E-Fauna BC's Interactive Maps

E-Fauna BC's interactive web maps allow you to explore the distribution of a species and how it relates to the geographic features of the province, such as climate. You can learn more about the data used in our maps on our Mapping on E-Fauna BC page. If you have any questions about our maps, please contact us.

General Information

The important thing about interactive maps is that you can do a lot with them. You can enlarge the maps or make them smaller by uzing the ZOOM feature. You can move the map around by using the PAN feature (hold your cursor down to move the map). You can retrieve data for a distribution dot by using the GET DATA feature (just click on a dot for for the data to show up). You can change the base map using the SELECT A BASE MAP feature (you can switch from a regular map to a satellite map, for example). At any time, after you have made selections using our tools, you can return to the original map by hitting the REFRESH button on your computer or by using our FULL EXTENT tool, which does the same thing.

Our interactive maps show several categories of data, including distribution data and geographic data. For example, to view the data layers we use to show species distributions, go to the data layers box on the right, and click on the little box beside E-FAUNA DATABASES. This opens a drop down list of databases we use. You can turn these database layers on and off by clicking on the associated checkbox. The other (geographic) data layers work the same way.

Our distribution dots are colour coded. Use the LEGEND icon in the data box (the little white box at the top of the data box) to open the legend and view what all the colours mean. Use the little folder next to it to close the legend and return to the list of databases.

What the ICONS and symbols on the maps mean

The four large green buttons (icons) located in the upper left of each map along the bottom of the banner-- "Navigate", "Tools", "Select a Basemap"and "Info" -- provide access to additional features (called 'tools').The features / tools associated with each button are explained in more detail below. The currently selected tool is listed after "Current Action:" to the right of the species name; the default tool when the map opens -- Get Data -- lets you query the data. Shortcuts to most of the tools are also provided as mini-icons along the top of the banner.

Placing your mouse over an icon in a map will, in many cases, result in a text pop up telling you what the tool does.

This is where you can access the tools for navigating through the map. You can also drag the little arrow on the scale bar in the upper-left edge of the map to zoom in or out. The scroll wheel on your mouse will do the same thing.

Zoom in: Click once to zoom in a little bit and recenter the map where you clicked. If you want to zoom to a specific area, left-click & hold the button down while you drag a box with the mouse, and then release the mouse button.
Zoom out: This works the same as zoom in, but in reverse. You can click on a point to zoom out a bit and recenter on that point, or drag a box to zoom out by a different amount (drag a small box to zoom way out, or a large box if you want to zoom out less).
Full Extent: This button zooms you out to the full extent of the map, which is the entire province.
Pan: Left-click & hold the button down while you drag the mouse to pan the map. You can also double-click to re-center the map, or, if you hold down both shift and the left mouse button, and draw a box with the mouse, it will work like the zoom in tool.

This is where you can find additional tools for getting more details about the records shown on the map, and for redisplaying the E-Fauna Layers. You can minimize a tool with the button. You can also hide all open tools with the button, and make them visible again with . Finally, if you have several tools open you can scroll up and down the list with and . These buttons are located on the upper right of the map:

Get Data: This tool allows you to click on a record and obtain the data associated with that record. To get the record's data, click the button and then click on the record you want to see details about. You can continue to click on additional records and obtain their data. If you click on the results in the Get Data window the map will zoom into the record. To clear your selection, click the button. Clicking on the on the top right of the Get Data window will bring you back to the initial window; clicking on will switch back to the get data results.
E-Fauna Layers: This button will reopen the Table of Contents (if you have closed it) to let you choose which E-Fauna BC layers you wish to display (overlaid onto your chosen base map). By default, the E-Fauna Databases layer is visible and the other layers are turned off; simply click the check box next to each layer to turn it on or off . Clicking on the small gray arrow next to a layer will 'open' the layer and enable you to select which of the sublayers are visible. You can close the table of contents with the button, or minimize it with the button.
Legend: Within the Table of Contents window you'll see this icon (on the top edge of the ToC window). Clicking on this icon will display a legend for the map that identifies what the symbols for each layer mean. Click on the folder icon to the immediate right of the legend icon to return to the list of E-Fauna layers.
Print: Print the map as it currently appears in your web browser.

This is where you control what base map is visible on the web map. There are three base maps available (other data listed under E-Fauna layers can be displayed on top of the base map).

Street Base Map: This base map includes roads, political boundaries, cities, major rivers and lakes, and some protected areas.
Satellite Base Map: This base map has satellite imagery for the world at a resolution of 15m worldwide, and 1m in the USA.

Shaded Relief Base Map: This is a simple base map of shaded topographic relief. It is intended for use between 1:40,000,000 and 1:70,000 as the data is not visible at the global scale or when zoomed way in (the imagery will turn off).

This is where you can find links to a variety of information sources.

Help: A link to this page.
About the Data: A link to a page that describes the data used in creating the maps.