IDigBio API v1 Examples

This document is a list of examples for using the iDigBio API but may not be comprehensive. See IDigBio API for full documentation on the API including all of the available endpoints.

Viewing JSON Output

A short JSON document is returned by the API when calling the GET method against the base URL:

$ curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/
{"v1":"http://api.idigbio.org/v1/","v0":"http://api.idigbio.org/v0/","check":"http://api.idigbio.org/check"}

For best viewing of JSON results in a browser, one may wish to use the JSONView Extension for Chrome and Firefox.

JSONView Browser Extension Example

If using a command-line tool (such as curl), you may wish to format the output of the JSON document using a "pretty printing" feature of some kind. This will make it more readable by humans and also allow it to be more easily filtered using tools such as grep.

This becomes easier to read when the output is piped through a formatter such as python's json.tool or the json_pp command-line Perl script (JSON::PP).

json.tool Example

$ curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/ | python -m json.tool
{
    "check": "http://api.idigbio.org/check",
    "v0": "http://api.idigbio.org/v0/",
    "v1": "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/"
}

json_pp Example

$ curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/ | json_pp
{
   "v1" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/",
   "check" : "http://api.idigbio.org/check",
   "v0" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v0/"
}

Three ways to fetch a specific record based on iDigBio UUID.

1. Use the API

The most complete version of each record provided to iDigBio is stored in the API.

$ curl -s -XGET https://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/0cec43d8-9ad5-478a-bea1-397ab5cc4430 | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:uuid" : "0cec43d8-9ad5-478a-bea1-397ab5cc4430",
   "idigbio:etag" : "2682a8f2fb77d59d50442925a80fe58a2ad51e9c",
   "idigbio:links" : {
      "mediarecord" : [
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/db38f86b-99f5-4dc4-b4a6-a045a9c35323"
      ],
      "owner" : [
         "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334"
      ],
      "recordset" : [
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/40250f4d-7aa6-4fcc-ac38-2868fa4846bd"
      ]
   },
   "idigbio:version" : 1,
   "idigbio:createdBy" : "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334",
   "idigbio:recordIds" : [
      "urn:uuid:5f5e476f-ee39-41c9-8b25-c929f85a773a"
   ],
   "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-20T23:11:09.437Z",
   "idigbio:data" : {
      "dwc:catalogNumber" : "ASU0000166",
      "dwc:basisOfRecord" : "PreservedSpecimen",
      "symbiotaverbatimScientificName" : "Abies",
      "dwc:collectionCode" : "Plants",
      "dwc:decimalLongitude" : "-105.859665870667",
      "dcterms:references" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/individual/index.php?occid=784316",
      "dwc:scientificNameAuthorship" : "P. Mill.",
      "dwc:collectionID" : "urn:uuid:a2e32c87-d320-4a01-bafd-a9182ae2e191",
      "dwc:minimumElevationInMeters" : "2316",
      "dwc:georeferenceSources" : "georef batch tool 2013-05-10",
      "dwc:georeferenceVerificationStatus" : "reviewed - high confidence",
      "dwc:occurrenceRemarks" : "Tree to 4 m;  occasional in N-facing barranca",
      "dwc:otherCatalogNumbers" : "153418",
      "dwc:rights" : "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/",
      "dwc:decimalLatitude" : "23.5821004818154",
      "dwc:day" : "14",
      "idigbio:recordId" : "urn:uuid:5f5e476f-ee39-41c9-8b25-c929f85a773a",
      "dwc:locality" : "Ca. 1 mi N of Hwy 40 between Villa Union and Cd. Durango, and ca. 5 mi W of Durango state border.",
      "dwc:occurrenceID" : "784316",
      "dwc:year" : "1985",
      "dwc:recordedBy" : "T. F. Daniel; ",
      "dwc:family" : "Pinaceae",
      "dwc:scientificName" : "Abies",
      "dwc:georeferencedBy" : "cjsdavis",
      "dwc:recordNumber" : "4031",
      "dcterms:modified" : "2013-05-10 13:39:12",
      "dwc:country" : "Mexico",
      "dwc:eventDate" : "1985-03-14",
      "dwc:verbatimElevation" : "7600ft",
      "dwc:startDayOfYear" : "73",
      "dwc:habitat" : "Pine-oak forest, in N-facing barranca.",
      "dwc:dynamicProperties" : "Tree to 4 m;  occasional in N-facing barranca",
      "dwc:month" : "3",
      "dwc:stateProvince" : "Sinaloa",
      "dwc:genus" : "Abies",
      "dwc:coordinateUncertaintyInMeters" : "1000",
      "dwc:institutionCode" : "ASU"
   }
}

