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New Bolivian Tiger Cat Species — Leopardus tilcayo Identified
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Discovery of a Novel Wild Cat
Researchers led by National Geographic Explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz documented a tiny felid in Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest that had never been recorded in museum collections. The animal, locally called “tilcayo,” measures about 18 inches (? 45 cm) in length, weighs roughly 3 lb (? 1.4 kg), and is smaller than a typical house cat. Genetic analysis of tissue from two individuals showed a divergence of approximately 1.4 million years from other South American tiger cats, meeting the threshold for species-level distinction.
Scientific Context and Genetic Findings
The study examined DNA from 38 tiger-cat specimens across South America, revealing that what was previously treated as a single species actually comprises five genetically distinct lineages. The researchers also identified a new subspecies in Peru, Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo.
Conservation Implications
Tiger cats are currently listed by the IUCN as two vulnerable species. The authors have submitted the findings to the IUCN for a separate assessment of each lineage, which could result in an endangered status for the tilcayo given its restricted range and the rapid loss of Yungas forest to deforestation, agriculture, fires, and mining. Eduardo Eizirik, senior author, emphasizes that highlighting new species may convey a broader conservation message.
Official Statements & Responses
Nogales-Ascarrunz stressed the importance of preserving Indigenous knowledge, noting that local communities have long recognized the animal without assigning a formal name. She is deploying additional camera traps to better map the species’ distribution. Co-author Tadeu de Oliveira, an ecologist at the State University of Maranhão, warned that all five tiger-cat habitats are disappearing quickly, underscoring the urgency of protection measures.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I saw this cat. It was really, really small, and I couldn’t believe how small it was,” — Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic Explorer and co-author of the study
- “This cat, they call it tilcayo. And when you ask, ‘Does it have some meaning in Quechua or Almyra and other Indigenous languages?’ they say, ‘No, my grandpa told me that’s the tilcayo,’” — Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic Explorer and co-author of the study
- “Its fur is light brown ... with irregularly shaped rosettes across its body,” — Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic Explorer and co-author of the study
- “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,” — Professor Lescroart
- “Our information at this moment is limited to the two live individuals that we examined, and a small number of camera-trap records,” — Professor Lescroart
- “Showing the general public that even in a flagship group such as cats...there are still new species to be discovered may transmit an important message,” — Eduardo Eizirik
