In short
- DNA studies published in Current Biology confirmed Leopardus tilcayo, a small spotted cat from the forests of Bolivia, as a new species.
- Only one confirmed living member of the species is known: a 10-year-old cat nicknamed Tigrino, held at a rescue sanctuary in Bolivia.
- The research suggests there are five tiger cat species rather than three, found across Central and South America from Costa Rica to Bolivia and Argentina.
- The cat family Felidae had 41 officially recognised species; the discovery and the tiger cat findings bring the number to 44 or more.
- Tiger cat species are considered vulnerable to extinction because of deforestation, habitat loss and illegal hunting.
A small spotted cat from the forests of Bolivia has been confirmed as a new species, Leopardus tilcayo, after DNA studies showed it is distinct from other tiger cats. Only one confirmed living member of the species is known: a 10-year-old cat nicknamed Tigrino, held at a rescue sanctuary in Bolivia.
What is the Leopardus tilcayo?
The cat is about the size of a domestic cat. It went unnoticed by science because it was confused with other wild cats that share similar spots and stripes. It was found in the forest by a local resident, who initially thought it was a domestic kitten; as it grew older, it became clear the animal did not behave like a house cat.
How was the new species identified?
Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, of Universidad Mayor de San Andres in La Paz, Bolivia, was volunteering at the sanctuary when she noticed the cat looked unusual. She had heard of other sightings of small wild cats in the dense forests of Bolivia’s Yungas region, but these had not been investigated by scientists. She joined forces with researchers from around the world to study the family history of tiger cats, using DNA from living animals and museum specimens. The study was published in Current Biology.
“It’s an amazing result that we have a new species for the world, which is the Leopardus tilcayo,” said Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz of Universidad Mayor de San Andres in La Paz, Bolivia. “It’s amazing that there are still new species waiting to be discovered: we don’t have to go to a volcano, an island, or deep into the sea.”
How many tiger cat species are there?
The study found there are five rather than three tiger cat species, including the newly described Tilcaya cat of Bolivia. Tiger cats are small, spotted wild cats found across Central and South America, from Costa Rica to Bolivia and Argentina. They look remarkably similar and even experts can struggle to tell them apart. Eduardo Eizirik, a conservation geneticist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, said: “There’s so few records or pictures, no individual in a museum, so it was hiding because nobody was looking.”
Why does the discovery matter for conservation?
Caroline Sartor, of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at the University of Oxford, said identifying the species is only the first step. “These are animals similar in size to a domestic cat, so you might think we would know them all by now, but this discovery shows how much biodiversity is still to be uncovered in some of the less-studied regions of the world,” she said. Tiger cat species are considered vulnerable to extinction because of deforestation, habitat loss and illegal hunting, although the new species is missing from previous assessments.
How many cat species are recognised in the world?
Wild and domestic cats belong to the biological family Felidae, which includes every living cat species from house pets to tigers. There are officially 41 recognised species, but the new discovery, and the finding that there may be several species of tiger cat, brings the number to 44 or more. Andrew Kitchener, an expert in mammals at National Museums Scotland, who was not involved with the research, says tiger cats have been a “taxonomic nightmare” because they look so similar and there are few specimens in museums.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Leopardus tilcayo?
It is a small spotted wild cat from the forests of Bolivia, about the size of a domestic cat, confirmed as a new species through DNA studies published in Current Biology.
How many Leopardus tilcayo are there?
Only one confirmed living member is known, a 10-year-old cat nicknamed Tigrino held at a rescue sanctuary in Bolivia, although scientists believe other individuals exist.
How many tiger cat species are there?
The new research suggests there are five tiger cat species rather than three, including the newly described Tilcaya cat of Bolivia.
Where do tiger cats live?
Tiger cats are small spotted wild cats found across Central and South America, from Costa Rica to Bolivia and Argentina.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
