Determine the genus of your animal. Unless the animal is truly unique, it belongs to a genus of animals that has already been given a name. You must compare the genetic analysis of your animal with that of animals within a particular genus of animals showing morphologies and life cycles similar to your animal to determine if it belongs to the genus or not. If you have a new genus, the name should be written in Modern Latin. This means the root word need not be from Old Latin but needs to include only the 26 letters used in Latin and abide by its linguistic rules.
Determine if the animal in question is in fact a new species by determining its genetic sequence. This is done by testing for genes present in the new animal that are significantly different from members of similar species. Species lines are not definite. Existing species are quite often determined to be two similar species upon closer examination of their genetic makeup. Even if the animal is not a new species it may be a new subspecies, in which case, it will still need to be named.
Chose a word to represent the animal's species name that is unique within the genus. Many animals from different genera (plural form) share species names. Species names are always written in modern Latin.
Determine if your animal represents a new sub-species. Two or more subspecies often exist within a species. They are slightly different genetically but have the same number of chromosomes and are sexually compatible, meaning they will produce fertile offspring. When naming a subspecies, the originally named species retains its existing species name as its subspecies name. For instance the White Wagtail's name is Motacilla alba alba, the second alba being the subspecies name. Newly determined subspecies of White Wagtail will be named Motcilla alba followed by the new subspecies name.
Write the scientific name in binomial nomenclature, capitalizing the Genus name and italicizing both words (three words for subspecies). This is the standard format when using the scientific name in text.
Present all evidence supporting the recognition of the animal to the scientific community by publishing papers and presenting at symposiums. Once there is considerable amount of scientific literature describing the animal the name can be presented to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. The ICZN is the world authority on granting official status to the scientific names of animals.