Our Observation of the Week is this Mongolian Pallas' Cat (Otocolobus manul manul, Мануул/Manul in Mongolian), seen in Mongolia by @dovchindorj!

“Mongolia recently celebrated Independence Day as a public holiday, with everyone taking the opportunity to enjoy some time off,” explains Dovchoo, a Mongolian conservationist.

On that day, fresh snow blanketed the ground, and the temperature dropped to -20°C (-4°F). Despite the bitter cold, the sight of fresh snow ignited my excitement to observe animal tracks, and I decided to make the most of the weekend.

We headed to a mountain steppe about 50 km from the capital. By sheer luck, we came across fresh tracks of a manul. Using binoculars, we spotted it resting near a bush not far from us and managed to take a picture. Despite the cloudy sky and freezing weather, we felt incredibly satisfied with our find.

In addition to the manul, we also observed and photographed a few birds, including the Mongolian Pika. Other than the tips of our fingers becoming slightly numb, the weekend turned out to be a great success.

Pallas’ cat (of which this is a subspecies) is a relatively small - 46 to 65 cm (18 to 26 in) in length, not including tail - wild cat species that ranges across much of central Asia. It prefers grasslands, shrublands, and rocky hillsides and is fine with some snow cover. Members of the species prey on small mammals.

Dovchoo (above, observing wild horses) spent his childhood in village on the banks of a major Mongolian river, and tells me

From an early age, I loved exploring the riverbank with my friends, fishing, discovering nests of ospreys, terns, and ducks, and observing how sunbirds cleverly build their nests and dart through the grass unseen. We often chased rabbits and picked berries in the fall, immersing ourselves in the beauty of nature.

This passion led me to pursue a career in wildlife conservation. My main research focuses on the unique and endangered species of the Gobi Desert, such as the wild cat, the wild camel, and the Mazaalai bear. In truth, I have a deep love for all creatures with fur, claws, and feathers.

A member of iNat since June of 2021, Dovchoo uses it quite a bit in his work.

[iNaturalist] has become a significant source of research for me. I am constantly searching for the distribution of new species in Mongolia, particularly near the border. I also work on creating distribution maps by recording the locations of the species I encounter. I believe this is an invaluable resource for researchers to utilize.

At the same time, it serves as a wonderful platform to share my research and photos with like-minded individuals around the world. Through this platform, I connected with the International Otter Conservation Fund, and I was thrilled to celebrate World Otter Day with them last year.

(Photo of Dovchoo by Zoljargal E. Some quotes have been lightly modified for clarity.)

- check out some BBC footage of a Pallas’ cat!  

- there are over 90k observations from Mongolia, here are the most-faved ones!

Happy December! Here are Our November News Highlights. If you missed last month's highlights you can catch up here.

Enriching the Lives of Millions of Nature Explorers

iNaturalist empowers anyone with a smartphone to discover the diversity of nature

In November, nearly 6 million people used iNaturalist. Here are some recent efforts that expanded the community and made headlines.

iNaturalist on college campuses!

• Auburn edges Alabama in the 2024 Marble Bowl: The annual Marble Bowl is a great example of universities engaging with nature through iNaturalist.

• 1,000 Species in 1,000 Days at Dawson College: As part of the Campus Biodiversity Network, Dawson College documented over 1,000 species on campus—demonstrating the richness of urban biodiversity.

Photo by @kcollin

Three Butterfly Projects From Around the World

• Butterflies in My Backyard: The David Suzuki Foundation’s 2024 report on their Butterflies in My Backyard project demonstrates how community scientists are setting new standards for data quality in butterfly conservation across Canada.

  “People from coast to coast to coast have the capacity and willingness to contribute meaningfully to butterfly conservation”

  -@michelletseng

• Overwintering Monarchs: The Georgia Department of Natural Resources launched a new project inviting the public to help monitor overwintering monarch populations in the southeastern United States.
• Nepal’s First Big Butterfly Count: Mongabay interviewed @sanejprasadsuwal about organizing the country’s inaugural event, connecting communities through butterfly observations.

