The Mammal Species of the World (MSW) is a database of mammalian taxonomy on the World Wide Web. It is designed as a convenient on-line reference for identifying or verifying recognized scientific names and for taxonomic research. The names are organized in a hierarchy that includes Order, Family, Subfamily, Genus and Species. Records include the following fields: Scientific name Author's name and year described Original publication citation Original name Common name Type Species Type Locality Distribution Comments Status