New Cat Species Leopardus tilcayo Discovered in Bolivia's Cloud Forest

Key facts

• Scientists have identified a new cat species, Leopardus tilcayo, in Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest in the Andes Mountains; it is the first new cat species discovered in over a century, according to a study published by CellPress.
• The tilcayo, named after the term used by local communities, is a 'tiger cat' smaller than a typical house cat, with yellow eyes, leopard-like patterns, and two black vertical stripes running from the top of its head to its eyes.
• Tiger cats were considered a single species until 2013 but are now known to include five species, classified as a 'cryptic species' group because they look alike yet are genetically different; genetic data confirmed the tilcayo as a new species.
• Researchers used well-preserved tiger cat specimens collected in the 1960s from the Smithsonian's collection in Washington, DC, which holds the world's largest mammal collection of over 600,000 specimens, to complete the genetic analysis.
• The Yungas forest is one of the more threatened ecosystems, at risk from deforestation, agricultural expansion, human-caused fires and mining.
• The tilcayo may be classified as endangered; the IUCN currently categorizes tiger cats as two 'vulnerable' species with declining populations, and researchers have submitted their findings for a separate, more accurate assessment.
• Tiger cats are threatened by habitat loss, hunting, diseases from feral dogs, climate change, habitat fragmentation reducing genetic diversity, and killing by humans protecting chicken flocks.