About Learn2ID

We all run into the same question: what am I actually looking at? Something in the yard, something on a walk, something that just went past on the road. Learn2ID is a free, fun way to learn the answer — and then to find out how much of it stuck.

How it works

Learn2ID has two halves. The Learn pages teach — what to look for, which things are commonly mistaken for each other, and what turns up where you live. The Play pages test what you have picked up, with a daily challenge, practice rounds and medal tests you can collect.

Right now it covers the snakes of the United States.

Why snakes

Because almost every snake mix-up is a non-venomous snake taken for a venomous one. That mistake gets non-venomous snakes killed, and it gets people hurt reaching for snakes they have misread. It is a good example of what this site is for: learning the difference between two things that look alike.

Where the photos come from

Our photos come from people who share their work under Creative Commons licences, chiefly through iNaturalist. Every photo carries its photographer’s credit and licence underneath it.

How identifications are checked

Photos are reviewed before they are used, and players who prove they know their stuff can earn an ID Reviewer badge and help check them. If you think something is labelled wrongly, there is a Disagree? button on every answer — please use it. We would rather be corrected.

Who runs it

Learn2ID is operated by UP2U LLC, a Texas limited liability company. The site is free to use and paid for by advertising, not by charging players.

Get in touch

Corrections, questions and suggestions are all welcome on our contact page.

One thing to be clear about

Learn2ID is for learning, and it is not always right. It is not a safety tool and not a reference to rely on. Please read our disclaimer.