Photo by @bimalrajshrestha

Accelerating Global Biodiversity Science

Crowdsourcing the World's Most Important Global Biodiversity Database

Lost Worm Photobombing Seahorse Photos and Other Discoveries

• Lost Worm in Seahorse Photos: CNN reported on a lost marine worm that was spotted in seahorse photographs on iNaturalist. Read the study here.
• Cape Daisy Rediscovered: A once-thought-extinct saltpan daisy reappeared in Cape Town as described in a radio interview with @cliffdorse.
• Bat Roosting Insights: iNaturalist observations like this one by @ericvandenberghe are reshaping scientists’ understanding of where bats choose to roost during the day.

iNaturalist Used to Vet XPRIZE Winners and Other Conservation Tech News

• XPRIZE vetting: iNaturalist contributed to evaluating the finalists in the prestigious XPRIZE competition for autonomous rainforest monitoring sensors, helping validate the winning innovations.
• iNaturalist as Conservation Tech: This PBS Climate California Explorations episode on Conservation Technology highlights iNaturalist's Citizen Science approach and includes interviews with @loarie and @carrieseltzer

Chagas Disease Mapping

A new Nature Scientific Reports study utilized hundreds of iNaturalist observations of vector insects to pinpoint potential Chagas disease transmission zones, aiding in disease prevention and public health efforts.

Protecting Critical Habitats and At-Risk Species

Powering On-the-Ground Conservation Projects

Habitat Restoration

• New Nature Reserve in England: In the UK, iNaturalist is helping the Charlcombe Community establish a new nature reserve. Check out the project here.
• Bird-Friendly Campuses: Initiatives in Florida and North Carolina use iNaturalist to reduce bird-window strikes, creating safer spaces for wildlife.

Invasive Species Detection

A new study highlights iNaturalist’s key role in early detection and management of invasive species. One notable example: @giulsinclair’s observation of a new invasive lace bug in London, showcasing the platform’s citizen science power.

Photo by @gernotkunz

Rare Species Awareness

From @yuunikorn’s observation of a humpback whale in New York City to spottings of rare native Chinook salmon in Oakland, iNaturalist observations foster awareness and spur action to protect biodiversity—even in bustling urban environments.

iNatters in the News

Check out three iNatters who made the news last month:

• This profile highlights @ozzicada's work identifying Australian cicada species on iNaturalist.


• The prolific mushroom observer @steven_dm was featured in a Florida news piece about foraging tours.


• @james_stroud_lizardsontheloose was quoted in The New Yorker, discussing a mystery involving invasive lizards and iNaturalist’s role in understanding their spread.

Thank you to everyone who joined us on iNaturalist this November! If you’d like to help iNaturalist continue building this global movement for nature, please consider becoming a supporter.

Donate to iNaturalist

We’re excited to welcome six new members to the iNaturalist team—three joining our staff and three joining our board of directors.

New Staff Members

Joanne Lin, Senior Product Manager

In December, Joanne Lin joined iNaturalist as our first Senior Product Manager. Joanne brings extensive experience in product management, most recently at simplehuman, and is a member of the iNaturalist community. She will collaborate closely with our engineers and designers to enhance our products and help us better achieve our goals.

Jeanne Braha, Head of Development

In January, Jeanne Braha will become our new Head of Development. Jeanne brings extensive experience in fundraising and leadership within nature-focused nonprofits. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of the Rock Creek Conservancy in Washington D.C., an organization that has used iNaturalist extensively. She will focus on creating robust financial support for iNaturalist to thrive long into the future.

Alison Young, Director of Outreach Programs

Also in January, Alison Young will transition from the iNaturalist Board to become our first Director of Outreach Programs. As Co-Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Community Science at the California Academy of Sciences and Co-Founder of the City Nature Challenge, Alison has collaborated closely with iNaturalist for years. In her new role, she will work with our engagement team to help grow and support the iNaturalist community.

