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Animals API

The Animals API provides interesting scientific facts on thousands of different animal species.

(4.4)

From 7,149 users

1,800+

Applications using this API

API Status

Online - All Systems Operational

API Response Times

Average
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443ms466ms535ms730ms1196ms

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/v1/animals GET

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/animals

Returns up to 10 results matching the input name parameter.

Parameters

  • name  required

    Common name of animal to search. This parameter supports partial matches (e.g. fox will match gray fox and red fox).

Headers

  • X-Api-Key  required

    API Key associated with your account.

Response

A JSON array of objects, each containing the following fields, or an error if the request is unsuccessful.

  • name

    Common name of the animal.

  • taxonomy

    Object containing taxonomic classification: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and scientific_name.

  • locations

    Array of geographic locations where the animal is found.

  • characteristics

    Object containing detailed characteristics including prey, name_of_young, group_behavior, estimated_population_size, biggest_threat, most_distinctive_feature, gestation_period, habitat, diet, average_litter_size, lifestyle, common_name, number_of_species, location, slogan, group, color, skin_type, top_speed, lifespan, weight, height, age_of_sexual_maturity, and age_of_weaning.

Sample Request Live Demo!

name

Try our APIs in the API playground

Sign up for a free API key to get started — no credit card required.

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/animals?name=cheetah

Headers

X-Api-KeyLog in or sign up to get your API Key

Sample Response

JSON
[
    {
      name:"Cheetah",
      taxonomy:{
        kingdom:"Animalia",
        phylum:"Chordata",
        class:"Mammalia",
        order:"Carnivora",
        family:"Felidae",
        genus:"Acinonyx",
        scientific_name:"Acinonyx jubatus"
      },
      locations:[
        "Africa",
        "Asia",
        "Eurasia"
      ],
      characteristics:{
        prey:"Gazelle, Wildebeest, Hare",
        name_of_young:"Cub",
        group_behavior:"Solitary/Pairs",
        estimated_population_size:"8,500",
        biggest_threat:"Habitat loss",
        most_distinctive_feature:"Yellowish fur covered in small black spots",
        gestation_period:"90 days",
        habitat:"Open grassland",
        diet:"Carnivore",
        average_litter_size:"3",
        lifestyle:"Diurnal",
        common_name:"Cheetah",
        number_of_species:"5",
        location:"Asia and Africa",
        slogan:"The fastest land mammal in the world!",
        group:"Mammal",
        color:"BrownYellowBlackTan",
        skin_type:"Fur",
        top_speed:"70 mph",
        lifespan:"10 - 12 years",
        weight:"40kg - 65kg (88lbs - 140lbs)",
        height:"115cm - 136cm (45in - 53in)",
        age_of_sexual_maturity:"20 - 24 months",
        age_of_weaning:"3 months"
      }
    }
]

Code Examples

1 2 curl -X GET "https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/animals?name=cheetah" \ -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

If your programming language is not listed in the Code Example above, you can still make API calls by using a HTTP request library written in your programming language and following the above documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes, but you must have a premium subscription. Commercial use of the Animals API is not permitted on the free tier. See our pricing page to choose a plan that fits your needs.
  • Sign up for a free account to instantly get your API key, then pass it in the X-Api-Key header on every request. The documentation above includes ready-to-run examples in cURL, Python, JavaScript, Node.js, and more.
  • Your API requests will simply be denied once you hit your monthly quota — you will never be charged more than the plan you signed up for. To increase your quota, you can upgrade your plan any time on our pricing page.
  • The API responds with a standard HTTP status code and a JSON error message describing the problem. See our error codes reference for the full list of codes and how to resolve each one, or contact support if you need help.
  • Send a GET request to the /v1/animals endpoint with the required name parameter set to the animal's common name (for example cheetah). The name parameter supports partial matches, so fox returns species like gray fox and red fox, with up to 10 results per call. Create a free account to get an API key and start querying.
  • Each result object includes the animal's name, a taxonomy object (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and scientific_name), a locations array, and a detailed characteristics object covering fields such as diet, habitat, lifespan, top_speed, weight, and biggest_threat. See the full API documentation for the complete list of characteristic fields.
  • The Animals API is great for building educational tools, wildlife trivia and quiz apps, nature reference guides, and content that surfaces scientific facts on thousands of species. If you need pet-specific data instead, check out our Cats API and Dogs API.
  • The /v1/animals endpoint returns up to 10 results that match the name parameter as a JSON array of objects, or an error if the request is unsuccessful. Higher request volumes are available across our pricing tiers.