Freedom251 › Citation Management Software
rcites
What rcites is
rcites is a free R package for retrieving information from the Species+ database through the Species+/CITES Checklist API. Its functions return taxon concepts and identifiers, CITES legislation, EU legislation, taxon distribution data, and listing references. To connect, users need a personal authentication token. It can be supplied to each function, set interactively with set_token(), or saved in the SPECIESPLUS_TOKEN environment variable. Documentation includes a vignette for querying multiple species, and the stable release is available from CRAN; a development version is available from GitHub. The package is licensed under MIT, and the CRAN listing requires R version 3.1.0 or later. The documentation directs users to the Species+ Data Terms and Conditions of Use and links to GitHub for bug reports. The free plan provides API access, subject to the token requirement. rcites is listed for Linux.
Who it suits
rcites suits R users who need to retrieve Species+ taxon, distribution, reference, or legislation data, including CITES and EU listings. It requires a personal API token.
What it does well
- Retrieves taxon concepts and identifiers.
- Provides CITES and EU legislation data.
- Can retrieve distribution and listing reference data.
- Documentation includes a multiple-species query vignette.
What to know first
- A personal authentication token is required.
- CRAN listing requires R version 3.1.0 or later.
Limits
The free plan provides Species+ API access and requires a personal authentication token.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| rcites (open-source R package) | Access to Species+ data via its API; personal authentication token required | Free |
As docs.ropensci.org lists them, read 4 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Use a Linux environment with R version 3.1.0 or later.
- Install the stable release from CRAN or the development version from GitHub.
- Obtain a personal authentication token for the Species+/CITES Checklist API.
- Store the token in SPECIESPLUS_TOKEN, set it with set_token(), or pass it to each function call.
- Consult the documentation's multiple-species vignette if you plan bulk queries.
Verdict
rcites offers several Species+ data retrieval functions in an R package with a free plan. Check the token requirement and Species+ terms before connecting.
Questions
How much does rcites cost?
The listed free plan costs nothing.
What data can rcites retrieve?
It can retrieve taxon concepts and identifiers, CITES and EU legislation, taxon distributions, and listing references from Species+.
Does rcites require an API token?
Yes. A personal authentication token is required to connect to the Species+/CITES Checklist API.
Which platforms and R versions are listed?
The listed platform is Linux. The CRAN listing says rcites depends on R version 3.1.0 or later.
Is rcites open source?
It is released under the MIT license.
Where can I get rcites or report a bug?
The stable version is available from CRAN and a development version from GitHub. The project documentation links to GitHub for bug reports.
Facts from rcites's own pages
- Authentication
- A personal authentication token is required to connect to the Species+/CITES Checklist API. · docs.ropensci.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Bulk queries
- The documentation provides a vignette describing package use for querying multiple species. · docs.ropensci.org, 4 Oct 2026
- CITES legislation
- The spp_cites_legislation() function retrieves CITES legislation data. · docs.ropensci.org, 4 Oct 2026
- EU legislation
- The spp_eu_legislation() function retrieves EU legislation data. · docs.ropensci.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Install sources
- The stable version is available from CRAN and the development version from GitHub. · docs.ropensci.org, 4 Oct 2026
- License
- The package is released under the MIT license. · docs.ropensci.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Other data
- The package can retrieve taxon distribution data and listing reference data. · docs.ropensci.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- rcites is an R package for accessing information from the Species+ database through the Species+/CITES Checklist API. · docs.ropensci.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Runtime requirement
- The CRAN listing states that rcites depends on R version 3.1.0 or later. · cran.r-project.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Species data
- The spp_taxonconcept() function retrieves Species+ taxon concept information and taxon identifiers. · docs.ropensci.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project documentation links to GitHub for bug reports. · docs.ropensci.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Terms
- The package documentation directs users to the Species+ Data Terms and Conditions of Use. · docs.ropensci.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Token setup
- The token can be stored in the SPECIESPLUS_TOKEN environment variable, set interactively with set_token(), or passed to each function call. · docs.ropensci.org, 4 Oct 2026
Where rcites stands on Freedom251
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