Yes, identifying "unknown" observations matters! And can be rewarding!

General
21

Is there a way to filter for unknowns with the mobile app? I rarely use anything other than my phone.

22

Thanks, I usually don’t say anything but I think for people with only 50ish observations it might be good

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23

Which app are you using?

24

The android inaturalist app.

25

Yes, in the Explore tab if you go to the filters page you’ll see a row of the iconic taxa. Swipe that to the left and you should find the “Unknown” icon (dotted leaf with question mark).

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26

Thanks!

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27

Since I don’t really have expertise, I try to help identify by bumping unknowns to broad categories. I’ve found that insects seem to get the most activity after I bump them, so I prioritize those over plants and fungi. While I don’t have examples of IDs that have made it to RG, there are some very cool observations hiding in the unknowns. Here are a couple of caterpillars I saw today: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/325590080 https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/325624865

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28

Great Southern Bioblitz IDed to plants - and 1250 - 1236 - 1199 - 1174 - more Africa done 959 - still sitting there a month later

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?project_id=great-southern-bioblitz-2025-umbrella&taxon_id=47126&lrank=kingdom&place_id=any

At a quick glance - most of them could be dumped in dicots. At least the flowers could have started with a better ID. Obs are mostly in focus.

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What is a good percentage of supporting versus leading/improving IDs?
29

Oh my goodness!! Those are gorgeous!

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30

Thank you, too! Good to know there are folks doing this also!

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31

You absolutely are. Some folks follow certain taxa, some folks (like someone earlier in the comments here) go through trying to narrow things down further. We all have something we can do. And, as you work on things over time, you will start to learn how to narrow things down further. Sometimes now I will recognize a flower or a plant as, maybe, being in the bean family or order. When I look at computer vision suggestions, I often will check if all the suggestions are in the same family, or order - if so, it allows me to be more specific. I’ve actually learned how to better narrow down fungi too, like gilled mushrooms vs. polypores.

But still, even kingdom classifications are useful. Anything other than “unknown” or “state of matter -life” - although sometime the “life” ones are the result of a disagreement between kingdoms, I find those harder to address than the unknowns because often it’s something that could be Fungi, or could be bacteria/etc.

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32

Oooo! I didn’t know this page existed. Thanks!

33

Yes, but it’s harder. Often I call it “working with the fire hose” because brand new observations tend to make up a higher proportion of unknowns for reasons that vary — some people are in the field and just uploading to ID later…. Other people, I have no idea their excuse. Sometimes I will work on my phone like that if I don’t feel like spending much time (like a few hours, lol, bc that has happened) on it.

Edit: I use iNat classic on iphone

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34

That second caterpillar is really fascinating!

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35

Mine is:

I’ve been helping identify observations that aren’t yet identified as anything at all. This broad ID will help someone who knows more about this organism find it. Let me know if you were focusing on a different organism here. Thanks!

https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000170245-why-do-people-keep-adding-obvious-ids-like-plants-or-fungi-

https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000185912-how-to-refine-observations-stuck-at-a-high-taxonomic-level

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36

tame - see

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133516590 or https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/98294863

you just need a good fire!

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37

But humungous thugs compared to ethereal orchids at the other extreme, tucked in a teaspoon of soil!

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/98128089

My selection of found Is it an orchid? on the (tiny) Cape Peninsula

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38

There are over 240 Orchid species endemic to South Africa.

https://www.inaturalist.org/check_lists/7324-South-Africa-Check-List?q=&view=photo&taxon=47217&establishment_means=endemic&commit=Filter

and 14 of them have not yet been recorded on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/check_lists/7324-South-Africa-Check-List?q=&view=photo&taxon=47217&observed=f&establishment_means=endemic&commit=Filter

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39

Honestly, even getting unknowns or “life” to “plant” or “insect” is a huge help. I sometimes do some IDing, but I only even bother to look at plants, and so if it’s not at least at “plant”, then it’ll have to wait for when I swing past to do unknowns.

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40

I try to ID unknows as low as I possibly can. I feel I’m wasting my time by IDing everything that looks like a plant, as ‘plant’, not that I mind other people doing it, but its not for me personally

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