---
title: "Read one animal taxon."
method: GET
path: "/animals/{id}"
tags: ["Catalogue"]
---

# Read one animal taxon.

`GET /animals/{id}`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1`
- URL: `https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/{id}`
- Auth: none required

Answers one animal taxon with the common name in every language, the scientific name, habitats, the country observation counts, the full photo credit and the Wikipedia summary in the requested language with an English fallback.

## Path parameters

- `id` string, required: Slug of the animal taxon, for example `red-fox`.

## Query parameters

- `lang` 'en' | 'de' | 'es' | 'fr' | 'it' | 'nl' | 'pt' | 'pl': Display language of `name`, category labels and the summary. Falls back to `en`.

## Response `200`

The species. Cached 5 minutes.

- object
  - `data` Animal, required: One animal taxon with every name, photo credit, summary and country counts.
    - `id` string, required: Slug of the animal taxon, for example `red-fox`.
    - `name` string, required: Name in the requested language, English when none exists.
    - `nameEn` string, required: English common name.
    - `nameSci` string, required: Scientific name.
    - `taxonRank` string: Taxonomic rank. Legacy records default to species.
    - `parentNameSci` string, nullable: Parent species scientific name for a subspecies. Null for species.
    - `categoryId` 'mammals' | 'birds' | 'reptiles' | 'amphibians' | 'fish' | 'insects' | 'other', required
    - `habitats` string[], required
    - `tickable` boolean: Whether a new checklist sighting is allowed.
    - `sourceUrl` string, uri
    - `image` object, nullable, required: Photo credit. Check the licence and source before reuse.
      - `url` string, uri, required
      - `sourceUrl` string, uri, required: Page to link when you show it.
      - `license` 'CC0' | 'Public domain' | 'Pexels License' | 'Pixabay Content License', required
      - `licenseUrl` string, uri: Licence terms or public-domain status guidance.
      - `author` string, required: Credited author. Empty when the source gives no name.
      - `source` 'inaturalist' | 'commons' | 'gbif' | 'pexels' | 'pixabay', required: Photo source.
    - `names` object, required: Common name per language. A language is absent when no name is known.
    - `wikidataId` string, nullable, required
    - `inatId` integer, nullable, required: iNaturalist taxon id.
    - `obs` integer, nullable, required: iNaturalist observation count when available.
    - `text` object, nullable, required: Wikipedia excerpt. Keep attribution, licence and source links, changes and supplied notices. Check source article exceptions.
      - `lang` 'en' | 'de' | 'es' | 'fr' | 'it' | 'nl' | 'pt' | 'pl', required
      - `summary` string, required
      - `sourceUrl` string, uri, required
      - `license` string
      - `licenseUrl` string, uri
      - `attribution` string
      - `changes` string
      - `notice` string
    - `countries` object[], required: Up to twelve countries with the most observations.
      - `code` string, required: ISO 3166-1 alpha-2.
      - `obs` integer, required

## Other responses

- `400`: Invalid input.
- `404`: Not found.
- `429`: Rate limited.
- `500`: Unexpected error.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/animalchecklist/apis/animal-checklist-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/animalchecklist/apis/animal-checklist-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/animalchecklist/apis/animal-checklist-api/revisions/0910760ad25b?raw)