All articles tagged with #tiger cats
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.