Privacy Policy
Iowa Herps (the “app”), published in connection with herpguides.com.
Last updated: October 2, 2026
This policy explains what the app collects, why, and who else receives it. If this page and the app ever disagree, the app’s actual behavior is what this policy is meant to describe. Questions or deletion requests: thamnophis@gmail.com.
What the app is
Iowa Herps is a field guide to reptiles and amphibians in Iowa. You can browse species accounts, save a sighting on a map, and ask for an identification guess from a photo. The guide text and species photos bundled in the app do not require an account.
Information you provide
- Photos. If you take or choose a photo for a sighting, or for Identify, that image is processed as described below. Sighting photos are uploaded and stored so they can be shown with the observation.
- Location. If you allow location access, the app uses your approximate or precise location to place a sighting on the map. A photo may also contain location in its embedded data (EXIF). That location may be read to fill in the pin. You can deny location access; the guide still works. A sighting may then be saved with a default or missing location and flagged for review.
- Sighting details. Species name, date, place name, notes, and whether the record needs review.
- Comments. If you comment on an observation, that text is stored and shown with the observation.
- Account details. If you sign in, we store the account identifier and the email or name the sign-in service provides, so sightings can be tied to you.
Information collected automatically
The app does not use advertising trackers and does not sell personal information. The phone and our host may record ordinary technical logs (such as a failed upload) needed to run the service. We do not use those logs to build an advertising profile.
Who else receives data
- Supabase. Sightings, comments, account data needed to save a record, and uploaded photos are stored with Supabase (database and file storage). Supabase processes that data to provide the service.
- xAI. When you tap Identify, the photo and a list of Iowa species names are sent to xAI’s API to produce a guess and a short reason. Do not send a photo you do not want a third-party model to process. The guess can be wrong. xAI’s handling of API inputs is described in xAI’s own terms and privacy policy.
- Apple. The app is distributed by Apple. Apple receives whatever its App Store, TestFlight, and device services normally receive. We do not control Apple’s practices.
We do not sell your information. We share it only with service providers above, or if the law requires it.
Why we use it
- To show the field guide.
- To place and display sightings on the map.
- To attach your photo to a sighting.
- To return an identification guess.
- To let people comment on a sighting.
- To flag records that may be outside Iowa or missing location, so they can be checked.
- To fix broken uploads and keep the service running.
How long we keep it
Sightings, photos, and comments stay until you ask us to delete them, or until we remove test or abusive records. Identification photos are sent to xAI for the request; we do not promise that xAI deletes its copies on our schedule.
Your choices
You can deny camera, photo library, or location access in iOS Settings. Identify and new sightings need a photo; the map pin needs a location if you want it centered on you.
You can email thamnophis@gmail.com to request access, correction, or deletion of your sightings, photos, and comments. Tell us the species, approximate date, and the name on the observation so we can find the row.
Uninstalling the app removes it from your phone. It does not by itself delete sightings already stored on the server.
Children
The app is a general field guide. It is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has posted a sighting, email us and we will delete it.
Security
Data is sent over HTTPS. No method of storage is perfectly secure. Do not put sensitive personal details in a sighting note.
Changes
If we change this policy, we will update the date on this page. Continued use of the app after the change means you accept the updated policy.
Contact
Joe Monahan
Iowa Herps / herpguides.com
thamnophis@gmail.com