All articles tagged with #leopardus tilcayo
Scientists have officially described Leopardus tilcayo, a tiny wild cat from Bolivia, as a distinct species. This marks the first new living wild cat identified in over 100 years. The discovery, based on genomic analysis, splits the 'tiger cat' group into five separate species, highlighting urgent conservation needs.
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.
DNA analysis of tiger cats across South America identified Leopardus tilcayo as a distinct new species in Bolivia—the first new living cat named and described in more than a century—measuring about 46 cm and 1.4 kg with light brown fur and rosettes; the cat is likely nocturnal and preys on small rodents, and the study also describes a new Peruvian subspecies, Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo.
Scientists have named a new wild cat from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests, Leopardus tilcayo—the first new living feline species described in over a century. Genetic analysis splits tiger cats into five distinct species, with tilcayo being a small (about 46 cm/1.4 kg) cat with light brown fur and rosettes; two live individuals were examined, including a 10-year-old male at the Senda Verde sanctuary. Ecology remains poorly known, but the diet likely includes small rodents and the cat may be nocturnal. The IUCN will reassess status after the five lineages are treated separately, and habitat loss in the Yungas underscores the need for forest protection to prevent potential endangerment.
Discovered at a Bolivian wildlife sanctuary in 2016, Leopardus tilcayo has been confirmed by genetic tests as a new feline species—the first new cat identified anywhere in more than a century. The five-pound, rosette‑patterned cat resembles a miniature leopard, and its name comes from a local term.