Bolivia's cloud-forest cats: new Leopardus tilcayo identified
TL;DR
Genome analysis of 38 wild cats across South America identified Leopardus tilcayo as a distinct new species in Bolivia’s cloud forests (about 45–50 cm long, 1.4–2 kg; tail ~25 cm). A Peruvian subspecies, Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo, was also described. Published in Current Biology, the finding shows tiger cats are a multi-species radiation and underscores conservation needs as habitats shrink and climate change pressures intensify.
- A man thought he’d found a stray kitten. It turned out to be a new species of wild cat independent.co.uk
- Meet the First New Cat Species Discovered in 100 Years National Geographic
- Scientists identify first new wild cat species in 100 years OregonLive.com
- New tiger cat species identified in Bolivia, first in over a century Al Jazeera
- New Species of Cat Discovered for First Time in a Century The New York Times
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