2. Use the Elasticsearch URL interface with query parameter

The data provided by the Elasticsearch interface may differ slightly from the raw API record since the Elasticsearch data has been indexed for consumption by the portal.

$ curl -s -XGET https://search.idigbio.org/idigbio/records/_search?q=uuid:0cec43d8-9ad5-478a-bea1-397ab5cc4430 | json_pp
{
   "hits" : {
      "hits" : [
         {
            "_source" : {
               "collectioncode" : "plants",
               "datecollected" : "1985-03-14",
               "uuid" : "0cec43d8-9ad5-478a-bea1-397ab5cc4430",
               "geopoint_geohash_6" : "9shwph",
               "locality" : "ca. 1 mi n of hwy 40 between villa union and cd. durango, and ca. 5 mi w of durango state border.",
               "minelevation" : 231,
               "collectionid" : "urn:uuid:a2e32c87-d320-4a01-bafd-a9182ae2e191",
               "datecollected_rejected" : false,
               "datemodified_rejected" : false,
               "geopoint_geohash_5" : "9shwp",
               "recordset" : "40250f4d-7aa6-4fcc-ac38-2868fa4846bd",
               "geopoint_rejected" : false,
               "hasImage" : true,
               "data" : {
                  "idigbio:uuid" : "0cec43d8-9ad5-478a-bea1-397ab5cc4430",
                  "idigbio:etag" : "2682a8f2fb77d59d50442925a80fe58a2ad51e9c",
                  "idigbio:links" : {
                     "mediarecord" : [
                        "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/db38f86b-99f5-4dc4-b4a6-a045a9c35323"
                     ],
                     "owner" : [
                        "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334"
                     ],
                     "recordset" : [
                        "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/40250f4d-7aa6-4fcc-ac38-2868fa4846bd"
                     ]
                  },
                  "idigbio:version" : 1,
                  "idigbio:createdBy" : "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334",
                  "idigbio:recordIds" : [
                     "urn:uuid:5f5e476f-ee39-41c9-8b25-c929f85a773a"
                  ],
                  "idigbio:data" : {
                     "dwc:catalogNumber" : "ASU0000166",
                     "dwc:basisOfRecord" : "PreservedSpecimen",
                     "symbiotaverbatimScientificName" : "Abies",
                     "idigbio:links" : {
                        "mediarecord" : [
                           "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/db38f86b-99f5-4dc4-b4a6-a045a9c35323"
                        ],
                        "owner" : [
                           "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334"
                        ],
                        "recordset" : [
                           "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/40250f4d-7aa6-4fcc-ac38-2868fa4846bd"
                        ]
                     },
                     "dwc:collectionCode" : "Plants",
                     "dwc:decimalLongitude" : "-105.859665870667",
                     "dcterms:references" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/individual/index.php?occid=784316",
                     "dwc:scientificNameAuthorship" : "P. Mill.",
                     "dwc:collectionID" : "urn:uuid:a2e32c87-d320-4a01-bafd-a9182ae2e191",
                     "dwc:minimumElevationInMeters" : "2316",
                     "dwc:georeferenceSources" : "georef batch tool 2013-05-10",
                     "dwc:georeferenceVerificationStatus" : "reviewed - high confidence",
                     "dwc:occurrenceRemarks" : "Tree to 4 m;  occasional in N-facing barranca",
                     "dwc:otherCatalogNumbers" : "153418",
                     "dwc:rights" : "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/",
                     "idigbio:version" : 1,
                     "idigbio:recordIds" : [
                        "urn:uuid:5f5e476f-ee39-41c9-8b25-c929f85a773a"
                     ],
                     "dwc:decimalLatitude" : "23.5821004818154",
                     "dwc:day" : "14",
                     "idigbio:recordId" : "urn:uuid:5f5e476f-ee39-41c9-8b25-c929f85a773a",
                     "dwc:locality" : "Ca. 1 mi N of Hwy 40 between Villa Union and Cd. Durango, and ca. 5 mi W of Durango state border.",
                     "dwc:occurrenceID" : "784316",
                     "idigbio:etag" : "2682a8f2fb77d59d50442925a80fe58a2ad51e9c",
                     "dwc:year" : "1985",
                     "dwc:recordedBy" : "T. F. Daniel; ",
                     "dwc:recordNumber" : "4031",
                     "dwc:georeferencedBy" : "cjsdavis",
                     "dwc:scientificName" : "Abies",
                     "dwc:family" : "Pinaceae",
                     "dcterms:modified" : "2013-05-10 13:39:12",
                     "idigbio:createdBy" : "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334",
                     "dwc:country" : "Mexico",
                     "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-20T23:11:09.437Z",
                     "dwc:eventDate" : "1985-03-14",
                     "dwc:verbatimElevation" : "7600ft",
                     "idigbio:uuid" : "0cec43d8-9ad5-478a-bea1-397ab5cc4430",
                     "dwc:startDayOfYear" : "73",
                     "dwc:habitat" : "Pine-oak forest, in N-facing barranca.",
                     "dwc:dynamicProperties" : "Tree to 4 m;  occasional in N-facing barranca",
                     "dwc:month" : "3",
                     "dwc:stateProvince" : "Sinaloa",
                     "dwc:genus" : "Abies",
                     "dwc:coordinateUncertaintyInMeters" : "1000",
                     "dwc:institutionCode" : "ASU"
                  },
                  "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-20T23:11:09.437Z"
               },
               "scientificname" : "abies",
               "minelevation_rejected" : false,
               "etag" : "2682a8f2fb77d59d50442925a80fe58a2ad51e9c",
               "maxdepth_rejected" : false,
               "family" : "pinaceae",
               "institutioncode" : "asu",
               "geopoint" : {
                  "lat" : 23.5821004818154,
                  "lon" : -105.859665870667
               },
               "fieldnumber" : "4031",
               "geopoint_geohash_2" : "9s",
               "stateprovince" : "sinaloa",
               "mediarecords" : [
                  "db38f86b-99f5-4dc4-b4a6-a045a9c35323"
               ],
               "country" : "mexico",
               "collector" : "t. f. daniel;",
               "geopoint_geohash_4" : "9shw",
               "version" : 1,
               "genus" : "abies",
               "geopoint_geohash_3" : "9sh",
               "datemodified" : "2014-04-20",
               "catalognumber" : "asu0000166",
               "mindepth_rejected" : false,
               "maxelevation_rejected" : false
            },
            "_score" : 14.695786,
            "_index" : "idigbio-1.0.0",
            "_id" : "0cec43d8-9ad5-478a-bea1-397ab5cc4430",
            "_type" : "records"
         }
      ],
      "max_score" : 14.695786,
      "total" : 1
   },
   "timed_out" : false,
   "_shards" : {
      "failed" : 0,
      "successful" : 10,
      "total" : 10
   },
   "took" : 4
}

