List of vertebrate fauna in Quebec (LFVQ)

__The List of Vertebrate Fauna of Quebec (LFVQ) provides a portrait of all wild vertebrate species documented on Quebec territory. __

It also contains additional information such as the detailed taxonomy of species, the residence status of species in Quebec, the precariousness of the element (or conservation priority) at the provincial level, the status of legal designation under the Act Respecting Threatened or Vulnerable Species (RLRQ, c. E-12.01) and jurisdiction, which is information that indicates at what level, provincial or federal, the responsibility is of the element. The term “element” can refer to various concepts. It is often a species, but it can also be a population, a subspecies, or an ecotype. The LFVQ also makes it possible to indicate extinct or extinct species in Quebec as well as official statistics on the number of vertebrate species in Quebec. These statistics do not include populations, subspecies, or ecotypes, in order not to duplicate the real number of species present on the territory. Species that have disappeared from Quebec or are extinct are not part of the count either. 

The LFVQ was first published in 1983 and was first updated in 1995. These two documents were published only in hard copy. In 2006, the list was first posted online on the website of the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks (MFFP), then known as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife. This list, in electronic format, is the result of an ongoing updating process provided by MFFP scientific staff in collaboration with the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment and Climate Change Canada for bird species under federal jurisdiction and Fisheries and Oceans Canada for marine species. It was created in order to provide access to the official nomenclature of vertebrate species recognized as present on Quebec territory as well as to that of species that are considered to have disappeared from Quebec or from the world. From now on, the LFVQ is produced using information from the Quebec Natural Heritage Data Center (CDPNQ).

__To be listed on the LFVQ, all species must be considered regular (with some exceptions) and present in Quebec. Here are some clarifications:__

* The species must be present in the wild. A species present in Quebec only in captivity is therefore not included;
* A species is considered regular if it is frequently found within the limits of Quebec territory. It is possible for it to migrate outside Quebec, but it must return on a regular basis to complete an important part of its life cycle;
* The list also includes exotic species, that is, introduced into Quebec, accidentally or deliberately, as a result of human activity, insofar as their acclimatization and persistence within Quebec territory are irrefutably demonstrated;
* Species for which there is no verifiable proof of presence (e.g. color photos, collection specimens) are not included in the list;
* For a subspecies, population or ecotype to be listed on the LFVQ, it must be designated under the Act Respecting Threatened or Vulnerable Species (RLRQ, c. E-12.01). Note that these elements are not included in the total number of species present in Quebec, in order not to duplicate the same species.

__Warning: The list of species, as well as the statistics presented, are representative of the data available at the time of the last update of the LFVQ. Changes may have taken place since then and these will be available in the next update. __

For more details on the history, species eligibility criteria and references used to update the List of vertebrate fauna in Quebec, consult the document*LI_LFVQ_Historic-Criteries-References_2022.pdf* in the __Documentation__ section below.

Organization: Government and Municipalities of Québec | Gouvernement et municipalités du Québec