# Will Leopardus tilcayo be added? **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Tags:** question, missing-species\ **Created:** [September 18, 2026, 8:48pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588 "2026-09-18T20:48:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![necrologist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/necrologist/32/73398_2.png) [@necrologist](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/necrologist)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 8:48pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/1 "2026-09-18T20:48:59Z")
This is not really a pressing question, I am just curious about how new species are added to iNat. Will the new cat species Leopardus tilcayo be added to the site? How will it work? Does someone have to submit an observation before it is added? ---
**Author:** ![thomaseverest](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/thomaseverest/32/63220_2.png) [@thomaseverest](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/thomaseverest)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 8:54pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/2 "2026-09-18T20:54:06Z")
You can flag the lowest available taxon, requesting that the name be added. Typically, we only add names that have observations though. There are way too many species out there for us to manually add and curate all of them. ---
**Author:** ![AdamWargon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/adamwargon/32/44649_2.png) [@AdamWargon](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/AdamWargon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 9:02pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/3 "2026-09-18T21:02:19Z")
Here is a short article from iNatHelp that walks you through the process: [https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000170372-how-do-i-add-a-missing-species-to-the-inaturalist-database-](https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000170372-how-do-i-add-a-missing-species-to-the-inaturalist-database-) For anyone like me who doesn’t know the taxon mentioned in the title, it is a small South American wildcat (from Bolivia) that resulted from a recent split after genetic analysis: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilcayo\_tiger\_cat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilcayo_tiger_cat) ---
**Author:** ![DianaStuder](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/dianastuder/32/43358_2.png) [@DianaStuder](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/DianaStuder)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 9:16pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/4 "2026-09-18T21:16:40Z")
[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/17/new-cat-species-identified-bolivia](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/17/new-cat-species-identified-bolivia) If someone in Bolivia observes one … Taxon IS added – but no obs [https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1712052/history](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1712052/history) ---
**Author:** ![Mercedes-Fletcher](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/mercedes-fletcher/32/24784_2.png) [@Mercedes-Fletcher](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Mercedes-Fletcher)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 9:39pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/5 "2026-09-18T21:39:23Z")
When that iNat first eventually happens, and I really hope it will someday, definitely let me know! I look forward to seeing it! ---
**Author:** ![jnstuart](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jnstuart/32/1623_2.png) [@jnstuart](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jnstuart)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 10:02pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/6 "2026-09-18T22:02:11Z")
It’s possible there is an observation already on iNat under a different ID, among the Leopardus records from Bolivia. ---
**Author:** ![cs16-levi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@cs16-levi](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/cs16-levi)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/7 "2026-09-18T22:23:13Z")
FYI, you can follow the species so you will get notified if it is observed on iNat. ---
**Author:** ![necrologist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/necrologist/32/73398_2.png) [@necrologist](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/necrologist)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 10:31pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/8 "2026-09-18T22:31:55Z")
This could be worth looking at. Would be very exciting. ---
**Author:** ![taylorse](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/taylorse/32/44816_2.png) [@taylorse](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/taylorse)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/9 "2026-09-18T22:37:34Z")
This could be one! [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/368769386](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/368769386) Well, it’s the only Leopardus observation in Nor Yungas, Bolivia. I did some poking around because _cute cats!!!_, but I am utterly unqualified to have any kind of actual opinion. For more fun, here are the 12 observations in Bolivia that are at genus level: [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?lrank=genus&place\_id=6783&preferred\_place\_id=1&subview=table&taxon\_id=41986](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?lrank=genus&place_id=6783&preferred_place_id=1&subview=table&taxon_id=41986) And here are all 161 Leopardus observations in Bolivia: [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place\_id=6783&preferred\_place\_id=1&subview=table&taxon\_id=41986](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=6783&preferred_place_id=1&subview=table&taxon_id=41986) There aren’t any observations from Bolivia of L. tigrinus, which apparently is the species they thought this cat was at first. ---
**Author:** ![phma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/phma/32/54376_2.png) [@phma](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/phma)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 10:55pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/10 "2026-09-18T22:55:47Z")
The likweli (_Colobus congoensis_, a monkey) was flagged two months ago and took a few weeks to get added. No observations yet. I flagged _Leopardus_ when I had just seen the news on LinkedIn, and the tilcayo was added the same day. ---
**Author:** ![yongestation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/yongestation/32/56696_2.png) [@yongestation](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/yongestation)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 11:42pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/11 "2026-09-18T23:42:55Z")
My impression is that in practice basically all mammals and bird species are added regardless once the appropriate taxonomic authority includes it. At least I’ve spent a good deal of time searching obscure mammals and birds on here and I’ve never run into a species that did not have a page on here (barring recently described ones), in spite of many of them having 0 observations. ---
