good animal husbandry and the correct handling of the dog are the key (Salonen et al. 2023).
Live weight Officially determined weight on the occasion of the assessment, taking into account a possible weight deduction. The necessary weight deduction varies and depends on the following factors: feed quantity and type (grass/dry fodder), transport, udder, digestive system in relation to weight, skin, gestation and degree of fattening. In the case of sheep, the weight deduced also depends on the length and wetness of the wool (Source: CH-TAX, Proviande).
Livestock Equids are born as livestock animals, but may at any time obtain the status (utilization type) of companion animal, which is not reversible. The companion animal status is recorded in the AMD and the equine passport. The decision as to whether an equid is considered as livestock or a companion animal rests with the owner. Depending on whether an equid is registered as livestock or as a companion animal, different rules and regulations apply to the administration and documentation of veterinary drugs (Ordinance on veterinary drugs, articles 12, 15, 23, 26, 28), slaughter or use of the carcass (Ordinance on animal slaughter and meat control, articles 9, 10, 22, 24). In case of doubt, the entry in the AMD applies.
Livestock unit The livestock unit (LU) serves as a reference unit that facilitates the aggregation of different species and ages of livestock. Specific coefficients, originally based on the feed requirements of the animal species, are used for this purpose. On the basis of the LU unit, a distinction is also made between the roughage-consuming livestock unit (RCLU) and the livestock manure unit (LMU).
Lower fence The lower fence is equal to q1 minus 1.5 times the interquartile range.
Male Biological male sex.
Male canine Male dog.
Male cat Male cat.
Mare Female equidae.
Median The median, median value or position parameter divides the observed values ordered by size into two equally sized halves. The median is also known as the 1/2 quantile. A value m is the median of a sample if at least half of the observations in the sample have a value ≤ m and at least half have a value ≥ m. This measurement is more robust given extreme values than the mean. For example, the median of the values {1,2,1,100,3} is 2 (two values are lower than 2: {1,1} and two higher: {3, 100}) while its mean is 21.4. The median of a dataset is often represented graphically by means of a boxplot diagram.
Mule Hybrid between a donkey stallion and a mare.
Normal load A normal load (NL) corresponds to the summering of one roughage-consuming livestock unit (RGVE) for 100 days.
Not defined All male and female animals, the latter without a notification for first calving, lambing or kidding, are assigned to the type of use "not defined".
Notification of arrival All notifications concerning farm animals which include the arrival of animals on a holding. The types of declaration depend on the animal species and are regulated in the IdAMD-Ordinance. Possible notification types are births, change of holding, imports, first registrations, import after export.
Notification of leave All notifications concerning farm animals which include the departure of animals from a holding. The types of declaration depend on the animal species and are regulated in the IdAMD-Ordinance. Possible notification types are change of holding, summering, export, death, slaughter, euthanasia.
Notification period The mandatory notifications in the animal movement database, as well as in Amicus, are subject to different notification periods depending on the notification. These are regulated in the Ordinance on epizootic diseases (cloven hoofed animals, equids, dogs). The notifications by the notifying parties arrive in the Identitas AG databases at different times, and in some cases the legal deadlines are exceeded. The dynamic nature of the reporting system influences the results of data analyses. Recent data is affected more than data from further back in time. For example, a keeper of cloven-hoofed animals has 30 days to report a birth, but only three days for arrival, departure, slaughter or death. If one calculates the number of births, e.g. as of June 30 in the current year, it is understandable that the value for June 30, retrieved during the months of July and August, does not yet correspond to the final, stable value, as birth notifications for the month of June can certainly be expected in July, but also in August and later. A value for a specific reference date only approaches its stable final value with time. When interpreting results from the animal statistics and the quality of individual values, the dynamics of the notification system and the aspect of late notifications beyond the notification deadlines must therefore always be taken into account.
On farm and on pasture slaughter According to Article 3(q) and (r) of the "Ordinance on Slaughter and Meat Control" (OSMC), farm slaughter means slaughter where the stunning and bleeding of the animals takes place in the herd and holding of origin; pasture slaughter means slaughter where the stunning and bleeding of the animals takes place in a pasture in the herd and holding of origin. On-farm slaughter is permitted for animals for livestock, and pasture slaughter for animals of the bovine species. Article 9a of the OSMC also applies.
Other breed All breeds of a species that are not currently eligible on the AMD for that species.
Other cow Female cows with one or more parities not declared as dairy cows. This includes beef/ suckler and nurse cows, fattening cows, dislocated dry cows and other non-milking cows (Ordiance on Identitas AG and the animal movements database (only in DE, FR, IT), Ordinance on agricultural terms (only in DE, FR, IT)).
Outlier An outlier is an observation that lies outside the overall pattern of a distribution. Here we define an outlier as a point that equals more than 1.5 times the interquartile range, and falls above the third quartile or below the first quartile.
Owner Private or legal person who has the legal power of disposal and use over an object. The AMD currently recognizes the role of owner only for equids (article 19 Ordiance on Identitas AG and the animal movements database).
Phenotype Appearance; everything that can be measured, described and observed in an animal. The phenotype results from the interaction of genes and the environment (e.g. growth, size, milk yield).
Ram Male sheep for breeding purposes.
Re-registration The chip of an animal has become unreadable. The registration has to be repeated with a new chip. Also an animal originally tattooed can be re-registered with a chip.
Red and white cattle Red and white cattle is a collective term for cattle breeds of red and white coat color. Since 2012, the Swiss breed "Swiss Fleckvieh" can be selected on the animal traffic database. For notification purposes concering animal traffic, Swiss Fleckvieh farmers have, since then, selected the specific breed name of their breed and not the collective term red and white cattle, as was previously the case. As a result, the Swiss Fleckvieh breed has increased strongly since 2012 on the cattle "Evolution by breed" and "Births by breed" charts and, conversely, the proportion of animals under the collective term red and white cattle is increasingly disappearing. Other red and white cattle breeds also show a significant increase from 2012 (e.g. Red Holstein). This also goes along with the strongly decreasing use of the collective term red and white cattle in favor of the specific breed names.
Relocation Transfer of an animal from one place to another. In the case of cloven-hoofed animals, a transfer consists of a departure and an arrival notification, from and to an animal holding. For equids, departure and arrival notifications are anounced by the owner in one single step (exceptions are export and slaughter).
