Scientists finally recognize a new wild cat species that has lived alongside us for over a century

A new species of wild cat has been discovered by researchers for the first time in over a century. The cat, known as the tilcayo tiger cat, or Leopardus tilcayo, was found in Bolivia’s Yungas Forest ecoregion, on the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains. It weighs about three pounds and is 18 inches from head to end of body.

In the United States, interest has grown around the discovery, with searches for “cat species” increasing. The tale of how the find came to light has brought people to the search term.

The Animal Itself

The tilcayo tiger cat is smaller than a typical house cat. It is slender, covered in leopard-like spots, with short, rounded ears and long whiskers. The animal was found as a kitten in 2016, when a man found it on the side of the road near a forest in Bolivia.

For a year, the man kept the creature with him, treating it as though it were a kitten that had been brought indoors. He only came to understand that it was not a domesticated animal at all, and so he freed it, sending it to a local wild animal sanctuary.

From Kitten to Species

A biologist and National Geographic explorer named Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz heard about the “weird cat”, and she began looking into the creature. Her work revealed that the animal had never been described by science before.

The genetic testing of the Brazil tiger cat and a second animal from Senda Verde was carried out by Nogales-Ascarrunz, a co-author of the study, using tissue samples from both specimens. The results confirmed that the two cats were distinct and belonged to the same species, one that split off from other tiger cat lineages some 1.4 million years ago.

There was sufficient proof to treat the Leopardus tilcayo as a distinct species.

The Research Behind It

Modern blood and tissue samples were collected, while eight museum specimens were gathered for their DNA. The researchers then analyzed the genomes of 38 tiger cats in the Leopardus genus, sampling cats from regions such as the Guiana Shield in Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and other locations.

Researchers compared DNA from living tiger cats against genetic material kept in museums to reveal hidden differences among the species. Whole-genome comparisons were used to build an evolutionary tree and figure out how closely related the tiger cats are to one another.

The findings showed that the tiger cat contains genes drawn from five distinct species, divided into genetically separate groups.

• Southern tiger cat — Leopardus guttulus.
• Eastern tiger cat — Leopardus emiliae.
• Northern tiger cat — Leopardus tigrinus.
• Clouded tiger cat — Leopardus pardinoides.
• Tilcayo — Leopardus tilcayo, a newly recognized species from Bolivia.

These tests produced an outcome that revealed the existence of the new cat species.

Name and History

This species is new to science, yet it has long been known to the people of Bolivia, who have recognized it for generations. Its name derives from the Bolivian community.

The local people gave the cat the name the researchers honor, and generations of Bolivian residents have called it that, according to the researchers. The community suggested the cat be called Leopardus tilcayo, in honor of the word the local people know it by. When the Bolivian residents were asked about the name, they explained that it’t know why they called it tilcayo, but it’s been known as such for generations.

There is no meaning behind the name in the Bolivian native language.

What It Means

Protecting important habitats, assessing each population’s risk of extinction and developing more effective conservation plans are all goals that could be aided by this research.

The study reported no clear figure for the size of the Leopardus tilcayo population.

The find serves as a reminder that new species can still be found in plain sight. The Bolivian communities recognized the tilcayo tiger cat for generations before it appeared in scientific circles. It now carries a name, a place on the evolutionary tree, and a new reason for people around the world to look up “cat species” on a Sunday morning.

Source material: “New wild cat species discovered after hiding in plain sight for more than a century,” foxweather.com.

Bolivia · conservation · new species · tiger cat · wild cat