New Board Members

Lucas Joppa

Dr. Lucas Joppa is recognized worldwide for his leadership in environmental sustainability, technology, and AI-driven solutions. Formerly Microsoft’s first Chief Environmental Officer, he was named to Fortune’s "40 Under 40" list and is one of the most frequently cited scientists in his field. Currently a Senior Managing Director at Haveli Investments, Lucas is dedicated to using technology to transform how we monitor, model, and manage Earth’s natural resources.

Amber Mace

Dr. Amber Mace is the Managing Director/Chief of Strategic Partnerships at the California Academy of Sciences. Before joining the Academy in 2023, Amber led prominent state, academic, and nonprofit institutions. She holds a BA in Geography from UC Berkeley, a PhD in Ecology from UC Davis, and an MBA from the Wharton School. In addition to serving on the iNaturalist Board, Amber also sits on the boards of the San Francisco Estuary Institute and California Sea Grant.

Nick Grandy

Nick Grandy co-founded Outschool, an online education platform that has reached millions of K–12 learners worldwide. An early employee at Airbnb and a former high school physics teacher, Nick holds degrees in Astronomy and Computer Science from Harvard and Oxford. He currently lives in San Francisco with his family and loves exploring nature with Seek by iNaturalist.

Looking Ahead

We’re excited about the diverse expertise and perspectives these new team members will bring to iNaturalist. Their contributions will help us continue to evolve our platform, strengthen our community, and further our mission to build a global movement for nature. We look forward to working together to shape the future of iNaturalist!

Introducing KARMA

KARMA is the world’s first search engine designed to preserve biodiversity and promote animal welfare. By tapping into the $300+ billion sponsored links market, KARMA turns everyday online searches into meaningful support for nonprofit partners like iNaturalist.

How It Works

Like other search engines, KARMA displays sponsored links with each search. The difference? Instead of keeping the profits, KARMA donates them directly to its nonprofit partners. Every time you search, you can help support causes you care about—at no extra cost. You can use KARMA by going to karmasearch.org or by making it the default search engine for your browser.

You can use it both on your smartphone by downloading their iOS or Android application, and on your computer by simply adding their browser extension (available for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Arc). Making the switch only takes a few minutes and it’s completely free!

KARMA also offers additional features:

• A “Learn & Act” news feed dedicated to biodiversity and animal welfare, with resources to take action like petitions, challenges, and citizen science projects.
• Stunning background images of nature, including photos from the iNaturalist community like this mantis by @squiresk:

Here’s what a search for iNaturalist looks like on KARMA:

Why We Partnered with KARMA

We’re excited about KARMA because it empowers people to align their online activity with their values. At iNaturalist, we encourage everyone to engage with the world in ways that protect and understand nature. With KARMA, even your everyday searches can help sustain the biodiversity we all cherish.

If just 1% of the 6 million people who used iNaturalist last month switched to KARMA for their daily internet searches, they could generate ~$2 million in donations to iNaturalist each year which was more than half of our 2024 operating budget.

We invite you to give KARMA a try and turn your online searches into positive impact! The more you use KARMA, the more support their nonprofit partners receive.

Try KARMA

We've reached an incredible milestone — 500,000 unique taxa documented on iNaturalist! According to 2022 IUCN estimates, that’s nearly a quarter (23%) of all known species on Earth.

A unique capacity to census 100k+ species annually

Remarkably, 64% of these 500,000 taxa were observed within the last year. For context, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) took 200 years of specimen collection and processing to record 530,000 taxa. Recently, DNA barcoding initiatives like the International Barcode of Life Consortium have made incredible strides, but require multiple years to process hundreds of thousands of taxa.

Right now, iNaturalist is the only initiative on Earth capable of cataloging hundreds of thousands of species within a single year.

All Remaining Unobserved Birds

Birds stand out as a group where nearly all of the species have been observed on iNaturalist. The map below highlights the 349 bird species (2%) yet to be recorded on the platform.