Replacement ear tag Replacement for official identification (see ear tags). Animals of the bovine, ovine and caprine species must be identified by ear tags on both ears. The remaining cloven-hoofed animals only at the right ear. If an animal loses the ear tag, the keeper is obliged to order and fix a replacement ear tag within three days.
Selection Selection of animals for rearing and production of offspring. The proportion of animals in a population selected for breeding and mating has an impact on breeding progress.
Sheep Like cattle, sheep belong to the family of horn carriers, the Bovidae. They are part of the genus sheep (Ovis). Their wild form is the Asian mouflon (Ovis orientalis). The domesticated form is called Ovis aries (FAO. 2015. The Second Report on the State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, edited by B.D. Scherf & D. Pilling. FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Assessments. Rome.).
Size class Dogs are classified according to FCI into the following size classes: small, medium, large, giant and unknown. The numerical designations of these classes are: 3, 14, 4, 5 and 1. Size and weight are variables with close relationship. Small dogs are those up to 45 cm and 15 kg; medium dogs are those between 45-55 cm and 15-25 kg; large dogs are those between 55-70 cm and 25-45 kg; and giant dogs are those with a height at the withers of more than 70 cm and a weight of more than 45 kg.
Slaughter Slaughter of an animal in a processing plant.
Slaughter weight Determined weight of animals, whole or in halves, which have been slaughtered in accordance with the ordinance of the EDI on hygiene during slaughter (817.190.1); until 2017 ordinance on fatstock weighting (817.190.4) - (Source: CH-TAX, Proviande).
Small ruminants type of use By analogy with cattle, and based on the Ordinance on agricultural terms, the type of use for small ruminants is differentiated as follows: females milked (primarily dairy breeds), other females with offspring older than one year (primarily meat breeds), and the "not defined" category, which includes all males, all females without a first lambing, and all animals younger than one year.
Species Species is the basic unit of biological systematics (zoological taxonomy). There are different concepts of species. Often a species is defined with regard to reproductive success - can fertile offspring be produced yes/ no - or the presence of common traits in a group - morphology, genetics. In the case of domesticated species, groups of similar animals are referred to as breeds. However, the concept of breed is not a taxonomic, but a socio-economic and cultural entity ("a breed is a breed if enough people say it is" - Hammond K., FAO 1997). All horse and pony breeds belong to the same species Equus caballus caballus, all dog breeds to Canis lupus familiaris.
Stallion Male equid, not castrated.
Standard registration The animal receives a chip containing a number assigned to that particular microchip in Amicus/Anis.
Steer Castrate male bovine (also ox). The data on castration in cattle are taken from tables linked to bovine birth registration and subsequent adjustments to them. These declarations are made by the animal keepers. A comparison with data from the slaughter statistics of Agristat (Tables 3.13 and 3.14) indicates that the declarations in the AMD are not complete and that the actual number of steers is higher than currently shown in the animal statistics.
Stillbirth The birth will be considered a stillbirth if the animal dies within 48h of the birth or is stillborn (Bleul 2010; Holmøy & Waage 2015; Robertson et al. 2020).
Summering The summering area is an important part of the cultural landscape in the Alps, Pre-Alps and Jura. The alpine farming area in Switzerland covers about 465'000 hectares. It is managed by slightly more than 7'000 farms with herbivores contributing about 300'000 "normal loads". Keeping the summering pastures open is only possible with roughage consuming animals. If the use is abandoned, the pastures become forest. The federal government supports summering with contributions to ensure a sufficient number of animals so that shrubs and trees do not endanger the alpine pastures in the long term and the biodiversity of the alpine ecosystem is preserved.
Swiss cat population In Switzerland, there is no mandatory identification and registration of cats yet. Data on the cat population are therefore based on estimates. For example, based on pet food sales, the Verband für Heimtiernahrung publishes a cat population of currently around 1.85 million animals. Identitas AG estimates that about one third of the total cat population in Switzerland is registered with the Anis database. More cats are registered in urban regions and agglomerations than in rural areas. Furthermore, the ratio of registered dogs per municipality in Amicus to registered cats in Anis indicates a total cat population of about 2.2 million.
Traceability Animal traceability is the basis for food safety and the control of animal diseases. Traceability is based on the mandatory notifications according to the IdAMD-Ordinance and the legislation on epizootic diseases in general. Birth, movements and death of cloven-hoofed animals and equidae are recorded, and the assignment to the responsible animal keeper is registered. The latter is also true for dogs.
UELN UELN is a project for the uniform identification of equids. The EU Regulation 2015/262 paragraph 61 describes the UELN as follows: the Universal Equine Life Number (UELN) system has been agreed on worldwide between the major horse-breeding and competition organisations. It has been developed on the initiative of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH), the International Stud-Book Committee (ISBC), the World Arabian Horse Organization(WAHO), the European Conference of Arabian Horse Organisations (ECAHO), the Conférence Internationale de l'Anglo-Arabe (CIAA), the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and the Union Européenne du Trot (UET) and information on this system can be consulted on the UELN website.
Upper fence The upper fence is equal to q3 plus 1.5 times the interquartile range.
Wether Castrated male sheep older than one year.
Withers The long spinous processes of the first thoracic vertebrae are called withers. They form the highest point of the body when the head and neck posture is lowered.
Zygote A zygote is a cell formed from the union of male and female gametes (germ cells). A zygote has a full set of genes, half from the sperm and half from the egg (Bourdon R. 2000. Understanding animal breeding. Prentice-Hall Inc. USA).
gestation type Uniparous is the name of animal species that usually produce one single offspring per gestation. Animal species that regularly produce multiple offspring per gestation are called multiparous.
q1 The first quartile (also called the 25% quantile) of a sample is defined as the m-value where at least one quarter of the observations in the sample are ≤ m and at least three quarters are ≥ m. The first quartile is the lower limit of the interquartile range.
q3 The second quartile (also called the 75% quantile) of a sample is defined as the value m where at least three quarters of the observations in the sample have a value ≤ m and at least three quarters are ≥ m. The second quartile is the upper limit of the interquartile range.

Term	Description
??	The two question marks stand for undefined, unknown, invalid and missing data. This may concern the address of an animal holding, the breed designation and other attributes.
Abroad	Countries of the world except Switzerland and Liechtenstein, if not explicitly excluded.
Additional marking for small ruminants	Small ruminants born before 1 January 2020 must be identified with a second ear tag. The second eartag must have the same number as the first ("Sheep&Goats").