3. Use the Elasticsearch with json-formatted filter query in the message body

Given a json-formatted query body stored in a file named uuid.json:

$ cat uuid.json
{
    "filter" : {
    "term"  :  { "uuid" : "0cec43d8-9ad5-478a-bea1-397ab5cc4430" }
    }
}

We get the same results in the data fields:

$ curl -s -XGET https://search.idigbio.org/idigbio/records/_search -d@uuid.json | json_pp
{
   "hits" : {
      "hits" : [
         {
            "_source" : {
               "collectioncode" : "plants",
               "datecollected" : "1985-03-14",
               "uuid" : "0cec43d8-9ad5-478a-bea1-397ab5cc4430",
               "geopoint_geohash_6" : "9shwph",
               "locality" : "ca. 1 mi n of hwy 40 between villa union and cd. durango, and ca. 5 mi w of durango state border.",
               "minelevation" : 231,
               "collectionid" : "urn:uuid:a2e32c87-d320-4a01-bafd-a9182ae2e191",
               "datecollected_rejected" : false,
               "datemodified_rejected" : false,
               "geopoint_geohash_5" : "9shwp",
               "recordset" : "40250f4d-7aa6-4fcc-ac38-2868fa4846bd",
               "geopoint_rejected" : false,
               "hasImage" : true,
               "data" : {
                  "idigbio:uuid" : "0cec43d8-9ad5-478a-bea1-397ab5cc4430",
                  "idigbio:etag" : "2682a8f2fb77d59d50442925a80fe58a2ad51e9c",
                  "idigbio:links" : {
                     "mediarecord" : [
                        "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/db38f86b-99f5-4dc4-b4a6-a045a9c35323"
                     ],
                     "owner" : [
                        "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334"
                     ],
                     "recordset" : [
                        "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/40250f4d-7aa6-4fcc-ac38-2868fa4846bd"
                     ]
                  },
                  "idigbio:version" : 1,
                  "idigbio:createdBy" : "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334",
                  "idigbio:recordIds" : [
                     "urn:uuid:5f5e476f-ee39-41c9-8b25-c929f85a773a"
                  ],
                  "idigbio:data" : {
                     "dwc:catalogNumber" : "ASU0000166",
                     "dwc:basisOfRecord" : "PreservedSpecimen",
                     "symbiotaverbatimScientificName" : "Abies",
                     "idigbio:links" : {
                        "mediarecord" : [
                           "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/db38f86b-99f5-4dc4-b4a6-a045a9c35323"
                        ],
                        "owner" : [
                           "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334"
                        ],
                        "recordset" : [
                           "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/40250f4d-7aa6-4fcc-ac38-2868fa4846bd"
                        ]
                     },
                     "dwc:collectionCode" : "Plants",
                     "dwc:decimalLongitude" : "-105.859665870667",
                     "dcterms:references" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/individual/index.php?occid=784316",
                     "dwc:scientificNameAuthorship" : "P. Mill.",
                     "dwc:collectionID" : "urn:uuid:a2e32c87-d320-4a01-bafd-a9182ae2e191",
                     "dwc:minimumElevationInMeters" : "2316",
                     "dwc:georeferenceSources" : "georef batch tool 2013-05-10",
                     "dwc:georeferenceVerificationStatus" : "reviewed - high confidence",
                     "dwc:occurrenceRemarks" : "Tree to 4 m;  occasional in N-facing barranca",