You can track these remaining species as they’re documented in real-time here. In fact, Ainley’s Storm-Petrel was observed while we were finalizing this post!

Remaining Unobserved Reptiles, Amphibians, and Mammals

For reptiles, amphibians, and mammals there are about 10 times as many unobserved species as there are for birds. Like birds, most unobserved species only remain in tropical regions. This is not the case for groups like fishes, plants, invertebrates, and fungi where there are still many species left to observe in all parts of the globe.

The maps below show:

• Nearly all of the ~3,000 (24%) remaining unobserved reptiles (thanks @uetz for providing localities)
• About half of the ~3,000 (32%) remaining unobserved amphibians
• About half of the ~2,000 (34%) remaining unobserved mammals.
Some locations may be inaccurate. If you’d like to help improve the data by fixing errors or filling gaps, please edit the linked spreadsheets.

Reptiles

Amphibians

Mammals

Comparing iNaturalist and the Smithsonian NMNH

The table below compares the number of species recorded by iNaturalist and the Smithsonian NMNH, alongside IUCN’s total species estimates. The similarities are striking, given their vastly different approaches and timescales.

Group	IUCN all species estimates	iNaturalist	Smithsonian NMNH
All groups	2,161,755	500,352	529,800
Vertebrates	74,420	46,217	48,912
Amphibians	8,536	5,803	2,972
Birds	11,188	10,976	8,438
Fishes	36,367	16,138	27,573
Mammals	6,596	4,357	5,408
Reptiles	11,733	8,943	4,521
Invertebrates	1,521,459	256,992	273,590
Insects	1,053,578	202,896	163,255
Molluscs	113,813	17,954	39,087
Arachnids	110,615	15,364	4,400
Corals	5,574	2,390	6,194
Crustaceans	80,122	8,008	14,573
Horseshoe crabs	4	4	20
Velvet worms	210	96	6
Other invertebrates	157,543	9,353	37,497
Plants	424,335	168,511	188,557
Ferns and Allies	11,800	5,486	8,663
Flowering plants	369,000	155,524	167,958
Gymnosperms	1,113	936	1,136
Red algae	7,568	1,376	2,347
Green algae	12,929	856	933
Mosses	21,925	3,846	6,776
Fungi and protists	141,541	27,893	24,671
Brown algae and protists	4,541	4,000	15,892
Lichens	17,000	3,968	6,699
Mushrooms	120,000	19,925	1,806

Thank you!

iNaturalist has ventured into a new frontier for global biodiversity monitoring. In the Heinz Award interview below (released this week), @loarie explains the scale and significance of the iNaturalist dataset between minutes 1 and 2.

This massive collection of biodiversity records wouldn't exist without the incredible iNaturalist community of observers, identifiers, taxonomy curators, advocates, and supporters. We're so grateful that you've joined us in this unique global effort to census the world's species!




If you’d like to help us reach 1 million taxa, please consider making a donation below!

Donate to iNaturalist

This is the twenty-seventh entry in an ongoing monthly (or kind of monthly!) series profiling the amazing identifiers of iNaturalist. 

Aphids! There are currently over 264,000 verifiable observations of this common yet notoriously difficult-to-identify insect family on iNat, and Natalie Hernandez (@nmhernandez) has identified more of them than anyone else!

Growing up in the US state of Wisconsin, Natalie’s always been into animals and says:

I absolutely loved ZooBooks as a kid and exploring the yard for whatever I could find. I raised my first Black Swallowtail caterpillars when I found them on our garden parsley when I was 8. I’ve had just about every “pet” you can imagine. Cats, dogs, gerbils, cockatiels, parakeets, a pacific parrotlet, chinchillas, snakes, tarantulas, praying mantises, cockroaches, leopard geckos, fish, salamanders, frogs… probably others I’m forgetting. I also worked with large animals as barn crew for the vet school’s large animal clinic when I was an undergrad [at the University of Wisconsin]. Loved that job. Currently it’s my job to ID all insects and their relatives, but aphids are my specialty.