Age at first calving	Age of a cow at first calving. Depending on the type of use, breed and intensity of the production system, this lies between approximately 20 and 50 months (e.g. Hare et al. 2006; Froidmont et al. 2012; López-Parades et al. 2018).
Age at first lambing/ kidding	Age of a ewe/ goat at first lambing/ kidding. Depending on the type of use, breed and intensity of the production system, age at first lambing/ kidding falls between approximately 10 and 40 months (Stürm et al. 2009; Gazzarin 2019; Rassenstandards SSZV; Auswertungen SZZV).
Age class	In Switzerland, it is illegal to import puppies younger than 56 days (8 weeks) without their mother or foster mother, according to Article 22b of the Ordinance on the Protection of Animals. In the EU, an age limit of 15 weeks applies for cross-border traffic with dogs. Individual exceptions are possible according to Regulation (EU) No. 576/2013. The background is the rabies vaccination for pets. Puppies may only be vaccinated against rabies from the 12th week onwards, so that immunological protection and thus entry into most EU countries is only possible from the 15th week of age. The import of young animals from problematic origins is a recurring animal welfare issue. Additional remark: in the national dog database Amicus we find many dogs with a date of birth on the first of the month, and on the first day of the year, respectively. The number is about 3 - 10 times higher than the daily average. Therefore, a part of these birth dates must be classified as purely administrative. This makes it difficult to determine the exact age of dogs and in some cases overestimates the age of puppies in the 8-15 week age class, or underestimates the number of puppies in the <8 week age class.
Age structure	Distribution of registered, living animals according to their age on the reference date.
Agricultural zones	In the mountain and hilly regions of Switzerland, agriculture is confronted with aggravating production and living conditions (BLW Landwirtschaftliche Zonen). In the application of the Agriculture Act, these hardships are adequately taken into account. This is ensured by the division of the agriculturally used area into zones. The zoning forms the agricultural production register. The legal basis can be found in Article 4 of the Agriculture Act and in the Ordinance on the agricultural production register and the definition of zones.
Allele	Each of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome.
Amicus	On behalf of the cantons and based on article 30 of the Law on epizootic diseases and articles 16-18 of the Ordinance on epizootic diseases, respectively, Identitas AG operates the national dog database Amicus. Amicus guarantees compliance with legal requirements and offers high data quality: municipalities register dog keepers and maintain their addresses, veterinarians identify dogs and take care of initial registration, and dog keepers report mutations. This ensures complete traceability, and illegal imports of dogs that are too young and sick can be detected and prevented. In addition, Amicus provides the basis for contacting keepers of abandoned or runaway dogs. About 430'000 active users submit about 170'000 notifications in Amicus per year.
Animal genetic resources	According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) animal genetic resources (AnGR) for food and agriculture are the primary biological capital for livestock development and are vital to food security and sustainable rural development. AnGR are commonly defined as a subset of genetic resources (defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity as "genetic material of actual or potential value") and a specific element of agricultural biodiversity. The term animal genetic resources refers specifically to the genetic resources of avian and mammalian species, which are used for food and agriculture purposes. Further terms referring to AnGR are "farm animal genetic resources" or "livestock diversity". Information on AnGR in Switzerland can be found at the Federal office for Agriculture and organisations such as Pro Specie Rara.
Animal movements database AMD	The Animal movements database (AMD) enables the traceability of animals in accordance with the Ordiance on Identitas AG and the animal movements database (only in DE, FR, IT) and thus creates transparency and trust among the stakeholders involved and the consumers of animal derived food products in Switzerland. On behalf of the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG), the AMD assigns animal identities in the form of clearly labelled ear tags to all cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and game kept in enclosures in Switzerland, as well as a "Universal Equine Life Number - UELN" in the case of equids. Around 90'000 users submit around 8.3 million notifications to the AMD annually. The animal movement database is operated by Identitas AG.
Anis	Anis is the Swiss database for the identification and registration of pets. If the animals are chipped and registered in Anis, this enables a quick identification e.g. after accidents in road traffic or in case of escaped animals. Police stations (e.g. in the event of an accident), veterinarians, animal shelters and, in some places, municipal employees can read the microchip number and use it to search for the contact details of the animal owners in Anis and notify them if necessary.
Beef breeds	Breeds that in Switzerland are principally used for the production of meat.
Birth	The live birth of an animal. A birth is defined as a live birth if the animal is born alive and lives for at least 48h. This time window around birth is called perinatal, followed by the postnatal timeframe.
Bitch	Female dog.
Breed	A group of animals of the same species with similar appearance, similar performances and similar genetics. Selection and breeding within a breed is called pure breeding, between breeds crossbreeding. The affiliation of an animal to a breed is usually accompanied by an entry in a herdbook. See also species.
Breed designation	All evaluations by breed on "animal statistics" are based on the self-declaration of the breed by the animal keepers. This information is currently not subject to further plausibility checks.
Breed unkown	Animals without any indication of the breed, or missing breed name on the AMD (see "Other breed"), or unspecific or implausible breed description.
Breeding bull	Male cattle with offspring. The majority of reproduction in cattle takes place via artificial insemination (AI) with frozen semen produced from domestic bulls or imports. So-called “genetics companies” are active in the breeding and keeping of bulls, semen production and semen sales. In dairy cattle farming, private bull covering is now largely a marginal phenomenon. In suckler cow husbandry, especially in production herds, a bull is usually part of the cow herd during the breeding season. However, the breeding of elite breeding stock also primarily uses artificial insemination for beef breeds. The latter has ensured greater selection gain in Switzerland and worldwide since the 1960s. In addition, the risks involved with keeping bulls and the transmission of reproductive diseases are reduced by AI. Frozen semen from bulls can also be traded worldwide. For local breeds such as the Original Braunvieh, Hérens and Simmental in Switzerland, reproduction with a breeding bull is still widespread and also has advantages in terms of preserving genetic diversity. For example, a breeding bull sires fewer offspring than with AI and it makes sense in these populations to have more and genetically different sires involved in the production of offspring (Bächi 2014; AfA 2024).
Buck	Male goat for breeding purposes.
Bull	Male bovine, not castrated.
Calving interval	The calving interval is the time between two calvings (e.g. Pryce et al. 2000; Hare et al. 2006; Foskolos & Moorby 2018).
