Animal Identification Microchips and Transponders
UID makes passive RFID identification systems for laboratory animals, pets, fish, and wildlife. The product may be called an implantable microchip, animal ID transponder, pet microchip, or PIT tag depending on the workflow; the right choice comes down to species, size, protocol, memory, reader, and registration needs.
- Research
- Veterinary
- Fish & Wildlife
- Permanent ID
Three Kinds of Animal Identification Work
All three use passive RFID, but the chip format, data, packaging, and reader workflow are built around different users and animals.
Microchip, Transponder, or PIT Tag?
An RFID transponder is the complete tag: an integrated circuit, antenna coil, and protective enclosure that returns stored data when a compatible reader energizes it. In animal identification, the enclosure is commonly biocompatible glass and the tag is implanted by injection.
Microchip is the common term in veterinary and laboratory-animal work. PIT tag means Passive Integrated Transponder and is the common term in fisheries and wildlife. They belong to the same family of passive implantable RFID devices, but they are not automatically interchangeable. Frequency, ISO protocol, physical size, memory, sterility, injector geometry, reader support, and registration requirements are industry specific.
Compare the Main Animal Identification Systems
Start with the animal and the workflow, then match the transponder, injector, reader, and software or registration path.
| Requirement | Research | Veterinary | Fish & Wildlife |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary use | Study-animal identity, traceability, and temperature | Permanent pet identity and owner registration | Field identification, recapture, and movement studies |
| Common search term | Lab animal microchip or implantable transponder | Pet microchip or animal ID microchip | PIT tag or wildlife transponder |
| Data returned | Unique ID, optional programmable study data and temperature | ISO 15-digit animal identification number | Permanent ISO FDX-B identification number |
| Where to start | Research microchips | TraqPaw pet microchip | Fish and wildlife PIT tags |
- Running a laboratory study? Explore research animal ID →
- Supplying a veterinary practice? Explore TraqPaw →
- Building a field program? Explore PIT tags →
Microchips and Transponders by Application
Representative starting points across small-animal research, temperature monitoring, pet identification, and wildlife tagging.
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Small research animalsMiniMax Programmable Microchip — UC-1283
The smallest programmable RFID microchip on the market — 1.2 × 8.3 mm in a 17G needle. Designed for very small mice, including neonates as young as postnatal day 10.
View MiniMax -
Research animal IDStandard Programmable Microchip — UC-1485
The general-purpose programmable RFID microchip for adult mouse studies — 1.4 × 8.5 mm in a 15.5G cannula, with 16 alphanumeric characters of read/write on-board memory.
View UC-1485 -
ID + temperatureTemperature Microchip — UCT-2112
Implantable temperature transponder with a unique ID. ±0.1 °C accuracy @ 38 °C across 30–46 °C, 134.2 kHz, no battery.
View UCT-2112 -
Pet identificationTraqPaw ISO Pet Microchip with Injector
ISO-compliant FDX-B pet microchip preloaded in a sterile, single-use injector, with barcode labels and registration through Pet Registration and Recovery.
View TraqPaw -
Small-species PIT tagFDX PIT Tag — 1.4×8.5 mm
The smallest ISO-compliant FDX-B PIT tag UID offers. Biocompatible glass, 128-bit unique ID, 134.2 kHz — built for fish, amphibians, and small mammals.
View 1.4×8.5 mm tag -
Standard PIT tagFDX PIT Tag — 2.1×12 mm
The workhorse FDX-B PIT tag — 2.1 mm × 12 mm, ISO 11784/11785 compliant, ICAR certified. The standard size for adult fish, small mammals, and most field studies.
View 2.1×12 mm tag
Built by the Team Behind the Whole Identification System
UID designs and manufactures RFID transponders, readers, antennas, injectors, and software rather than treating the microchip as a standalone part. That system-level ownership matters when a study needs programmable memory, a clinic needs ISO reader compatibility and registration, or a wildlife program needs the right tag, injector, and field reader together.
UID hardware is assembled in the USA, with European operations through AEG ID in Germany and Czechia. AEG ID expands the same engineering base into industrial RFID transponders and readers for LF, HF, and UHF applications.
Animal Identification Microchip Questions
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What is a transponder for animal identification?
It is a passive RFID tag implanted in an animal and read at close range by a compatible scanner. The transponder returns a permanent identification number; some UID research transponders also carry programmable study data or return temperature.
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Is an animal ID microchip the same as a PIT tag?
Both are passive implantable RFID transponders. Microchip is the usual term in veterinary and laboratory-animal work, while PIT tag is common in fisheries and wildlife. A specific product still has to match the required frequency, protocol, size, reader, injector, and registration workflow.
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Are implantable animal microchips GPS trackers?
No. Passive animal ID microchips have no battery and do not broadcast a location. A compatible reader energizes the tag at close range and retrieves its stored identification data.
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Which implantable microchip should I use?
For laboratory studies, start with UID's programmable research microchips or UCT-2112 temperature transponder. For veterinary pet identification, use the ISO FDX-B TraqPaw system. For fish and wildlife field studies, choose an ISO PIT tag sized to the species and read method.
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Does UID manufacture animal identification microchips and readers?
Yes. UID designs and manufactures RFID transponders, readers, antennas, injectors, and related software, with hardware assembled in the USA and additional engineering and manufacturing operations through AEG ID in Europe.
Tell Us What You Need to Identify
Share the species, application, protocol, quantity, and reader or software requirements. UID will help match the implantable microchip, injector, reader, and data workflow.