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New Tiger Cat Species Discovered in Bolivia After More Than 100 Years
A tiny wild cat hidden in Bolivia’s cloud forests has been confirmed as a completely new species — the first living cat species to be formally described by scientists in more than a century.
The newly recognised animal has been named the Tilcayo, with the scientific name Leopardus tilcayo. It was discovered in Bolivia’s mountainous Yungas cloud forest, an ecosystem where mist, dense vegetation and steep Andean terrain create a difficult environment for researchers to explore.
Smaller than a domestic cat
The Tilcayo is a remarkably small wild feline. It measures around 46 centimetres (18 inches) from head to body and weighs approximately 1.4 kilograms (3 pounds) — making it smaller than the average domestic cat.
Its light-brown coat is covered with irregularly shaped rosettes, giving it the distinctive appearance associated with South America’s tiger cats.
Scientists say surprisingly little is known about its behaviour. Evidence from camera traps suggests it may be mainly nocturnal, while analysis of scat has found remains of small rodents, indicating these animals could form part of its diet.
A discovery hidden in plain sight
The story of the Tilcayo began years before scientists officially recognised it as a new species.
One of the cats studied was found as a kitten near a forest and was taken home by a local man who believed it was a domestic cat. The animal eventually ended up at a wildlife sanctuary, where scientists were able to examine it more closely.
Its appearance did not completely match descriptions of the tiger cats previously known from the region.
Researchers therefore turned to genetics.
DNA analysis involving 38 tiger-cat specimens from several South American countries, including museum specimens, revealed that what had traditionally been treated as a single tiger-cat group actually contained five genetically distinct species.
Scientists estimate that the lineage leading to the Tilcayo separated from other tiger cats approximately 1.4 million years ago.
Why it matters
The discovery is significant because scientists have formally described a new living cat species for the first time in more than 100 years.
But the discovery also raises concerns about the animal’s future.
The Yungas cloud forest is under pressure from deforestation, agricultural expansion, human-caused fires and mining. Because researchers currently have only limited information about the Tilcayo’s population and distribution, its conservation status remains uncertain.
Researchers have shared their findings with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is expected to assess the different tiger-cat lineages separately. A separate assessment could reveal that the Tilcayo faces a greater level of threat than previously recognised.
A warning from nature
The discovery of the Tilcayo demonstrates that even animals belonging to one of the world’s best-known groups — cats — can remain hidden from science.
Scientists believe there may still be many species waiting to be properly identified, particularly in remote forests and other difficult-to-explore ecosystems.
For Bolivia’s Yungas, the discovery could therefore represent more than the arrival of a new name in the scientific record. It could also strengthen calls to protect an environment that may contain other species that science has yet to uncover.
Attached is a new species of tiger cat found in Bolivia
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6x2zgv9rr4ro
Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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