Cat	Female cat.
Cats	The cats (Felidae) are a family from the order of carnivores (Carnivora) within the superfamily of felines (Feloidea). They are distributed on all continents except the polar regions and Australasia and Oceania, although the domesticated domestic cat has also penetrated these regions through humans. They are divided into big cats (such as the lion, tiger and leopard) and small cats (such as the wild cat, lynx and ocelot), although the small cats also include large representatives such as the puma and cheetah. With the domestic cat (Felis catus) descending from the African wildcat, a representative of the family became a world-wide held domestic animal by domestication (Driscoll et al. 2007; Driscoll et al. 2012). Cats are almost exclusively carnivores and active hunters. In appearance and behavior, most of the cat species living today are very similar. The wildcat as well as the lynx belong to the protected animal species of Switzerland (KORA; Wildtier Schweiz).
Chimera	Mythical or hybrid creature; in biology an animal with cells of different genetic origins derived from different fertilized oocytes. Bovine chimeras in multiple pregnancies or sheep-goat chimeras ("Schiege") are known. In plant breeding, the grafting of fruit trees or vines leads to chimeras.
Chromosome	Carrier structure of the DNA in the nucleus of a cell.
Classification	The ordinance on the fatstock and the meat market regulates the criteria for the neutral quality classification and grading of slaughter animals and carcasses, respectively. In Switzerland, the CH-TAX system is applied. The basis for CH-TAX was provided by the "Beef Project" of 1988 (Dissertation ETHZ Nr. 8560) and other preliminary work inspired by the related EUROP classification system. In contrast to the EUROP system, CH-TAX is used for both live cattle and carcasses. In addition to subjective classification by experts, methods based on image analysis are likely to be increasingly used for classification in the future.
Cloven-hoofed animals	According to Article 6(t) of the Ordinance on epizootic diseases: cloven-hoofed animals, domestic animals of the bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine species, including buffalo and new-world camelids (llamas, alpacas) and domestic ungulates of the order even-toed ungulates, excluding zoo animals. Exceptions which do not have to be reported in the animal movement database AMD: New world camelids (llamas, alpacas), zoo, circus and small breed companion animals, if they are neither slaughtered nor displayed at markets.
Companion animal	Equids are born as livestock animals, but may at any time obtain the status (utilization type) of companion animal, which is not reversible. The companion animal status is recorded in the AMD and the equine passport. The decision as to whether an equid is considered as livestock or a companion animal rests with the owner. Depending on whether an equid is registered as livestock or as a companion animal, different rules and regulations apply to the administration and documentation of veterinary drugs (Ordinance on veterinary drugs, articles 12, 15, 23, 26, 28), slaughter or use of the carcass (Ordinance on animal slaughter and meat control, articles 9, 10, 22, 24). In case of doubt, the entry in the AMD applies.
Contingent	Share in the regulated import of goods. Concerning import and export of equids, e.g., the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) and the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) provide extensive information: "import equids"; "assignment of contingents"; "import & export".
Cow	Female cattle after the first calving.
Crossbred	Having parents of different breeds or breed combinations (Künzi N. & Stranzinger G. 1993. Allgemeine Tierzucht. Ulmer Verlag D; Bourdon R. 2000. Understanding animal breeding. Prentice-Hall Inc. USA). Crossbreeding techniques are used selectively in breeding programs (see "Hybrid"). In Swiss cattle breeding, the mating of beef breeds to dairy cows is of great importance. These so-called commercial crosses make a significant contribution to beef production. The proportion of commercial crosses has been steadily increasing for years. In addition, the use of sexed semen enables dairy cattle breeders to further increase their share of commercial crosses in the dairy herd. In some cases, female crossbred animals are kept for replacement. Furthermore, new breeds can be developed through crossbreeding.
Dairy breeds	Breeds that in Switzerland are principally used for the production of milk.
Dairy cow	Dairy cows are defined as cows milked with or without marketed milk production, including dry cows, which are kept in the herd of milked cows (IdAMD-Ordinance (only in DE, FR, IT), Ordinance on agricultural terms (only in DE, FR, IT)).
Death	Refers to the death of an animal regardless of slaughtering.
Decreasing notification	Any notification that reduces the number of animals of a population. Notifications comprise slaughter, death/ euthanasia, and exports.
Difference between horse and pony	Horses and ponies belong to the same domesticated species Equus caballus caballus. The word pony comes from the old French term poulenet (small foal), or in Latin Pullanus (young animal). Pony generally means a small horse. The height at the withers is the decisive criterion for classification. Horses under 148cm are generally considered ponies, those above this height are considered horses. The term pony is often associated with certain "pony-typical" characteristics. These phenotypes can primarily be traced back to the origin of small horses under harsh environmental conditions and their use as draught and pack animals. Some breeds have always been called ponies (e.g. Dartmoor or Shetland Pony), others are called horses despite their small size (e.g. Haflinger Horse, Fjord Horse, Camargue Horse). The term "Kleinpferd (small horse)" is also used to distinguish between larger (>148cm) and smaller horses.
Distribution of births	Distribution of registered animals by date and month of birth.
Doe	Female goat.
Dog types	The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) is the world organization of cynology. Currently, the FCI recognizes 355 different dog breeds. Each of them is the "property" of a particular country, which is called the country of origin of the breed. The countries of origin create the standards for their breeds - description of the ideal type of the breed - in cooperation with the Standards and Scientific Commission of the FCI. The dog breeds managed by the FCI are divided into 10 categories or classes of dog types. These dog types are grouped based on the characteristics, morphology, use, and origin of the various breeds (Parker et al. 2017).
Dogs	The dogs (Canidae) are a family within the superfamily of canines (Canoidea). This family includes various species known as foxes and jackals, coyotes, and the wolves, whose domesticated relatives (the domestic dogs) serve as the group's namesake. The domestic dogs are considered the first animal species domesticated by humans (Larson et al. 2012; Perri et al. 2021; Dog domestication). The wild ancestor of the dog, the wolf, is one of Switzerland's protected species (KORA).
Donkey	The donkey is one of nine living species of equidae and one of two domesticated types. It is a descendant from the African wild donkey and served primarily as a load and pack animal.
Dry cow	A dry cow is a cow that is between two lactations. About 6 to 8 weeks before expected calving, a cow is not milked anymore. Her organism can thus regenerate and prepare for the next lactation. In German, she is "galt", "gust" (dialect) or dry.
