ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Have you ever looked at different animals like a cat or a dog and thought they looked similar? Well, scientists also group animals together that look and act alike. These groups are called "taxa" or "taxonomic groups."

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is like a big database that keeps information on different taxa. This information includes the names of different animals, plants, and other living things, as well as how they are related to each other. ITIS helps scientists and people around the world understand how different taxa are related, and what makes them unique.

Imagine you have a big toy box with lots of different toys. If you put all the toy cars together in one group and all the dolls in another group, that would be like how scientists group different animals into taxonomic groups. With ITIS, scientists can come together and agree on where each toy should go and which group they should belong to. This makes it easier to understand which toys are similar and which are different.

Overall, ITIS helps us organize and understand the relationships between different living things. It makes it easier for scientists to study and learn about all the amazing creatures that exist in our world!