This pulls real observations from iNaturalist, a community science platform where people log and identify living things. It lists every species recorded near a specific location, ranked by how many confirmed sightings exist in the area.

Only "research grade" observations count here: sightings where the community has independently agreed on the identification, not just a first guess. That filters out a lot of noise, but it also means this reflects where people with the app happen to be looking, not a scientific survey of what's actually out there. Popular trails and populated areas will show more than truly remote ones, regardless of what's actually living there.