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New cat species named in Bolivia after century
Genetic research has identified Tilcayo, a cloud-forest wild cat long confused with similar South American tiger cats.
What happened
A study in Current Biology formally described Leopardus tilcayo, known locally as Tilcayo, from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest. The small feline had been mistaken for lookalike tiger cats. Researchers call it the first living wild cat species formally named in more than a century; one living individual has been publicly confirmed.
Numbers
- More than 100 yearsSince previous feline description — First newly named living species
- 46 cmApproximate body length — Smaller than many domestic cats
- 5 speciesTiger-cat grouping from DNA — Researchers analysed 38 animals
- 1 confirmed individualPublicly known living Tilcayo — Held at a wildlife sanctuary
Questions
- What makes Tilcayo a separate species?
- DNA comparisons showed that Tilcayo belongs to an independent evolutionary lineage, rather than the tiger-cat species it resembles in coat pattern.
- What did the genetic study compare?
- Researchers analysed DNA from tiger cats collected across South America, separating similar-looking animals into distinct species with independent lineages.
- Why could the discovery affect protection?
- Recognising a separate species can guide protection in the Yungas, where researchers identify deforestation, agricultural expansion, fires and mining as threats.
- What is the historical comparison?
- The previous feline species recognised in this context was the Uruguayan pampas cat, formally described in the early twentieth century.
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The catch
Only one living Tilcayo has been publicly confirmed, so its population size and conservation status remain unknown.
An IUCN submission is pending.