Update app.py

app.py

@@ -141,8 +141,14 @@ def app_function(uploaded_image: Optional[np.ndarray], country: Optional[str]) -
     summary = "Found top 5 similar wildlife images."
     
     logger.info("app_function: Performing taxonomic lookup for '%s'", proposed_scientific)
-    response = requests.get(f"{SPECIES_RANK_API_URL}{proposed_scientific}")
-    taxonomic_data = response.json()
+    try:
+        response = requests.get(f"{SPECIES_RANK_API_URL}{proposed_scientific}", timeout=10)
+        response.raise_for_status()
+        taxonomic_data = response.json()
+    except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
+        logger.error("app_function: Taxonomic lookup failed for '%s'. Exception: %s", proposed_scientific, e)
+        taxonomic_data = {}
+
     proposed_kingdom = taxonomic_data.get("kingdom", "N/A")
     proposed_phylum = taxonomic_data.get("phylum", "N/A")
     proposed_class = taxonomic_data.get("class", "N/A")