After earning her undergraduate degree, she moved to California for two years then returned to Wisconsin for graduate studies. A professor there reached out to her and, noting that she was good at identification, asked her if she wanted to work on a project he had some funding for.

I trapped winged aphids in the potato fields of Wisconsin trying to get a better idea of how Potato Virus Y was spread, since it's vectored by aphids. We didn't get much useful virus data, but definitely had a lot of useful aphid flight data after that. Once I graduated and got my job with the USDA as an Area Identifier I had to choose a taxonomic specialty. Aphids are so hard and I'd already spent a lot of time learning how to ID them, so I just decided to stick with the family for my specialty. Didn't realize how few people are aphidologists, so now I feel like I really need to spread my knowledge!

And so far on iNat, she’s identified nearly 57,000 aphid observations and added a ton of helpful comments and questions when doing so. She usually starts out identifying aphids in the United States as that’s what she’s most familiar with, and tries to identify the “easier” species first. For more difficult observations, she relies on resources such as Influential Points, Aphids on the World’s Plants, and sometimes she’ll bring her rare aphid books as well.

Aphids are just difficult to ID in general, so trying to ID them from pictures can be impossible. They often need to be chemically cleared and slide mounted to see identifying characters, so we might not be able to see certain characters in pictures. They’re also generally hostplant specific, so keys are arranged by hostplant genera. If hostplant is unknown that makes identifying them even harder.

Scientific accuracy is important, but also it helps me learn. It helps keep my aphids identifying skills sharp.

Having a tough time getting your aphid observations identified to the species level? Unfortunately, as Natalie says below, it’s often not possible with standard photos, but getting hostplant info is really helpful!

Just try your best and keep in mind aphids are hard. Getting numerous pictures of different specimens in a colony can be helpful, different angles can be helpful. If you aren’t sure what the hostplant is get pictures of that too and try to post it as a separate observation for ID on iNat. Some aphids will just be impossible to ID no matter what though.

In addition to keeping her identification skill sharp, Natalie says that iNat observation often turn up species in places where they’re not “supposed” to be, which is helpful. 

I see a lot of interesting observations on iNat, and I think it’s particularly interesting to see species that aren’t supposed to occur in North America in North America. California is especially prone to adventive or invasive species so I’ve seen a few Asian species that aren’t supposed to be here. Lipaphis alliariae, the Garlic Mustard Aphid is also definitely established in the US even though it’s not “supposed” to be. 

Did you know that aphids often reproduce by giving birth to clones? 

Our Observation of the Week is the first Trachymene acrotricha plant posted to iNaturalist! Seen in Indonesia by @ojan_thayyeb.

This past July, Ojan Thayyeb and his colleagues from the Celebica Foundation journeyed to Sulawesi’s Mount Latimojong, to study the Mountain Anoa population there. 

The main focus of Oyan’s research is plants, however, and he’s inventoried many plant populations and collected specimens for herbaria across Sumatra. “Since college,” he says, “my passion for plants has only grown stronger. I always feel excited when encountering different plant species and strive to document them, especially during surveys or while climbing mountains.”

So, while he and the team from the Celebica Foundation were setting up camera traps to study the anoa, he

also documented some of the plant species on Mount Latimojong, including rhododendrons and Trachymene acrotricha, which I just identified and uploaded to iNaturalist. Latimojong is one of Sulawesi's tallest mountains and is included in the Seven Summits of Indonesia. It is renowned for its unique biodiversity, featuring flora and fauna, such as the mountain Anoa and endemic species of rhododendrons.

Members of Trachymene belong to the Ivy family (Araliaceae), and range from Australia to the islands of southeast Asia. It’s addition to iNat this month helped bring the entire database past the 500,000 taxa mark!

Ojan (above, center, on Mount Latimojong) joined iNat back in 2017 but started actively using it for plant identification just last year. 

