Wildlife researchers have formally classified a small wild cat inhabiting Bolivia’s cloud forests as a previously unknown species, marking the first description of a new living feline in more than 100 years. The animal, known locally as “tilcayo,” belongs to the tiger cat group found throughout South America.
Discovered in the Yungas region—a mountainous area characterized by persistent cloud cover and high humidity—the cat has been given the scientific name Leopardus tilcayo. According to the study published Thursday in Current Biology, the animal measures approximately 46cm (18 inches) in length and weighs around 1.4kg (3 pounds), making it smaller than an average domestic cat.
“Its fur is light brown … with irregularly shaped rosettes across its body,” said Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic Explorer and co-author of the study.
Little is currently known about the species’ biology or daily habits. Evidence from camera traps suggests the tilcayo may be primarily nocturnal, while scat samples containing rodent remains indicate small mammals likely form part of its diet.
Tiger cats are considered cryptic species, meaning they are difficult to distinguish from one another based on physical appearance alone. Jonas Lescroart, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Antwerp in Belgium and co-lead author of the study, emphasized the challenges posed by their similar outward characteristics.
The identification process was sparked when Nogales-Ascarrunz noted that the Bolivian cat did not align with existing descriptions, which were largely based on specimens from Brazil. “This made us wonder, what tiger cat do we actually have in Bolivia?” she recalled.
To resolve the question, the research team analyzed DNA from 38 cats collected across several South American nations, including eight museum specimens. The genetic analysis revealed that tiger cats comprise five distinct species rather than one. The tilcayo lineage was found to have separated from other tiger cats approximately 1.4 million years ago.
“We never expected this Bolivian tiger cat to be a separate species, and no one had ever proposed it as a different animal, subspecies or otherwise,” Lescroart said.
In addition to the new species, the researchers described a new subspecies found in Peru’s Yungas region. Named Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo, it references Antisuyu, a historical region of the Inca Empire that encompasses the area where the subspecies lives.
I wonder how climate change affects such a tiny, newly-discovered population. Habitat loss could be catastrophic before we even learn much.
The DNA analysis really paid off. Proving these lookalikes are actually five distinct species is fascinating science.
Wow, a new cat species after a century? Nature still has so many secrets hidden in those clouds.