diff --git a/dandi/metadata/util.py b/dandi/metadata/util.py
index 093823e88..719336fbe 100644
--- a/dandi/metadata/util.py
+++ b/dandi/metadata/util.py
@@ -472,8 +472,10 @@ def extract_species(metadata: dict) -> models.SpeciesType | None:
         else:
             lower_value = value_orig.lower()
             for common_names, prefix, uri, name in species_map:
-                if any(key in lower_value for key in common_names) or (
-                    prefix is not None and lower_value.startswith(prefix)
+                if (
+                    lower_value == name.lower()
+                    or any(key in lower_value for key in common_names)
+                    or (prefix is not None and lower_value.startswith(prefix))
                 ):
                     value_id = uri
                     value = name
diff --git a/dandi/tests/test_metadata.py b/dandi/tests/test_metadata.py
index 1de523171..5c20acf0d 100644
--- a/dandi/tests/test_metadata.py
+++ b/dandi/tests/test_metadata.py
@@ -513,6 +513,30 @@ def test_species():
     }
 
 
+# all of them should match the same record
+# There should be no network access -- just matching records
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "species",
+    [
+        "mongolian gerbil",
+        "mongolian jird",
+        "Mongolian jird",
+        "http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/NCBITaxon_10047",
+        "Meriones unguiculatus",
+        "Meriones Unguiculatus",
+        "meriones Unguiculatus",
+    ],
+)
+def test_species_all_possible(species: str) -> None:
+    species_rec = extract_species({"species": species})
+    assert species_rec
+    assert species_rec.model_dump(mode="json", exclude_none=True) == {
+        "identifier": "http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/NCBITaxon_10047",
+        "schemaKey": "SpeciesType",
+        "name": "Meriones unguiculatus",
+    }
+
+
 def test_extract_unknown_species():
     with pytest.raises(ValueError) as excinfo:
         extract_species({"species": "mumba-jumba"})