Meet the Newest Living Cat Species, the First Described in 100 Years
Genetic analysis of 38 Leopardus cats showed the tiger-cat group has five species, and L. tilcayo has been separate for about 1.4 million years.
- Scientists formally described a small spotted wild cat from Bolivia as a new species, marking the first genuinely new living feline species formally named in more than 100 years.
- In 2016, Bolivian biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz examined an unusual kitten at a wildlife sanctuary, where a local man had brought the animal thinking it was a domestic cat.
- The DNA changed the picture as researchers compared genomes of 38 Leopardus individuals; the analysis confirmed the lineage split from other tiger cats around 1.4 million years ago.
- People reportedly told researchers the animal had a local name passed down through generations, suggesting the cat was familiar to people in the region long before scientists officially recognized it.
- Researchers now need to determine how widespread the cat is and what threats it faces, as camera-trap records remain limited in the Yungas region of Bolivia.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Tiny wild cat newly identified as a species draws curious visitors in Bolivia - WXXV News 25
A small spotted wild cat identified as a new species, Leopardus tilcayo, walks inside Senda Verde wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia’s Yungas region, near Coroico, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)COROICO, Bolivia (AP) — A tiny wild cat hidden away in the cloud forests of Bolivia has become an unlikely tourist attraction, drawing a stream of visitors hoping for a...
New wild cat species draws curious visitors
COROICO, Bolivia — A tiny wild cat hidden away in the cloud forests of Bolivia has become an unlikely tourist attraction, drawing a stream of visitors hoping for a glimpse of the animal that scientists have identified as a brand-new species. Read more...
Conservation news
ecotopical.comA new cat species was just discovered. Several more may follow
Editor’s note: Last week, the description of a “new” cat species from Bolivia made headlines around the world. The tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo), a small spotted cat from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests, was described as the first new living cat species discovered in more than a century. Unlike several cats recognized as new species in recent […]
The cat tilcayo, located in the cloudy forests of Bolivia, is the first living species of feline completely new to science since 1923.
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