Ear tags	Ear tags shall be used to identify cloven-hoofed animals (Ordinance on epizootic diseases (OFE) Article 6(t); Article 10). Llamas, alpacas, zoo and circus animals need not be marked until further notice. Small-breed companion animals also do not need to be marked if neither slaughter nor exhibitions / markets are planned (technical instructions on the identification of cloven-hoofed animals Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO). The terms "right" or "left" in connection with ear tags are understood in relation to the direction of vision of the animal. The perforated part is on the inner ear and the mandrel part on the outer ear. Ear tags for initial identification are produced by the ear tag manufacturer and sent by Swiss Post directly to the animal keeper. The delivery takes place in 14 to 21 calendar days. In order for cloven-hoofed animals to be moved to another farm, they must be correctly marked with the valid ear tags.
Equid types	To illustrate the population development of different types of equids over time, Identitas AG has created the following nine categories: Thoroughbreds include classic thoroughbred breeds; Warmbloods include modern sport horse breeds with a strong relationship to the Thoroughbred; Draft horses include classic draught horse breeds including the Franches-Montagnes; Ponies and Small Horses form a heterogeneous group of horse breeds of different origins, which are characterized by a size at withers <148cm; Iberians include breeds with characteristic Iberian origin; Court breeds include the carousel, riding and parade horses of the European courts of the 16th to the 18th century; donkeys include all donkey breeds and donkeys of unknown origin; mules and hinnies are called hybrids and the category wild equids includes Przewalski horses. Other wild equids are currently not registered to the AMD. The classification is based on the current state of scientific knowledge on the genetics and history of equids (e.g. Petersen et al. 2013). Categorizations are always debatable. Identitas AG tries to show clear trends in this graph by means of numerically large groups. For fanciers of single breeds, a chart by breed is available.
Equids	In taxonomy, the Equidae (horses or solipeds/ solidungulates) correspond to the zoological hierarchy level of the family. This includes the still living species of horses (Equus caballus), wild horses (Equus ferus przewalskii), donkeys (Equus asinus), hemiones (Equus hemionus, Equus kiang), zebras (Equus hippotigris) and their hybrids ("Krüger et al. 2005"). In the context of animal identification and registration article 6, letter y of the Ordinance on epizootic deseases has to be considered.
Euthanasia	The killing of an animal with a drug (narcotic, barbiturate) by a specialist.
Evolution	The change of a parameter over time.
Ewe	Female sheep.
Export	Export of animals to other countries in the world, except Lichtenstein. In the case of a dog keeper moving abroad, this automatically leads to the export of all his dogs.
Farm	Definition of a farm according to the farm structure survey by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) (minimum standards per farm): 1 hectare of utilised agricultural area or 30 ares of special crops or 10 ares of protected crops or 8 sows or 80 fattening pigs or a pig shed to house 80 fattening pigs or 300 poultry units.
Female	Biological female sex.
First registration	Initial notification for the registration of animals in the AMD which cannot be registered by birth, import or the arrival on a holding. Examples are the subsequent registration of previously unregistered animals due to new registration requirements.
Further breeds	Groups all breeds that are not explicitly shown.
Further countries	Groups all countries that are not explicitly shown.
Gelding	Castrated male equid, gelded, respectively.
Gene	Most basic hereditary unit of DNA. Some genes contain the basic information for the synthesis of a protein.
Genome	The total inheritable information of an individual. In mammals, this is approximately 3.5 billion DNA building blocks in the cell nucleus (nucleotide-base pairs). Mitochondrial DNA is also passed on to the offspring via the females. This comprises about 16.5k base pairs.
Genotyping	Determination of the paternal and maternal allele at a gene site. A genotype is the combination of the paternal and maternal allele at a gene site. If only two different alleles (A1 and A2) are known for a gene position in a population, this results in three different genotypes (A1A1, A1A2, A2A2). If the paternal and maternal alleles are identical, one speaks of homozygosity, if they are different, one speaks of heterozygosity.
Genus	A genus is a hierarchical level of biological systematics (zoological taxonomy). It comprises one or more species. The bovidae, for example, are grouped into the genera cattle (Bos), Asian buffalo (Bubalus), African buffalo (Syncerus) and Vietnamese forest cattle (Pseudoryx). Bos and Bubalus include i.a. the domesticated species domestic cattle, yak and water buffalo.
Goats	Like cattle, goats belong to the family of horn carriers, the Bovidae. They are part of the genus goats (Capra). Their wild form is the Bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus). The domesticated form is called Capra hircus (FAO. 2015. The Second Report on the State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, edited by B.D. Scherf & D. Pilling. FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Assessments. Rome.).
Guardian dogs	A guardian dog is a dog that has undergone guardian dog training and has successfully completed a series of tests. The guardian dog is the real all-rounder among the service dogs in the police. German Shepherds, Malinois, Rottweilers and Giant Schnauzers are mainly used. The intensive and versatile training lasts 2 to 3 years and includes the areas of protection service in all its variations, tracking, personal area (area search for missing persons), property area (search for objects) and obedience exercises (Schweizerischer Polizeihundeführer-Verband SPV). Protection dogs are working dogs, which are also used in dog sports (Technische Kommission für das Gebrauchs- und Sporthundewesen der Schweizerischen kynologischen Gesellschaft SKG).
Heifer	Female cattle before the first calving.
Herd	According to Article 6(p) of the Ordinance on epizootic diseases the term "herd" means: animals from an animal holding forming an epidemiological unit; an animal holding may comprise one or more herds. In general: a group of animals belonging to an animal keeper.
Herd protection	Livestock guardian dogs have been protecting livestock for thousands of years, especially in Europe and Asia. In contrast to herding dogs and other working dogs, guardian dogs work largely independently - without humans, but in association with other dogs. Most livestock guardian dogs protect sheep and goat herds, some also cattle herds. In Switzerland, livestock guardian dogs have only been kept since the return of the wolf at the end of the last century. Herd protection plays a central role in the implementation of the national concepts for the lynx, wolf and bear (Fachstelle Herdenschutz Agridea; Bundesamt für Umwelt BAFU - Herdenschutz).
