Tutorial: Animal Species

Science

Data source: Curated dataset (IUCN, Wikipedia)

Overview

Animal Species wraps Curated dataset (IUCN, Wikipedia), handling authentication, pagination, and rate limits for you. This tutorial covers all 8 tools with working code examples you can copy and run.

Prerequisites

Sign up at https://context.gnist.ai/signup for a free API key (100 calls/day).
Choose your integration method: MCP protocol or REST API.

Connect via MCP

Add to your MCP client config (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.):

MCP Config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gnist-animals": {
      "url": "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/",
      "headers": {
        "Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools (8)

`get_animal`

Get detailed information about an animal species. Returns taxonomy, habitat, diet, lifespan, physical characteristics, conservation status, and description.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`animal_id`	string	required	Animal ID slug (e.g. african-elephant, blue-whale, axolotl).

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "get_animal", "arguments": {"animal_id": "african-elephant"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'animal_id': 'african-elephant'},
            'name': 'get_animal'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`search_animals`

Search the animal species database.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`query`	string	required	Search by common name, scientific name, or family.
`limit`	integer	optional	(default: `20`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "search_animals", "arguments": {"query": "renewable energy"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'query': 'renewable energy'},
            'name': 'search_animals'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`list_animals_by_class`

List animals by taxonomic class.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`animal_class`	string	required	Taxonomic class (e.g. Mammalia, Aves, Reptilia, Amphibia).
`limit`	integer	optional	(default: `50`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "list_animals_by_class", "arguments": {"animal_class": "Mammalia"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'animal_class': 'Mammalia'},
            'name': 'list_animals_by_class'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`list_animals_by_habitat`

List animals by habitat type.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`habitat`	string	required	Habitat type (e.g. Forest, Ocean, Savanna, Arctic).
`limit`	integer	optional	(default: `50`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "list_animals_by_habitat", "arguments": {"habitat": "Forest"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'habitat': 'Forest'},
            'name': 'list_animals_by_habitat'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`list_endangered_species`

List endangered and critically endangered animal species.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`limit`	integer	optional	(default: `20`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "list_endangered_species", "arguments": {"limit": 20}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'limit': 20}, 'name': 'list_endangered_species'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`get_animal_classes`

List all taxonomic classes in the database.

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "get_animal_classes", "arguments": {}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {}, 'name': 'get_animal_classes'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`get_animal_habitats`

List all habitat types in the database.

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "get_animal_habitats", "arguments": {}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {}, 'name': 'get_animal_habitats'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`report_feedback`

Report a bug, feature request, or general feedback for this data source. Use this when something doesn't work as expected, when you'd like a new feature, or when you have suggestions for improvement. Args: feedback: Describe the issue or suggestion. feedback_type: One of 'bug', 'feature_request', or 'general'.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`feedback`	string	required
`feedback_type`	string	optional	(default: `general`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "report_feedback", "arguments": {"feedback": "example"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/animals/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'feedback': 'example'}, 'name': 'report_feedback'}},
)
print(resp.json())

Common Patterns

Search then retrieve
Use search_animals to find items, then get_animal to get full details. This two-step pattern is common for exploring data before drilling down.

Pagination
Several tools support limit, offset, or page parameters. Start with small limits during development, then increase for production queries.

FAQ

What data does Animal Species provide?

Animal species database — taxonomy, habitat, diet, lifespan, conservation status. It exposes 8 tools: get_animal, search_animals, list_animals_by_class, list_animals_by_habitat, list_endangered_species, get_animal_classes, get_animal_habitats, report_feedback.

What do I need to get started?

A Gnist API key (free tier: 100 calls/day). Sign up at https://context.gnist.ai/signup.

What format does the Animal Species API return?

JSON, via either MCP protocol (JSON-RPC 2.0) or REST API.

Next Steps

Interactive Playground

Try tools in your browser — no setup required.

Full Reference

Complete docs for all 8 tools.

Getting Started with Animal Species