Full Breakdown
New Tiger-Cat Species Identified in Bolivia After a Century-Long Gap
By Drooid · · How we work
Discovery of *Leopardus tilcayo*
An international team announced the formal description of *Leopardus tilcayo*, a previously undocumented tiger-cat from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud-forest. Published in *Current Biology* (2026), it is the first living cat species named in over 100 years. Genetic analysis shows *L. tilcayo* diverged from its closest relatives about 1.4 million years ago.
Scientific Background and Taxonomic Context
Tiger cats (*Leopardus*) were once treated as a single species, *L. tigrinus*. A 2013 genomic study split the group into northern (*L. tigrinus*) and southern (*L. guttulus*) species, and later work recognized *L. emiliae* (2017) and *L. pardinoides* (2024). The new research expands the genus to five confirmed species and adds a subspecies, *L. tigrinus antisuyo*, from Peru.
Key Researchers and Institutions
- Jonas Lescroart – evolutionary ecologist, University of Antwerp, lead author.
- Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz – National Geographic explorer, Bolivia.
- Eduardo Eizirik – Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
- Fabio Oliveira do Nascimento – Museum of Zoology, University of São Paulo (commented on significance).
Study Design and Findings (Data & Statistics)
The team sequenced genomes from 38 *Leopardus* specimens across Central and South America. Analysis identified five genetically distinct tiger-cat species and a new subspecies of *L. tigrinus*. *L. tilcayo* measures 42–50 cm in head-plus-body length, a 25–26.5 cm tail, and weighs 1.5–2 kg, with larger rosettes and a longer, less bushy tail than its congeners.
Conservation Implications
The IUCN lists northern and southern tiger cats as Vulnerable. Researchers argue the newly recognized units will need separate assessments, potentially shifting some populations to higher threat categories. Habitat loss, wildlife trafficking, and disease from domestic dogs remain primary pressures.
Official Statements & Responses
Lescroart emphasized the study provides the most comprehensive genetic dataset for tiger cats and will be forwarded to the IUCN. Nogales-Ascarrunz highlighted museum specimens’ role in uncovering hidden diversity. Nascimento described the tiger-cat family tree as “highly contentious and poorly understood” before the new analysis.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Our current study presents the most complete genetic study yet, including that key missing element: DNA from tiger cats in the Guianas, which is the location where the original tiger cat L.” — Jonas Lescroart
- “It didn't look like the other [cats],” — Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz
- “Our understanding of the natural history, evolution and taxonomy of the group has begun to become clearer, resolving long-standing questions while raising new ones,” — Nascimento
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The species is known from only two live individuals and limited museum material, leaving its exact distribution, population size, diet, and behavior uncertain. No quantitative population estimate exists, and the IUCN has not yet assigned a status.
What’s Next
The authors will expand sampling in under-surveyed regions of Argentina and Peru and submit the new taxonomic units to the IUCN for evaluation. Ongoing genomic work on museum collections aims to refine ranges of all tiger-cat species and uncover any additional cryptic lineages.