Herdbook	A herd book, also called stud book, contains the genealogy (the ancestors) of a group of animals and their performance records. From the 18th century onwards, herd books increasingly became the cornerstone of animal breeding efforts. Knowledge about the relationship between animals and their performance, as well as findings about the heredity of traits (Darwin, Mendel), combined with statistical models (population genetics - Hardy, Weinberg, Wright, Fisher, Haldane), enabled a selection and breeding progress in the 19th and 20th century to a previously unprecedented extent. Since the 21st century, thanks to technical progress and decreasing genotyping costs, information from the genome of animals can directly be accessed and has become widely used in animal breeding ("Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms - SNP", "Whole Genome Sequencing - WGS"; literature 1, 2, 3).
Heredity	Hereditary part of the expression of a trait (phenotype) also called genotype. The phenotype, corrected for environmental effects, results in the genotype (phenotype - environment = genotype). An individual, whether human or animal, has a unique genotype in sexually reproducing species, consisting of the alleles inherited from the parents and the resulting allele combinations. Exceptions are identical twins and clones.
Heritability	Heritability is a statistical value at the population level. It is the genetically determined proportion of the observed phenotypic variance, given a particular trait. Heritability can achieve values between 0 (no genetic effect detectable) to 1 (a trait is completely genetically determined) - also 0-100%.
Hermaphrodite (Freemartin)	Animal with different, simultaneous expression of male and female sexual characteristics. Typical in bi-sexual multiparous gestations in cattle (Freemartins, Chimeras), or homozygous hornless female goats. Hermaphrodites are usually infertile.
Heterozygous	A gene site consists of distinct paternal and maternal alleles/ chromosomes.
Hinny	Hybrid between a horse stallion and a female donkey (jenny).
Holding	Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the figures, the term "holding" (article 6, letter o of the Ordinance on epizootic diseases) is equivalent to the AMD number of an animal holding. An AMD number does not equal per se a farm, because a farm may comprise several livestock holdings (articles 6-11 of the Ordinance on agricultural terms and the recognition of farm types). On the reference date, the holding must have at least one alive animal of the corresponding genus.
Homozygous	A gene site consists of identical paternal and maternal alleles/ chromosomes.
Hybrid	Crosses in animal and plant breeding are called hybrids. Hybrids are sometimes infertile and considered a breeding end product. Well-known are, among others, species crosses between donkey and horse, which lead to mules or hinnies depending on the mating. Hybrid breeding is also practiced in the pig and poultry industry. Hybrid plant varieties are routinely found in agriculture worldwide. From a genetic point of view, hybridization uses the effect of heterosis (cross-breeding effect, hybrid vigor). As a result of heterosis, individual characteristics are more pronounced in hybrid animals and plants than in the individual parent breeds - plant varieties, respectively. In the case of fertile hybrids, the effect is lost in the progeny according to Mendel's segregation law.
Import	Imports of animals from other countries of the world, except Liechtenstein.
Import after export	Imports of exported animals from other countries of the world, except Liechtenstein.
Increasing notification	Any notification that increases the number of animals of a population. Notifications comprise births, imports, and import after export.
Inheritance	Passing on the genetic material from the parents to the offspring. The paternal and maternal germ cells (gametes) contain a haploid ("half") set of chromosomes. The chromosomes are the carrier structure of DNA. During mating, the sperm head (male gamete), with the haploid paternal set of chromosomes, enters the haploid egg cell (female gamete), a zygote is formed. The zygote has a full, diploid ("double") set of chromosomes. Since Mendel, a distinction is made between dominant and recessive inheritance. Other forms of inheritance such as incomplete dominance, co-dominance, sex-linked, linkage, epistasis, imprinting, etc. are known today. A further distinction is made between the inheritance of monogenic (qualitative), oligo- and polygenic (quantitative) traits. Typical monogenic traits are coat colour, blood groups, polledness, and a series of hereditary diseases. Polygenic traits are for example growth, size, milk yield, morphology, and health. Envirnomental influences can affect both polygenic and monogenic traits but usually have a stronger influence on polygenic traits.
Initial notification	Initial notifications are birth, import and first registrations. With these messages the respective animal story begins in the TVD.
International Committee for Animal Recording	The International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) is an Non-Governmental Organisation which was formed 1951, in Rome. ICAR is composed of more than 100 members from about 60 different countries. ICAR strives to be the leading global provider of Guidelines, Standards and Certification for animal identification, animal recording and animal evaluation. ICAR wants to improve the profitability, and sustainability of farm animal production by: establishing and maintaining guidelines and standards for best practice in all aspects of animal identification and recording; certifying equipment, and processes used in animal identification, recording and genetic evaluations; stimulating and leading continuous improvement, innovation, research, knowledge development, and knowledge exchange; providing services essential to achieving international collaboration in key aspects of animal recording and animal breeding.
Interquartile range	The interquartile range describes the variation in a sample. If a sample is sorted by size, the interquartile distance indicates how wide the interval is in which the middle 50% of the sample elements lie.
Kid	Young goat kid up to the age of about 120 days.
Lamb	Young sheep up to the age of about one year.
Lambing/ kidding interval	Lambing/ kidding interval is the time between two lambings/ kiddings (see also calving interval; Stürm et al. 2009; Casellas & Bach 2012; Montaldo et al. 2010; Garcia-Peniche et al. 2012; SZZV;).
Late registration	The animal was chipped but not registered to Amicus/Anis. The registration cannot be reported as a standard registration, as the microchip is no longer on stock.
Listed dogs	The colloquial term "listed dogs" includes those dog breeds that are classified as potentially dangerous on the basis of cantonal legislation and which are accordingly listed, restricted or even banned from being kept. As an example canton Basel-Stadt: "The government council has listed the following dog breeds and their crossbreeds as potentially dangerous according to § 14 para. 2 of the law concerning the keeping of dogs[1]: Rottweiler, Doberman, American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier incl. Miniature Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro." Currently, 13 Swiss cantons know a permit requirement or holding bans for potentially dangerous dog breeds. An overview with references to the respective cantonal legislation can be found under the following link. Potentially dangerous dog breeds, most often so-called fighting dogs, are those breeds that have been bred specifically for fights between dogs and other animals. Special emphasis was given to aggressiveness, biting power and muscular bodies. Regardless of breed and whether an individual dog is ultimately classified as dangerous or not, the legislation is designed to limit harm. Dogs of potentially dangerous type can simply cause more damage than others, even though it is undisputed that in principle every dog is capable of biting. In this context, good animal husbandry and the correct handling of the dog are the key (Salonen et al. 2023).