                     "dwc:otherCatalogNumbers" : "153418",
                     "dwc:rights" : "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/",
                     "idigbio:version" : 1,
                     "idigbio:recordIds" : [
                        "urn:uuid:5f5e476f-ee39-41c9-8b25-c929f85a773a"
                     ],
                     "dwc:decimalLatitude" : "23.5821004818154",
                     "dwc:day" : "14",
                     "idigbio:recordId" : "urn:uuid:5f5e476f-ee39-41c9-8b25-c929f85a773a",
                     "dwc:locality" : "Ca. 1 mi N of Hwy 40 between Villa Union and Cd. Durango, and ca. 5 mi W of Durango state border.",
                     "dwc:occurrenceID" : "784316",
                     "idigbio:etag" : "2682a8f2fb77d59d50442925a80fe58a2ad51e9c",
                     "dwc:year" : "1985",
                     "dwc:recordedBy" : "T. F. Daniel; ",
                     "dwc:recordNumber" : "4031",
                     "dwc:georeferencedBy" : "cjsdavis",
                     "dwc:scientificName" : "Abies",
                     "dwc:family" : "Pinaceae",
                     "dcterms:modified" : "2013-05-10 13:39:12",
                     "idigbio:createdBy" : "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334",
                     "dwc:country" : "Mexico",
                     "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-20T23:11:09.437Z",
                     "dwc:eventDate" : "1985-03-14",
                     "dwc:verbatimElevation" : "7600ft",
                     "idigbio:uuid" : "0cec43d8-9ad5-478a-bea1-397ab5cc4430",
                     "dwc:startDayOfYear" : "73",
                     "dwc:habitat" : "Pine-oak forest, in N-facing barranca.",
                     "dwc:dynamicProperties" : "Tree to 4 m;  occasional in N-facing barranca",
                     "dwc:month" : "3",
                     "dwc:stateProvince" : "Sinaloa",
                     "dwc:genus" : "Abies",
                     "dwc:coordinateUncertaintyInMeters" : "1000",
                     "dwc:institutionCode" : "ASU"
                  },
                  "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-20T23:11:09.437Z"
               },
               "scientificname" : "abies",
               "minelevation_rejected" : false,
               "etag" : "2682a8f2fb77d59d50442925a80fe58a2ad51e9c",
               "maxdepth_rejected" : false,
               "family" : "pinaceae",
               "institutioncode" : "asu",
               "geopoint" : {
                  "lat" : 23.5821004818154,
                  "lon" : -105.859665870667
               },
               "fieldnumber" : "4031",
               "geopoint_geohash_2" : "9s",
               "stateprovince" : "sinaloa",
               "mediarecords" : [
                  "db38f86b-99f5-4dc4-b4a6-a045a9c35323"
               ],
               "country" : "mexico",
               "collector" : "t. f. daniel;",
               "geopoint_geohash_4" : "9shw",
               "version" : 1,
               "genus" : "abies",
               "geopoint_geohash_3" : "9sh",
               "datemodified" : "2014-04-20",
               "catalognumber" : "asu0000166",
               "mindepth_rejected" : false,
               "maxelevation_rejected" : false
            },
            "_score" : 1,
            "_index" : "idigbio-1.0.0",
            "_id" : "0cec43d8-9ad5-478a-bea1-397ab5cc4430",
            "_type" : "records"
         }
      ],
      "max_score" : 1,
      "total" : 1
   },
   "timed_out" : false,
   "_shards" : {
      "failed" : 0,
      "successful" : 10,
      "total" : 10
   },
   "took" : 64
}

