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> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
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# Public, private, and reference animals

Make an owned animal private when you do not want the public to find or view its profile. A reference animal is different: it is a public lineage profile for an animal that has not been claimed by its owner.

## Public animals

A public animal can be viewed by anyone. Its public photos, records, and pedigree may appear in search, the herdbook, and other discovery areas.

Public is the best fit when buyers, followers, registry members, or the wider community should be able to find the animal.

## Private animals

![A private animal as the owner sees it](https://cdn-test.creatures.com/a0e/d69/971/5a3c5.png)

A private animal is owned but hidden from the public. Owners, co-owners, team members, and people with an active care or transaction role can still see the information their access allows.

To change an owned animal's visibility:

1. Open the profile while signed in as an owner or co-owner.
2. Open **More animal actions**, the arrow beside the main action buttons.
3. Select **Make private** or **Make public**, then review any confirmation.

When creating an animal, the equivalent choice is **Make this animal private** under **More profile details**.

An active marketplace listing or stewardship offering must be closed before the animal can be made private. If active stewardship is affected, read the additional confirmation carefully: changing privacy can end renewals and affect a steward's access.

## Reference animals

![An unclaimed reference animal](https://cdn-test.creatures.com/046/b7e/85f/b28ed.png)

A reference is a public lineage profile for an animal you do not own. It lets you connect a sire, dam, or other relative to a pedigree before the owner joins Creatures.

References do not require a photo and cannot be made private. The person who added the reference can maintain its profile while it remains unclaimed; this is not ownership.

If the real owner joins, they can claim the reference and turn it into an owned profile. See [Reference animals: documenting lineage and inviting the owner](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/reference-animals-documenting-lineage-and-inviting-the-owner-1xzu0nz/).

## Profile privacy and record privacy are separate

A public profile does not make every record public. Check each record's visibility before sharing it. Making a profile private does not remove its owners, co-owners, or team members.

Changing owners is a transfer, not a privacy change. See [Transferring an animal to its new owner](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/transferring-an-animal-to-its-new-owner-1txfz6z/).

### Related information

- [Reference animals: documenting lineage and inviting the owner](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/reference-animals-documenting-lineage-and-inviting-the-owner-1xzu0nz/)
- [Co-owners and team members: sharing access to an animal](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/co-owners-and-team-members-sharing-access-to-an-animal-o9ohj0/)
- [Adding an animal to Creatures](https://help.creatures.com/en/article/adding-an-animal-to-creatures-jbkkre/)