Live weight	Officially determined weight on the occasion of the assessment, taking into account a possible weight deduction. The necessary weight deduction varies and depends on the following factors: feed quantity and type (grass/dry fodder), transport, udder, digestive system in relation to weight, skin, gestation and degree of fattening. In the case of sheep, the weight deduced also depends on the length and wetness of the wool (Source: CH-TAX, Proviande).
Livestock	Equids are born as livestock animals, but may at any time obtain the status (utilization type) of companion animal, which is not reversible. The companion animal status is recorded in the AMD and the equine passport. The decision as to whether an equid is considered as livestock or a companion animal rests with the owner. Depending on whether an equid is registered as livestock or as a companion animal, different rules and regulations apply to the administration and documentation of veterinary drugs (Ordinance on veterinary drugs, articles 12, 15, 23, 26, 28), slaughter or use of the carcass (Ordinance on animal slaughter and meat control, articles 9, 10, 22, 24). In case of doubt, the entry in the AMD applies.
Livestock unit	The livestock unit (LU) serves as a reference unit that facilitates the aggregation of different species and ages of livestock. Specific coefficients, originally based on the feed requirements of the animal species, are used for this purpose. On the basis of the LU unit, a distinction is also made between the roughage-consuming livestock unit (RCLU) and the livestock manure unit (LMU).
Lower fence	The lower fence is equal to q1 minus 1.5 times the interquartile range.
Male	Biological male sex.
Male canine	Male dog.
Male cat	Male cat.
Mare	Female equidae.
Median	The median, median value or position parameter divides the observed values ordered by size into two equally sized halves. The median is also known as the 1/2 quantile. A value m is the median of a sample if at least half of the observations in the sample have a value ≤ m and at least half have a value ≥ m. This measurement is more robust given extreme values than the mean. For example, the median of the values {1,2,1,100,3} is 2 (two values are lower than 2: {1,1} and two higher: {3, 100}) while its mean is 21.4. The median of a dataset is often represented graphically by means of a boxplot diagram.
Mule	Hybrid between a donkey stallion and a mare.
Normal load	A normal load (NL) corresponds to the summering of one roughage-consuming livestock unit (RGVE) for 100 days.
Not defined	All male and female animals, the latter without a notification for first calving, lambing or kidding, are assigned to the type of use "not defined".
Notification of arrival	All notifications concerning farm animals which include the arrival of animals on a holding. The types of declaration depend on the animal species and are regulated in the IdAMD-Ordinance. Possible notification types are births, change of holding, imports, first registrations, import after export.
Notification of leave	All notifications concerning farm animals which include the departure of animals from a holding. The types of declaration depend on the animal species and are regulated in the IdAMD-Ordinance. Possible notification types are change of holding, summering, export, death, slaughter, euthanasia.
Notification period	The mandatory notifications in the animal movement database, as well as in Amicus, are subject to different notification periods depending on the notification. These are regulated in the Ordinance on epizootic diseases (cloven hoofed animals, equids, dogs). The notifications by the notifying parties arrive in the Identitas AG databases at different times, and in some cases the legal deadlines are exceeded. The dynamic nature of the reporting system influences the results of data analyses. Recent data is affected more than data from further back in time. For example, a keeper of cloven-hoofed animals has 30 days to report a birth, but only three days for arrival, departure, slaughter or death. If one calculates the number of births, e.g. as of June 30 in the current year, it is understandable that the value for June 30, retrieved during the months of July and August, does not yet correspond to the final, stable value, as birth notifications for the month of June can certainly be expected in July, but also in August and later. A value for a specific reference date only approaches its stable final value with time. When interpreting results from the animal statistics and the quality of individual values, the dynamics of the notification system and the aspect of late notifications beyond the notification deadlines must therefore always be taken into account.
On farm and on pasture slaughter	According to Article 3(q) and (r) of the "Ordinance on Slaughter and Meat Control" (OSMC), farm slaughter means slaughter where the stunning and bleeding of the animals takes place in the herd and holding of origin; pasture slaughter means slaughter where the stunning and bleeding of the animals takes place in a pasture in the herd and holding of origin. On-farm slaughter is permitted for animals for livestock, and pasture slaughter for animals of the bovine species. Article 9a of the OSMC also applies.
Other breed	All breeds of a species that are not currently eligible on the AMD for that species.
Other cow	Female cows with one or more parities not declared as dairy cows. This includes beef/ suckler and nurse cows, fattening cows, dislocated dry cows and other non-milking cows (Ordiance on Identitas AG and the animal movements database (only in DE, FR, IT), Ordinance on agricultural terms (only in DE, FR, IT)).
Outlier	An outlier is an observation that lies outside the overall pattern of a distribution. Here we define an outlier as a point that equals more than 1.5 times the interquartile range, and falls above the third quartile or below the first quartile.
Owner	Private or legal person who has the legal power of disposal and use over an object. The AMD currently recognizes the role of owner only for equids (article 19 Ordiance on Identitas AG and the animal movements database).
Phenotype	Appearance; everything that can be measured, described and observed in an animal. The phenotype results from the interaction of genes and the environment (e.g. growth, size, milk yield).
Ram	Male sheep for breeding purposes.
Re-registration	The chip of an animal has become unreadable. The registration has to be repeated with a new chip. Also an animal originally tattooed can be re-registered with a chip.
Red and white cattle	Red and white cattle is a collective term for cattle breeds of red and white coat color. Since 2012, the Swiss breed "Swiss Fleckvieh" can be selected on the animal traffic database. For notification purposes concering animal traffic, Swiss Fleckvieh farmers have, since then, selected the specific breed name of their breed and not the collective term red and white cattle, as was previously the case. As a result, the Swiss Fleckvieh breed has increased strongly since 2012 on the cattle "Evolution by breed" and "Births by breed" charts and, conversely, the proportion of animals under the collective term red and white cattle is increasingly disappearing. Other red and white cattle breeds also show a significant increase from 2012 (e.g. Red Holstein). This also goes along with the strongly decreasing use of the collective term red and white cattle in favor of the specific breed names.
Relocation	Transfer of an animal from one place to another. In the case of cloven-hoofed animals, a transfer consists of a departure and an arrival notification, from and to an animal holding. For equids, departure and arrival notifications are anounced by the owner in one single step (exceptions are export and slaughter).