This December, I decided to start uploading photos of the plants I documented during my surveys and to provide references for each species. Many plants only have herbarium images and lack direct field images, so I wanted to contribute to this effort. I am now committed to actively sharing every observation I make in the field, enabling me to share information and seek assistance from experts in accurately identifying the plants I encounter.

iNaturalist is an invaluable platform that helps me find photos of plants worldwide. I also use it to identify birds and reptiles I document to find their scientific names. This platform dramatically assists researchers who want to see photos of specific species. Additionally, the extensive network of experts within various taxa worldwide facilitates interaction among all users, allowing us to appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of Earth's creations.

(Also in the photo: Left: head of the Celebica Foundation, Anggra Alfian, and Right: a member of the flora division, Adrianus Tombi. Some quotes have been lightly edited for clarity.)

- check out past Observations of the Week from Indonesia like this snake-and-spider photo from @fhadlikennedi and a weevil from @janusolajuanboediman!

- in our first Identifier Profile we met @naufalurfi, a spider identifier from Indonesia!

Our Observation of the Week is this Bahoruco Long-snouted Anole lizard (Anolis bahorucoensis, Lagarto Hocico Largo del Bahoruco in Spanish), seen in the Dominican Republic by @pedrogenarorodriguez!

Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Pedro Genaro Rodriguez says that when he was a child his parents provided him with books about nature, and 

as a teenager my heroes were Jacques Cousteau, Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente, and Annabelle Dod, an American naturalist who wrote the first book about the birds of the Dominican Republic. I wanted to photograph or film nature just like Felix’s documentaries and also wanted to travel my own country and see all the beautiful places and birds that Annabelle Dod described both in her books and her Saturday articles in the newspaper. I had the pleasure of meeting her in person, and I was gifted with a copy of her newly printed field guide to birds of Dominican Republic.

Pedro’s parents also provided him with binoculars and a camera, but he says it wasn’t until digital photography that he was able to really delve into the hobby. Since 2007 he’s devoted much of his time to nature and conservation photography.

I like to show the beauty of Nature but also the threats it faces. My main interests are birds, butterflies and herps, but lately I am trying to work also on ecosystems and how all the members of such a community interact.  Widening my interest in nature helped me become a keener naturalist.

Pedro has photographed the Bahoruco Long-snouted Anole many years ago, and in April of 2023 he found the one you see above while exploring the forest for birds. 

It made sense that it was present in this forest (cloud forest mixed with abandoned coffee plantations), but I was not looking for it. I normally try to use a macro lens for this kind of subject but I used instead what I had in hand (a Canon 500mm f/4 lens + Canon R7 Camera).

Endemic to the island of Hispañola, this species lives in shaded forest areas. According to Fitch and Henderson, 

The male of A. b. Bahorucoensis [a subspecies] is one of the most colorful of all anoles…Color description of the living animal is made difficult by the fact that adult males are subject to rapid and drastic changes in both color and pattern. Within a span as brief as a minute the appearance may alter dramatically. The pattern described above can change by having the blue-green blotches fade until the animal is predominantly dark brown, with no sharp contrasts.

Unlike many other species in the genus Anolis, males in this species have a small dewlap. It’s listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Redlist, threatened by habitat loss.

Pedro (above), is about to celebrate his seventh iNat-iversary, and tells me

I like to share both my knowledge and bliss for nature with everyone and I think it is a powerful tool for sharing the knowledge and doing citizen science, pointing out a place and a moment in time.

Let me put it this way… getting to know iNaturalist has been like coming home to me. I have finally found the place where all my dreams have become true. I now have a catalog of all my observations and species I have seen, and I have the chance to interact with people that share with me the same passion and enthusiasm for nature.

(Photo of Pedro by Javier Gautier. Some quotes have been lightly edited for clarity.)

- a previous Observation of the Week was this Green Anole at a hummingbird feeder, seen by @vanremsen!