Abstract: A method and an installation for identifying animals and managing data concerning animals so as to control the traceability of the animals and of the data. The installation includes an identifier (1) borne by the animal; a system for reading (2) the identifier; a self-contained system (3) for communicating with the user, processing and storing in a storage unit (7) data concerning at least an animal, a link between the self-contained system (3) and the reading system (2); a centralised database (4) assembling data concerning the animals; databases concerning data on the animals are included in the self-contained system storage unit and duplicated in the centralised data bank; device for communicating data between the self-contained system (3) and the centralised database (4) and communication means (6) and (6′) between the self-contained system (3) and another self-contained system (3′).