species-lookup

name: species-lookup description: Find specific species in the Animal Kingdom repository by scientific name, common name, or NCBI TaxId. Use when looking up a single species or comparing species properties like conservation status, lifespan, or characteristics. metadata: author: animal-kingdom version: "1.0"

Species Lookup

Quickly find specific species in the Animal Kingdom repository without scanning 160K files.

When to Use

• Looking up a specific species by scientific name (e.g., "Canis lupus")
• Looking up a species by common name (e.g., "Grey Wolf")
• Finding species by NCBI TaxId
• Getting species properties (conservation status, lifespan, characteristics)

Lookup Strategies

Strategy 1: Scientific Name → File Path (Fastest)

Species files follow a predictable naming pattern:

{Genus}_{species}.cs

Example: "Canis lupus" → Canis_lupus.cs

Path formula:

root/Metazoa/Chordata/{Class}/{Order}/{Family}/{Genus}/{Genus}_{species}.cs

For well-known species, the path is deterministic:

• Canis lupus → root/Metazoa/Chordata/Mammalia/Carnivora/Canidae/Canis/Canis_lupus.cs
• Panthera leo → root/Metazoa/Chordata/Mammalia/Carnivora/Felidae/Panthera/Panthera_leo.cs
• Ursus arctos → root/Metazoa/Chordata/Mammalia/Carnivora/Ursidae/Ursus/Ursus_arctos.cs

Strategy 2: Genus Breadcrumb → Species Lookup

When you know the genus but not the exact species:

1. Navigate to genus breadcrumb: {Family}/{Genus}/breadcrumb.md
2. Read the species_data lookup table in frontmatter
3. Each key is the file stem, values include: common_name, conservation (IUCN code), pet

Example: Find wolves

# From Canis/breadcrumb.md
species_data:
  Canis_lupus:
    common_name: timber wolf
    conservation: LC
    pet: true
  Canis_latrans:
    common_name: prairie wolf
    conservation: LC

Derivation from key:

• File: {key}.cs → Canis_lupus.cs
• Name: {key} with _ → → Canis lupus

Strategy 3: Common Name → Breadcrumb Search

For common name lookups:

1. Start at the likely family breadcrumb
2. Search for common_name in the species arrays
3. Grep breadcrumb.md files: grep -r "Grey Wolf" **/breadcrumb.md

Strategy 4: TaxId Lookup

For NCBI TaxId:

grep -r "TaxId => 9612" root/**/*.cs

This returns Canis_lupus.cs (TaxId 9612).

Quick Reference: Major Species Paths

All paths are relative to root/Metazoa/Chordata/Mammalia/.

Species File Structure

Once you find the file, expect this structure:

public class Canis_lupus : Canis
{
    public const bool IsEnriched = true;  // false = stub data

    public string SpeciesName => "Canis lupus";
    public string CommonName => "timber wolf";
    public override string TaxonomicRank => "species";
    public override int TaxId => 9612;

    public string[] SpeciesCharacteristics => new[] { ... };
    public string ConservationStatus => "Least Concern";
    public double AverageLifespanYears => 11.5;
    public string ReproductionMethod => "Viviparous";
}

Key Fields

Efficiency Tips

1. Use glob patterns: **/Canis_lupus.cs finds the file directly
2. Breadcrumbs have species lists: Don't scan folders, read breadcrumb.md
3. TaxId is unique: Grep for TaxId when scientific name is ambiguous
4. Check IsEnriched: Stubs lack detailed data