TinyFox API
Free animal image API with no key: dozens of species behind one endpoint, returning either the image itself or a JSON path you can build a URL from. Tested example included.
Endpoint tested and returned HTTP 200 on 21 Aug 2026
What is the TinyFox API?
TinyFox serves random animal photographs across dozens of species from a single endpoint with no API key. Adding a `json` flag returns the image path as JSON rather than the picture, which you then join to the base URL.
Where most animal picture APIs cover one species, TinyFox handles dozens behind a single `animal` parameter — foxes, chinchillas, capybaras, red pandas and a long list besides. That makes it a better fit than a collection of single-purpose endpoints when you want variety, because the integration is written once and the species becomes data.
The `json` flag is a bare flag with no value, which is unusual enough to catch people out: `?animal=chi&json` works, `?animal=chi&json=true` is not the documented form. What comes back is `loc`, a site-relative path — you must prefix `https://api.tinyfox.dev` yourself before it resolves. The `remaining_api_calls` field reads `not_active` for anonymous use, indicating a quota system that exists but is not enforced without a key. There is no CORS header, so browser fetches of the JSON will be blocked.
Quick facts
- Base URL
https://api.tinyfox.dev- Authentication
- No API key needed. The `remaining_api_calls` field suggests an optional keyed tier, but anonymous requests report `not_active` and work.
- Rate limit
- No enforced limit for anonymous use. Keep volumes considerate.
- Pricing
- Free.
- CORS
- Not enabled — call it from your server
- Official docs
- Read the docs
How to use the TinyFox API
Every request below was executed against the live API on 21 Aug 2026, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.
1. Fetch a random animal image path
GET https://api.tinyfox.dev/img?animal=chi&json
curl 'https://api.tinyfox.dev/img?animal=chi&json'const res = await fetch("https://api.tinyfox.dev/img?animal=chi&json");
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${res.status}`);
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);import requests
res = requests.get("https://api.tinyfox.dev/img?animal=chi&json", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json()){
"loc": "/hourly/chi/16169445973_41dcbfd37d_c.jpg",
"remaining_api_calls": "not_active"
}Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
animal | query | Required | Species code, such as `chi` for chinchilla or `fox`. The site lists every supported code. chi |
json | query | Optional | A bare flag with no value. Present means JSON metadata; absent means the image itself. json |
Response fields
locstring- Site-relative path to the image, such as `/hourly/chi/16169445973_41dcbfd37d_c.jpg`. Prefix the base URL before using it.
remaining_api_callsstring- Quota indicator. Reads `not_active` for anonymous requests rather than returning a number.
What you can build with the TinyFox API
- Add a multi-species animal command to a chat bot
- Fill a demo gallery with varied real photography
- Give users a species picker backed by one integration
- Seed test fixtures with reliably available image URLs
Common errors and how to fix them
Image URL 404s
`loc` is site-relative, not absolute.
Fix: Prefix `https://api.tinyfox.dev` before using it. This is the most common mistake with this API.
Got an image instead of JSON
The `json` flag was omitted or given a value.
Fix: Append a bare `&json` with no `=true`. That is the documented form.
Cross-origin request blocked
No Access-Control-Allow-Origin header is sent.
Fix: Fetch the JSON from a server. The image URL itself loads fine in an `img` tag.
Unknown animal code
Codes are short abbreviations, not full names.
Fix: Check the site's list — `chi` for chinchilla, not `chinchilla`.
TinyFox API — frequently asked questions
Is TinyFox free?
Yes, free with no key. The response includes a `remaining_api_calls` field hinting at an optional keyed tier, but anonymous requests report `not_active` and are served normally.
How many species does it cover?
Dozens, all behind one `animal` parameter — foxes, chinchillas, capybaras, red pandas and more. The site publishes the full list of codes.
Why does my image URL not work?
Because `loc` is a site-relative path. Prefix `https://api.tinyfox.dev` and it will resolve.
How do I get JSON instead of an image?
Append a bare `&json` to the query string with no value. Writing `json=true` is not the documented form and will not switch the response.
Tools that pair with this API
Image Cropper
Crop images online to an exact rectangle with pixel-precise x, y, width and height inputs or aspect-ratio presets. Free, private and browser-based.
Bulk Image Resizer
Resize up to 30 images at once by width, height, percentage or exact dimensions. Batch photo resizing that runs entirely in your browser.
Image to Base64 Converter
Convert an image to a Base64 data URL online. Get copy-ready HTML img tags and CSS background-image snippets. Free, instant and fully private.
Alternatives to TinyFox API
If TinyFox does not fit, these animal apis cover similar ground. Every one was called before publishing, and each links to its own reference page with a working curl command and the response it returned.
| API | What it does | Auth | CORS | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Facts | Free cat facts API with no key. Random feline facts as JSON, with pagination and length filtering. CORS enabled. Tested curl example and live response. | No key | Yes | 19 Aug 2026 |
| Dog CEO | Free dog image API with no key: 20,000+ photos across 100+ breeds and sub-breeds, random or filtered. CORS enabled. Tested curl example and live JSON. | No key | Yes | 19 Aug 2026 |
| TheCatAPI | Free cat image API with breed data, filtering and search. Works without a key for basic use; free key unlocks more. Tested curl example and live JSON. | No key | Yes | 19 Aug 2026 |
| RandomFox | Free fox image API with no key. Returns a random fox photo URL as JSON. CORS enabled, minimal payload. Tested curl example and live response included. | No key | Yes | 19 Aug 2026 |
| WoRMS | Free WoRMS REST API with no key: authoritative marine species names, full taxonomic hierarchy and synonym resolution for over 240,000 accepted species. Tested example included. | No key | Yes | 21 Aug 2026 |
| Cataas (Cat as a Service) | Free cat image API with no key: random cats, tag filtering, text overlays and on-the-fly resizing, as an image or as JSON metadata. Tested example included. | No key | Yes | 21 Aug 2026 |
TinyFox is an independent third-party service and is not affiliated with ByteTools or ByteVancer. Details on this page were verified on 21 Aug 2026; always check the official documentation before relying on this API in production, as terms and limits can change.