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Scientists identified a previously unknown wild cat species in Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest, naming it "Leopardus tilcayo." The findings were published Thursday in the journal Current Biology, describing the first living cat species named in more than a century.

Nature is Amazing

Scientists identified a previously unknown wild cat species in Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest, naming it "Leopardus tilcayo." The findings were published Thursday in the journal Current Biology, describing the first living cat species named in more than a century.

The tilcayo measures roughly 18 inches, or 46 centimeters, in length and weighs about 3 pounds, or 1.4 kilograms, making it smaller than an average domestic cat. It has light-brown fur, rounded ears and irregularly shaped rosettes across its body.

The tilcayo measures roughly 18 inches, or 46 centimeters, in length and weighs about 3 pounds, or 1.4 kilograms, making it smaller than an average domestic cat. It has light-brown fur, rounded ears and irregularly shaped rosettes across its body.

Researchers sequenced complete genomes from 38 cats across South and Central America, including eight museum specimens. They concluded that tiger cats comprise five distinct species and also described a new subspecies in Peru, Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo.

Researchers sequenced complete genomes from 38 cats across South and Central America, including eight museum specimens. They concluded that tiger cats comprise five distinct species and also described a new subspecies in Peru, Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo.

The discovery began when conservationist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz saw an unusually small cat at the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary near La Paz. A local man had brought the animal in after mistaking it for a domestic kitten and feeding it noodles, rice and eggs.

The discovery began when conservationist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz saw an unusually small cat at the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary near La Paz. A local man had brought the animal in after mistaking it for a domestic kitten and feeding it noodles, rice and eggs.

Genetic testing showed the tilcayo lineage diverged from other tiger cats about 1.4 million years ago. The team named the species after the word local Bolivian communities have used for generations, a name that does not translate in Spanish or Quechua.

Genetic testing showed the tilcayo lineage diverged from other tiger cats about 1.4 million years ago. The team named the species after the word local Bolivian communities have used for generations, a name that does not translate in Spanish or Quechua.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently lists the northern and southern tiger cats as vulnerable, and researchers have shared their findings so each lineage can be assessed separately. Tiger cats face deforestation, wildlife trafficking and diseases spread by domestic dogs.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently lists the northern and southern tiger cats as vulnerable, and researchers have shared their findings so each lineage can be assessed separately. Tiger cats face deforestation, wildlife trafficking and diseases spread by domestic dogs.

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Scientists identified a previously unknown wild cat species in Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest, naming it Leopardus tilcayo. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Current Biology, describing the first living cat species named in more than a century.

Scientists identified a previously unknown wild cat species in Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest, naming it Leopardus tilcayo. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Current Biology, describing the first living cat species named in more than a century.

The IUCN currently lists the northern and southern tiger cats as vulnerable, and researchers have shared their findings so each lineage can be assessed separately. Tiger cats face deforestation, wildlife trafficking and diseases spread by domestic dogs.

The IUCN currently lists the northern and southern tiger cats as vulnerable, and researchers have shared their findings so each lineage can be assessed separately. Tiger cats face deforestation, wildlife trafficking and diseases spread by domestic dogs.

This is the real deal — a cat totally new to science, the first genuine felid species discovered in over a century. It isn't some old proposal finally validated or a subspecies bumped up in rank, which happens all the time. Credit belongs to the sharp-eyed Bolivian researcher who trusted her gut about those oversized rosettes and chased the genome until it confirmed the tilcayo.

This is the real deal — a cat totally new to science, the first genuine felid species discovered in over a century. It isn't some old proposal finally validated or a subspecies bumped up in rank, which happens all the time. Credit belongs to the sharp-eyed Bolivian researcher who trusted her gut about those oversized rosettes and chased the genome until it confirmed the tilcayo.

Calling the tilcayo the first cat named in a century oversells it, since tiger cats have been getting sorted and resorted for years — the southern tiger cat in 2013, another in 2017, the clouded tiger cat in 2024. Better genomic data is simply fixing sloppy early taxonomy that lumped everything under one name, and more splits are surely coming. The urgent story is protecting shrinking Yungas forests, not chasing headlines.

Calling the tilcayo the first cat named in a century oversells it, since tiger cats have been getting sorted and resorted for years — the southern tiger cat in 2013, another in 2017, the clouded tiger cat in 2024. Better genomic data is simply fixing sloppy early taxonomy that lumped everything under one name, and more splits are surely coming. The urgent story is protecting shrinking Yungas forests, not chasing headlines.

Nagaraj Balasubramanian

The Elements of Power

Climate Change

New Cat Species Identified in Bolivia

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This is the fifth tiger cat species now known to science — and you might never spot the difference. The tilcayo is beautiful but remarkably hard to distinguish from its close relatives, with all five tiger cats being morphologically similar and elusive. Genomic evidence is revealing just how much diversity was hiding beneath those nearly identical spotted coats.

This is the fifth tiger cat species now known to science — and you might never spot the difference. The tilcayo is beautiful but remarkably hard to distinguish from its close relatives, with all five tiger cats being morphologically similar and elusive. Genomic evidence is revealing just how much diversity was hiding beneath those nearly identical spotted coats.

There is a 15% chance that Brazil will reach net zero deforestation before 2031, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There is a 15% chance that Brazil will reach net zero deforestation before 2031, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

New Wild Cat Species Found in Bolivia's Cloud Forest

New Wild Cat Species IdentifiedFound in Bolivia's Cloud Forest

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