Replacement ear tag	Replacement for official identification (see ear tags). Animals of the bovine, ovine and caprine species must be identified by ear tags on both ears. The remaining cloven-hoofed animals only at the right ear. If an animal loses the ear tag, the keeper is obliged to order and fix a replacement ear tag within three days.
Selection	Selection of animals for rearing and production of offspring. The proportion of animals in a population selected for breeding and mating has an impact on breeding progress.
Sheep	Like cattle, sheep belong to the family of horn carriers, the Bovidae. They are part of the genus sheep (Ovis). Their wild form is the Asian mouflon (Ovis orientalis). The domesticated form is called Ovis aries (FAO. 2015. The Second Report on the State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, edited by B.D. Scherf & D. Pilling. FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Assessments. Rome.).
Size class	Dogs are classified according to FCI into the following size classes: small, medium, large, giant and unknown. The numerical designations of these classes are: 3, 14, 4, 5 and 1. Size and weight are variables with close relationship. Small dogs are those up to 45 cm and 15 kg; medium dogs are those between 45-55 cm and 15-25 kg; large dogs are those between 55-70 cm and 25-45 kg; and giant dogs are those with a height at the withers of more than 70 cm and a weight of more than 45 kg.
Slaughter	Slaughter of an animal in a processing plant.
Slaughter weight	Determined weight of animals, whole or in halves, which have been slaughtered in accordance with the ordinance of the EDI on hygiene during slaughter (817.190.1); until 2017 ordinance on fatstock weighting (817.190.4) - (Source: CH-TAX, Proviande).
Small ruminants type of use	By analogy with cattle, and based on the Ordinance on agricultural terms, the type of use for small ruminants is differentiated as follows: females milked (primarily dairy breeds), other females with offspring older than one year (primarily meat breeds), and the "not defined" category, which includes all males, all females without a first lambing, and all animals younger than one year.
Species	Species is the basic unit of biological systematics (zoological taxonomy). There are different concepts of species. Often a species is defined with regard to reproductive success - can fertile offspring be produced yes/ no - or the presence of common traits in a group - morphology, genetics. In the case of domesticated species, groups of similar animals are referred to as breeds. However, the concept of breed is not a taxonomic, but a socio-economic and cultural entity ("a breed is a breed if enough people say it is" - Hammond K., FAO 1997). All horse and pony breeds belong to the same species Equus caballus caballus, all dog breeds to Canis lupus familiaris.
Stallion	Male equid, not castrated.
Standard registration	The animal receives a chip containing a number assigned to that particular microchip in Amicus/Anis.
Steer	Castrate male bovine (also ox). The data on castration in cattle are taken from tables linked to bovine birth registration and subsequent adjustments to them. These declarations are made by the animal keepers. A comparison with data from the slaughter statistics of Agristat (Tables 3.13 and 3.14) indicates that the declarations in the AMD are not complete and that the actual number of steers is higher than currently shown in the animal statistics.
Stillbirth	The birth will be considered a stillbirth if the animal dies within 48h of the birth or is stillborn (Bleul 2010; Holmøy & Waage 2015; Robertson et al. 2020).
Summering	The summering area is an important part of the cultural landscape in the Alps, Pre-Alps and Jura. The alpine farming area in Switzerland covers about 465'000 hectares. It is managed by slightly more than 7'000 farms with herbivores contributing about 300'000 "normal loads". Keeping the summering pastures open is only possible with roughage consuming animals. If the use is abandoned, the pastures become forest. The federal government supports summering with contributions to ensure a sufficient number of animals so that shrubs and trees do not endanger the alpine pastures in the long term and the biodiversity of the alpine ecosystem is preserved.
Swiss cat population	In Switzerland, there is no mandatory identification and registration of cats yet. Data on the cat population are therefore based on estimates. For example, based on pet food sales, the Verband für Heimtiernahrung publishes a cat population of currently around 1.85 million animals. Identitas AG estimates that about one third of the total cat population in Switzerland is registered with the Anis database. More cats are registered in urban regions and agglomerations than in rural areas. Furthermore, the ratio of registered dogs per municipality in Amicus to registered cats in Anis indicates a total cat population of about 2.2 million.
Traceability	Animal traceability is the basis for food safety and the control of animal diseases. Traceability is based on the mandatory notifications according to the IdAMD-Ordinance and the legislation on epizootic diseases in general. Birth, movements and death of cloven-hoofed animals and equidae are recorded, and the assignment to the responsible animal keeper is registered. The latter is also true for dogs.
UELN	UELN is a project for the uniform identification of equids. The EU Regulation 2015/262 paragraph 61 describes the UELN as follows: the Universal Equine Life Number (UELN) system has been agreed on worldwide between the major horse-breeding and competition organisations. It has been developed on the initiative of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH), the International Stud-Book Committee (ISBC), the World Arabian Horse Organization(WAHO), the European Conference of Arabian Horse Organisations (ECAHO), the Conférence Internationale de l'Anglo-Arabe (CIAA), the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and the Union Européenne du Trot (UET) and information on this system can be consulted on the UELN website.
Upper fence	The upper fence is equal to q3 plus 1.5 times the interquartile range.
Wether	Castrated male sheep older than one year.
Withers	The long spinous processes of the first thoracic vertebrae are called withers. They form the highest point of the body when the head and neck posture is lowered.
Zygote	A zygote is a cell formed from the union of male and female gametes (germ cells). A zygote has a full set of genes, half from the sperm and half from the egg (Bourdon R. 2000. Understanding animal breeding. Prentice-Hall Inc. USA).
gestation type	Uniparous is the name of animal species that usually produce one single offspring per gestation. Animal species that regularly produce multiple offspring per gestation are called multiparous.
q1	The first quartile (also called the 25% quantile) of a sample is defined as the m-value where at least one quarter of the observations in the sample are ≤ m and at least three quarters are ≥ m. The first quartile is the lower limit of the interquartile range.
q3	The second quartile (also called the 75% quantile) of a sample is defined as the value m where at least three quarters of the observations in the sample have a value ≤ m and at least three quarters are ≥ m. The second quartile is the upper limit of the interquartile range.

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Identitas AG develops and operates software for the identification, registration and monitoring of livestock and companion animals in Switzerland. As leader provider of IT services in Switzerland for data regarding animals, we contribute to creating added value for animal health and welfare and safe food. About 110 employees work in our headquarters in Berne.

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