Implementation:Scikit learn Scikit learn FetchSpeciesDistributions

Knowledge Sources	Scikit_learn Scikit-learn Docs
Domains	Machine Learning, Ecology
Last Updated	2026-02-08 15:00 GMT

Overview

Concrete tool for fetching the species distribution dataset for geographic distribution modeling, provided by scikit-learn.

Description

The fetch_species_distributions function downloads and caches a dataset representing the geographic distribution of two species: Bradypus variegatus (Brown-throated Sloth) and Microryzomys minutus (Forest Small Rice Rat). The dataset is provided by Phillips et al. (2006) and includes coverage data along with species observation records, suitable for maximum entropy modeling of species distributions.

Usage

Use this function when working on species distribution modeling, geographic classification, or demonstrating maximum entropy methods for ecological modeling.

Code Reference

Source Location

• Repository: scikit-learn
• File: sklearn/datasets/_species_distributions.py

Signature

@validate_params(...)
def fetch_species_distributions(
    *,
    data_home=None,
    download_if_missing=True,
    n_retries=3,
    delay=1.0,
):

Import

from sklearn.datasets import fetch_species_distributions

I/O Contract

Inputs

Name	Type	Required	Description
data_home	str, PathLike or None	No	Custom directory for caching (default None)
download_if_missing	bool	No	If True, download data if not cached (default True)
n_retries	int	No	Number of download retries (default 3)
delay	float	No	Delay between retries in seconds (default 1.0)

Outputs

Name	Type	Description
dataset	Bunch	Dictionary-like object with coverages, train, test, grid coordinates, and DESCR

Usage Examples

Basic Usage

from sklearn.datasets import fetch_species_distributions

data = fetch_species_distributions()
print(type(data.coverages))  # numpy array of coverage features
print(data.train.dtype.names)  # field names of training records
print(data.test.dtype.names)   # field names of test records

Related Pages

• Principle:Scikit_learn_Scikit_learn_Dataset_Loading