What are the definitions of iNaturalist annotations?

Below is a list of the current Annotations and Annotation Values available on iNaturalist, as well as which taxa they can be used with. Mousing over the Annotations and Annotation Values on the iNaturalist website will display the definitions as well.

Annotations are not available for observations of humans. For more about Annotations, click here.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Life Stage (within Animalia)
• Sex (Life except Fungi, Plantae, Oligochaeta, Viruses, Hirudinea, Nudibranchia, Bacteria, Archaea)
• Flowers and Fruits (within Angiospermae)
• Leaves (within Tracheophyta)
• Alive or Dead (within Animalia) 
• Evidence of Presence (within Life, except Plantae)
• Established (within Reptilia, Amphibia)

Life Stage (within Animalia)

• Adult
  
• Egg: (within Animalia, except Theria)
• Juvenile:(except Pterygota)
• Larva: (within Coleoptera, Neuroptera, Mecoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Trichoptera, Megaloptera, Siphonaptera, Strepsiptera, Raphidioptera)
• Nymph: (within Dermaptera, Blattodea, Embiidina, Hemiptera, Odonata, Orthoptera, Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, Mantodea, Notoptera, Phasmida, Psocodea, Thysanoptera, Zoraptera)
• Pupa: (within Coleoptera, Neuroptera, Mecoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Trichoptera, Megaloptera, Siphonaptera, Strepsiptera, Raphidioptera)
• Subimago: (within Ephemeroptera)
• Teneral: (within Odonata, Cicadoidea): Adult that has recently emerged but has not yet achieved its final adult form 
  

Sex (Life except Fungi, Oligochaeta, Viruses, Hirudinea, Nudibranchia, Bacteria, Archaea)

• Female
  
• Male
  
• Cannot Be Determined: Cannot be determined from the evidence provided

Flowers and Fruits (within Angiospermae)

• No flowers or fruits: No flowers, fruits, or seeds (in whole or part) are visible
• Flower buds: At least one closed flower bud
• Flowers: At least one open flower
• Fruits or Seeds: At least one fruit or seed

Leaves (within Tracheophyta)

• Breaking leaf buds: At least one bud with its first new leaf or needle not fully unfolded
  
• Green leaves: At least one green leaf or needle (or reddish if this is the normal healthy color)
• Colored leaves: At least one leaf or needle has late season or drought color
• No live leaves: No breaking leaf buds or green or colored leaves or needles are visible

Alive or Dead (within Animalia) 

• Alive: Organism is living and shows no signs of imminent death
• Dead: Organism is dead or shows imminent signs of death
• Cannot Be Determined: Cannot be determined from the evidence provided

Evidence of Presence (within Life, except Plantae)

• Bone (within Vertebrata): Predominantly endoskeletal remains. Partial bone exposure in an otherwise intact organism should be labeled "Organism"
• Construction (within Animalia): Something created by an animal, made with or excavated from other materials. Examples of things that are Constructions: spider web, burrow, nest or hive, caddisfly larva casing, egg sac or egg case. Examples of things that are not Constructions: coral reef, mollusk shell, hermit crab shell, galls.
• Feather (within Aves): One or more feathers not attached to an organism
• Egg (within Animalia except Placentalia): Whole egg or part of an egg
• Gall: (within Life except Chordata, Echinodermata, Ctenophora, Cnidaria, Crustacea, Mollusca, Araneae, Odonata) Deformed plant tissue outgrowth caused by a parasitic organism
• Hair (within Mammalia): Hair that is no longer attached to the organism from which it originated
• Leafmine (within Insecta except Odonata, Blattodea, Dermaptera, Ephemeroptera, Mantodea, Mecoptera, Megaloptera, Neuroptera, Notoptera, Orthoptera, Plecoptera, Psocodea, Raphidioptera, Siphonaptera, Strepsiptera, Thysanoptera, Trichoptera, Zoraptera, Embioptera, Hemiptera, Cecidomyiidae, Archaeognatha, Zygentoma): Evidence of feeding between the dermal layers of a leaf
• Molt (within Arthropoda and Reptilia): Discarded skin or exoskeleton
• Organism: (within Animalia) Whole or partial organism
• Scat: (within Animalia) Fecal matter (not owl pellets or other regurgitated matter)
• Track: (within Animalia) Impression in ground or snow made by an organism

Established (within Reptilia, Amphibia)

• Not Established: Organism belongs to an unestablished population including released/escaped pets, hitch-hikers and vagrants (See more here)