M
API Matrix

ITIS API

Science & Math / No Auth Required Beginner HTTPS
Free to Use Varies (check documentation)
57 Score
Grade D
Visit Official Site Compare Alternatives

Overview

ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a free API providing authoritative taxonomic data on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes. You can look up the official scientific classification of any organism by name, Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN), or common name. It is maintained by US government agencies and is highly reliable for biodiversity and biology projects.

💡

Beginner Tip

Search by common name first using the searchByCommonName endpoint to find the TSN, then use that TSN to retrieve full hierarchical classification. All responses are available in JSON by using the /jsonservice/ path in the URL.

Available Data

ITIS data via REST API
JSON-formatted response data
Freely accessible without authentication

Example Response

JSON Response 
{
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "result": "Data from ITIS",
    "description": "Integrated Taxonomic Information System",
    "timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:00:00Z"
  }
}

Field Reference

tsn Taxonomic Serial Number — the unique ITIS identifier for a taxon.
scientificName Full scientific name of the organism.
commonNames List of common name objects with name and language.
kingdom Taxonomic kingdom the organism belongs to (e.g., Animalia, Plantae).
rankName Taxonomic rank of the result (e.g., Species, Genus, Family).

Implementation Example 

const url = "https://www.itis.gov/";
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

null in commonNameList The common name was not found in the ITIS database.
✓ Try the scientific name search endpoint or check for spelling variations of the common name.
XML response instead of JSON Using the wrong service endpoint URL (SOAP vs REST/JSON).
✓ Use the /jsonservice/ path in the URL to get JSON responses instead of XML.
Slow response times The ITIS web service can be slow on large hierarchical queries.
✓ Cache results locally since taxonomic data changes infrequently and avoid repeated identical requests.

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 15/30
⚡ Speed 5/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 15/20
✓ Reliability 7/15
Response Time 1741ms

Fully tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth No Auth
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS UNKNOWN
Category Science & Math
Difficulty Beginner
Verified: 2026-04-04

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