What are cookies and similar technologies?
A cookie is a small text file stored by a browser. Similar technologies include local storage, pixels, tags and identifiers that can remember a device, preference, session or interaction. Some expire when the browser closes, while persistent technologies remain until their configured expiry or deletion.
A first-party cookie is associated with uglyanimals.net. A third party may still receive data through a tag or feature even when the browser displays a first-party cookie name. The purpose and recipient matter more than the label alone.
Technologies used now
The public site does not require an Ugly Animals account, shopping cart or personalised session. Mediavine and its advertising partners may use cookies, tags, pixels, beacons and similar technologies to deliver, personalise and measure advertisements, prevent fraud and remember privacy choices.
Hosting, content-delivery and security providers may use strictly necessary cookies or comparable request data to deliver pages, balance traffic, detect abuse or maintain service integrity. The consent platform may store a visitor's choice so the site does not repeatedly ask the same question.
Mediavine advertising technologies
Advertising technologies may store or access identifiers and process device, browser, page, referral, approximate-location and advertising-interaction information. The exact cookies and partners can change as Mediavine updates its advertising services.
Where consent is required, the Mediavine consent platform presents the available choices. Readers who reject personalised advertising may still see contextual or non-personalised advertisements.
Strictly necessary storage
Strictly necessary technologies support security, network delivery, fraud prevention and consent records. Where the law permits, these may operate without optional consent because the requested service cannot be delivered reliably without them.
Blocking necessary storage may affect security or preference controls, but the main articles are intended to remain readable. These technologies are not used by us to build an advertising profile.
Google Analytics cookies
Google Analytics 4 may be enabled later to measure audiences, sessions, page use, referrals, devices and interactions. The standard GA4 tag may set _ga, normally used to distinguish users for up to two years, and _ga_<container-id>, normally used to preserve session state for up to two years. Browser restrictions, configuration or deletion can shorten those periods.
In places where prior consent is required, analytics storage will remain disabled until the visitor accepts analytics. We plan to prevent optional analytics tags from loading before the required choice. A visitor will be able to reject analytics without losing access to the articles.
Search Console is different from Google Analytics. It provides site owners with aggregated Google Search performance and indexing reports and does not require us to place a Search Console tracking cookie on a visitor's device.
Grow by Mediavine technologies
Grow may be enabled later for sharing, recommendations, saved content, reader sign-in, subscriptions or related publisher features. Depending on the enabled feature, Mediavine may use cookies or similar technologies to maintain a login, remember consent, prevent fraud, personalise a feature or support advertising that a reader has agreed to receive.
Cookie names and durations can change with the Grow configuration. If Grow is activated, the consent interface and this policy will identify the enabled purposes and provide current controls. A person who creates or uses a Grow account also deals directly with Mediavine under its reader terms and privacy notices.
How to manage your choices
Where a consent or privacy control is displayed, use it to accept, reject or change optional categories. Withdrawing consent does not make earlier consent-based processing unlawful, but it should stop future optional storage covered by that choice.
Browsers can inspect, block and delete cookies or site storage. Deleting the cookie that remembers a consent decision may cause the site to ask again. Browser settings do not always stop server logs or data already lawfully retained.
Where required by applicable US state law, a recognised opt-out preference signal such as Global Privacy Control will be treated as a request to opt out of sale or sharing for targeted advertising. The site also presents applicable privacy links supplied through Mediavine's consent and state-privacy tools.
External websites
Links to museums, conservation bodies, research publishers and other sources lead to websites we do not control. Those sites may set their own cookies as soon as you visit them. Their privacy and cookie notices govern that activity.
Ugly Animals does not automatically embed those external websites merely by linking to them. If an embedded service is added later, its data use will be reviewed and disclosed where required.
Updates and contact
This policy will be updated if the categories, providers or purposes materially change. The effective date will not be changed merely to make the page appear current.
Questions about cookies or consent can be sent to [email protected]. The Privacy Policy explains data purposes, recipients, retention and legal rights.