Fetch five MediaRecord IDs (endpoints) from the API

Example URL:

http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords?limit=5

Example API Results:

 curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords?limit=5 | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:errors" : [],
   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords?limit=5&offset=5"
   },
   "idigbio:items" : [
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "mediarecord" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/000003cd-0cca-421b-8f26-f557a26b0393"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "000003cd-0cca-421b-8f26-f557a26b0393",
         "idigbio:version" : 1,
         "idigbio:etag" : "ce3e2f7272ec996bb479c87549ba90c15ba96426",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-21T22:19:27.436Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "mediarecord" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/00000728-ffb3-4a68-9f93-137f19961121"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "00000728-ffb3-4a68-9f93-137f19961121",
         "idigbio:version" : 2,
         "idigbio:etag" : "c13b10675b4a83031b1dc7a24c1f5c4e443b1939",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-03T17:43:18.145Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "mediarecord" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/00000b03-e208-4d22-983b-506ad2842f7c"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "00000b03-e208-4d22-983b-506ad2842f7c",
         "idigbio:version" : 2,
         "idigbio:etag" : "bc118a7ea53e004c82ab9b7e813e1010ae5f8e17",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-20T05:16:20.389Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "mediarecord" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/000010bc-a4d4-483d-b71d-0dbdd4fd2d5a"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "000010bc-a4d4-483d-b71d-0dbdd4fd2d5a",
         "idigbio:version" : 0,
         "idigbio:etag" : "68c441bd3c49507bf930f3b278f2c58f9cb792ec",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-20T21:38:46.679Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "mediarecord" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/000012f9-d288-4a14-b898-77430e0a137a"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "000012f9-d288-4a14-b898-77430e0a137a",
         "idigbio:version" : 0,
         "idigbio:etag" : "0357f74dada8b21a69281b042a52f47a172fa33b",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-01-20T20:19:29.754Z"
      }
   ],
   "idigbio:itemCount" : "2199334"
}

To Do: Provide examples of displaying multiple images accessed via the mediarecord API endpoint.

https://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/4e98d066-f35f-4cc0-ad7c-b5b5f2175521/media?quality=thumbnail

https://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/4c4c5008-5444-4348-85f5-34112b46169b/media?quality=web

Elasticsearch Examples

TBD

API Performance

For large numbers of records or bulk data aquisition, please use the Download features available in the Portal. https://www.idigbio.org/portal

See also iDigBio API Performance.