First New Wild Cat Species in a Century Found in Bolivia
Genetic analysis of 38 cat samples showed tiger cats are five species, and the Tilcayo is the first new living feline named in over a century.
- Researchers published a study on Thursday in Current Biology identifying Leopardus tilcayo as a new tiger cat species, marking the first novel feline discovered in over 100 years.
- Biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic Explorer, began investigating the 'weird cat' after receiving a 2016 call from a Bolivian wildlife sanctuary; the animal had been mistaken for a domestic kitten.
- Genomic comparisons revealed L. tilcayo diverged from other lineages around 1.4 million years ago and inhabits Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest, weighing just 3 to 4 pounds and smaller than a house cat.
- Evolutionary biologist Jonas Lescroart from the University of Antwerp said the discovery "is definitely expected to increase conservation attention," with researchers calling for re-evaluation of species previously grouped under a single label.
- Future research will install camera traps in Bolivia's Yungas region to track L. tilcayo populations while preserving traditional knowledge; local communities have recognized the cat as 'tilcayo' for generations.
333 Articles
333 Articles
It is 45 centimeters long, has spotted fur, and lives in the Yungas region of Bolivia.
Scientists have identified a new species of wild cat in the cloud forests of Bolivia. The animal, known to local communities as the “tilcayo,” has been given the scientific name Leopardus tilcayo and is the first new living species of the cat family to be formally described and named in more than a century, according to the researchers. The small wild cat lives in the humid Yungas mountain forests of Bolivia, where vegetation is often shrouded i…
Leopardus tilcayo is slightly smaller than a domestic cat and becomes about 45 centimeters long. Researchers initially considered it a pet.
La Tercera
BAE NegociosHe was baptized by the locals as "Tilcayo", a name that inspired his new scientific name: "leopardus Tilcayo".
Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija
azedu.azIn 2016, Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a biologist and National Geographic researcher in Bolivia, received a call from a local wildlife sanctuary that had just been handed over what they described as a “strange cat.” It had been brought in by a local man who had found the small animal on a road near a forest. The man took the kitten home, thinking it was a domesticated breed. But after about a year with the apparently wild animal, he realized that hi…
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