**Author:** ![upupa-epops](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/upupa-epops/32/1972_2.png) [@upupa-epops](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/upupa-epops)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 3:00am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/12 "2026-09-19T03:00:18Z")
The tetrapod classes as well as a handful of invertebrate clades are “complete taxa” on iNat, and contrary to all the other groups, the goal with them is to have all species included. [https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/curator%2Bguide#completetaxa](https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/curator%2Bguide#completetaxa) [https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/complete\_taxa\_list](https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/complete_taxa_list) [https://www.inaturalist.org/blog/13377-tallying-observed-vertebrate-species-with-complete-taxa](https://www.inaturalist.org/blog/13377-tallying-observed-vertebrate-species-with-complete-taxa) You’ll only see tallies like this within complete taxa: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/9/e/9e006bfdd8fe1a77aac3cd369b6f30f5f770b8e6.png) Note that technically the new species shouldn’t have been added yet since it hasn’t yet appeared in iNat’s external taxonomy source for mammals; formally from iNat’s perspective it doesn’t exist yet: [https://www.mammaldiversity.org/](https://www.mammaldiversity.org/) ---
**Author:** ![raymie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/raymie/32/12650_2.png) [@raymie](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/raymie)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 3:28am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/13 "2026-09-19T03:28:02Z")
The last time a Leopardus species was described in 2023, ASM, our taxonomic source for mammals, ended up calling it a synonym of an existing species. Maybe we should wait on this? ---
**Author:** ![DianaStuder](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/dianastuder/32/43358_2.png) [@DianaStuder](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/DianaStuder)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 8:26am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/14 "2026-09-22T08:26:42Z")
There are 2 obs – with discussion ranging across MANY comments. And a good taxon picture of the captive animal from Wiki. ---
**Author:** ![sandboa](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/sandboa/32/99_2.png) [@sandboa](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/sandboa)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 12:16pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/15 "2026-09-22T12:16:24Z")
iNaturalist should wait until the Mammal Diversity Database adds the taxon, according to the iNat policy. For the time being, they are simply a population of Oncilla. In spite of all the “public” excitement about this new taxon, I have read comments from some taxonomists/mammalogists who question whether this taxon warranted elevation at all. ---
**Author:** ![jnstuart](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jnstuart/32/1623_2.png) [@jnstuart](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jnstuart)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 12:42pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/16 "2026-09-22T12:42:05Z")
I agree. Might be a case of the popular media getting ahead of the mammalogical community in celebrating this new taxon. ---
**Author:** ![taylorse](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/taylorse/32/44816_2.png) [@taylorse](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/taylorse)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 4:41pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/17 "2026-09-22T16:41:45Z")
> [@DianaStuder](#): > > There are 2 obs – with discussion ranging across MANY comments. I’m curious about the number of people who are identifying it _without_ any comments. I’m certainly not qualified to judge any individual identifier’s skills or credentials! But with the “cool” factor of a newly-described cat, I think there’s a greater than usual risk of careless identifications. How many people are identifying based on knowing the species that well, and how many are identifying because they _want_ that to be a Tilcayo? (I don’t want to call out anyone here. As a birder this is a question I ask of myself constantly.) Slowing things down would reduce that risk, which might be an additional argument for not having the species in iNat until it is recognized by the relevant taxonomic authority. ---
**Author:** ![jnstuart](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jnstuart/32/1623_2.png) [@jnstuart](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jnstuart)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 5:08pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/18 "2026-09-22T17:08:08Z")
Totally agree. I don’t think this species should have been added to iNat so quickly and certainly don’t believe all of the agreeing IDers of these records are competent in IDing it. It’s a big mistake to get too far ahead of the primary literature with taxonomy on iNat. A year from now, this taxon could be relegated to a junior synonym. Or maybe it’s a good species and will stand. Too early to say. “I’ll see it when I believe it” is a humorous saying for when we let our excitement overrun our logic. ---
**Author:** ![DianaStuder](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/dianastuder/32/43358_2.png) [@DianaStuder](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/DianaStuder)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 6:30pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/19 "2026-09-22T18:30:10Z")
Is it possible for a curator, or iNat staff, to withdraw the taxon until scientists support adding a ‘new’ taxon ? Since we _can_ ID as that, (some) iNatters will. ---
**Author:** ![taylorse](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/taylorse/32/44816_2.png) [@taylorse](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/taylorse)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 1:38pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588/20 "2026-09-23T13:38:34Z")
I went ahead and removed the two observation photos that had been added to the taxon page, because they added absolutely nothing compared to the one photo that shows the species clearly, even if they _are_ correctly identified. This might need to be locked or something. (I will definitely not be getting into an edit war here, as it’s unlikely I’ll even notice if someone adds them back.) [Next page](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/will-leopardus-tilcayo-be-added/85588.md?page=2)