ct_check_name: Check species name and retrieve Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN)...

In ct: Camera Trap Data Management and Multi-Method Ecological Analysis

Check species name and retrieve Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN) from ITIS

Description

This function queries the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) to find taxonomic details for a given species name. It can search using either a scientific name or a common name and return relevant taxonomic information, including the TSN.

Usage

ct_check_name(
  species_name,
  search_type = c("common_name", "scientific_name"),
  ask = FALSE
)

Arguments

species_name	A character string specifying the species name to search for. Only a single name is allowed.
search_type	A character string specifying the type of search. Options: "scientific_name": Search by scientific name. "common_name": Search by common name.
ask	A logical value (TRUE or FALSE). If TRUE, allows interactive selection when multiple matches are found.

Details

• If the necessary packages (httr2, xml2) are not installed, the function prompts the user to install them.

• If multiple results are found and ask = TRUE, the user is prompted to select the correct match.

• If no exact match is found, all results are displayed for manual selection.

Value

A tibble containing taxonomic details:

• search: The original species name queried.

• tsn: The Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN) from ITIS.

• common_name: The common name of the species (if available).

• scientific_name: The scientific name of the species.

• author: The author who classified the species.

• itis_url: A direct link to the species report on ITIS.

• taxon_status: The taxonomic status of the species.

See Also

https://www.itis.gov/

Examples

# Search for a species by scientific name
ct_check_name("Panthera leo", search_type = "scientific_name")

# Search by common name with interactive selection
ct_check_name("Lion", search_type = "common_name")

ct documentation built on Oct. 22, 2026, 1:07 a.m.