Tilcayo
| Tilcayo | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Genus: | Leopardus |
| Species: | L. tilcayo |
| Binomial name | |
| Leopardus tilcayo Nogales-Ascarrunz, Aliaga-Rossel, Lescroart & Eizirik, 2026 | |
The tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo; /tɪlˈkaɪoʊ/ ⓘ til-KYE-oh; Spanish pronunciation: [tilˈkaʝo] ⓘ) is a species of small wild cat in the genus Leopardus native to Bolivia. Identified through a genetic study of tiger cats published in September 2026, the tilcayo is the first extant cat species formally described since 1923.[1] The tilcayo was already known to local communities under that name. Its appearance is similar to that of other tiger cat species such as the oncilla, and its status as a genetically distinct population was not documented by zoologists until the 2026 study.[2]
Discovery
The tilcayo is the first new felid species formally identified since the identification of the Pampas cat L. fasciatus in 1923.[1] The tilcayo was already known to local communities but had not been scientifically identified as genetically distinct from other tiger cat species.[3]
Biologist and National Geographic Society explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz first encountered the species in 2017, when the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary in Bolivia contacted her about a cat that had been brought in. For around a year prior, the cat had been living with a man in La Paz who found it as a kitten and initially believed it to be a domestic cat before realizing it required the care of a wildlife sanctuary. During that time, he had attempted to feed it "noodles, rice, and eggs".[4] Nogales-Ascarrunz was intrigued by the cat and photographed it, believing at the time that it was a unique-looking member of the related species Leopardus tigrinus.[1]
In 2019, while preparing a booklet of Bolivian cat species, Nogales-Ascarrunz realized that the individual from the wildlife sanctuary appeared distinct from L. tigrinus.[1] In 2026, the tilcayo was identified as a distinct species using genomic analysis.[5]
Etymology
The name "tilcayo" was already used for the species by local communities in the region.[6] Publications on Bolivian fauna predating 2026 associate the term tilcayo with Leopardus tigrinus.[7] It was originally reported that the exact etymology of the term is unknown, as it did not appear to be of Spanish, Quechuan, or Aymaran origin. The term has been passed down in the local communities through generations, with its meaning reportedly lost in transfer.[1][8] However, in an interview following the announcement of the species identification, Nogales-Ascarrunz stated that native Aymara speakers had reached out through social media suggesting that the term likely comes from t'ili kayu (lit. 'smallest foot').[9][10]
Distribution and habitat
The tilcayo was found near the town of Arapata in Nor Yungas province, in the Bolivian department of La Paz, at an elevation of 1,570 m (5,150 ft).[6] This locality is positioned in the mountainous Yungas forest region, a cloud forest, on the eastern slope of the Andes mountain range.[1]
Taxonomy
A genetic analysis of 38 cats from South and Central America, including 26 individuals in the Leopardus tigrinus species complex, revealed that the tigrinus complex consists of five distinct species, including L. tilcayo, which is believed to have split off from other Leopardus species more than 1.4 million years ago.[6] The study incorporated genetic material from previously unsampled tiger cats in the Guianas region, near where L. tigrinus was originally described in 1775. Jonas Lescroart, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Antwerp and co-lead author of the study, called it "the most complete genetic study yet" of tiger cats.[11]
Phylogenomic results obtained with the high-depth consensus nuclear sequence dataset are displayed below:[12]
| Oncifelis |
|
Tiger cat complex (paraphyletic) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Characteristics
The fur of the tilcayo is light brown with irregularly shaped rosettes.[3] Its rosettes are large and dark brown to black in color; they appear mostly open or partially closed and do not coalesce.[6] It also has short, round ears, long whiskers, and a scrunched-up face. Like many species in the Leopardus genus, it is smaller than a domestic cat.[1] It has a head–body length of 42.5–50 cm (16.7–19.7 in), with a tail length of 25–26.5 cm (9.8–10.4 in). It weighs 1.5–2.0 kg (3.3–4.4 lb).[13]
The tilcayo resembles other tiger cat species. Tiger cats are considered cryptic species, as different species look similar and are difficult to distinguish based on morphology alone.[14]
Ecology and behavior
As of September 2026[update], little is known about the behavior of the tilcayo. Remains of small rodents in feces samples indicate that they are part of the species' diet, and camera footage suggests the species may be more active at night.[3]
Conservation
As of September 2026[update], L. tilcayo has not been formally assessed by the IUCN Red List. It currently recognizes two tiger cat species, L. tigrinus and L. guttulus, both listed as vulnerable.[11] According to study co-lead author Jonas Lescroart, the research team shared their findings with the IUCN ahead of a planned reassessment of tiger cats.[11] Study co-author Tadeu de Oliveira, an ecologist at the State University of Maranhão in Brazil, said the tiger cat species identified in the study are found in habitats that are "vanishing fast".[4]
The same individual that came to the attention of Nogales-Ascarrunz continues to live in protective captivity at the Senda Verde animal refuge in Bolivia as of 2026. The cat is ten years old and has been nicknamed "Tigrino".[15]
See also
- Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) – feline declared as a distinct species in 2006
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bittel, Jason (September 17, 2026). "Meet the First New Cat Species Discovered in 100 Years". National Geographic. Archived from the original on September 17, 2026. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
- ↑ Lescroart et al. 2026, p. 6: "This species is named after the local name "tilcayo" used for this felid, which is widely known in the Bolivian Yungas zone. The name is treated as an unchanged noun in apposition."
- 1 2 3 Serafinko, Marta (September 17, 2026). "New cat species identified in Bolivia, first in over a century". Reuters. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
- 1 2 Bush, Evan (September 17, 2026). "New wild cat species is identified for first time in 100 years, researchers say". NBC News. Archived from the original on September 17, 2026. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
- ↑ Lescroart et al. 2026, p. 8.
- 1 2 3 4 Lescroart et al. 2026, p. 6.
- ↑ Aguirre et al. 2009, p. 436.
- ↑ Kuta, Sarah (September 21, 2026). "Meet the Adorable and Tiny Tilcayo, the First Brand-New Cat Species Identified in More Than a Century". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ Nogales-Ascarrunz, Paola (September 21, 2026). "The purr-fect new cat species discovered in Bolivia" (Audio). Interviewed by Tong, Scott. Here & Now Newsroom. WBUR. Event occurs at 3:33–4:07. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ Dirección Regional Arica y Parinacota (2011). Diccionario Trilingüe: Aymara – Castellano – Inglés (in Spanish). CONADI. pp. 37, 145. Registro de Propiedad Intelectual N° 210.985.
- 1 2 3 Cara, Ed (September 17, 2026). "Scientists Discover First New Cat Species in Over a Century—and It's Love at First Sight". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on September 17, 2026. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
- ↑ Lescroart et al. 2026, p. 4.
- ↑ Ferrari, O. (September 17, 2026). "Scientists name a new cat species for the first time in over a century". Live Science. Archived from the original on September 17, 2026. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
- ↑ Simms, C. (September 17, 2026). "Beautiful new cat species is first to be named in a century". New Scientist. Archived from the original on September 17, 2026. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
- ↑ Briggs, Helen (September 17, 2026). "Spotted wildcat from Bolivian forest revealed as new species". BBC News. Archived from the original on September 18, 2026. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
Bibliography
- Aguirre, Luis F.; Aguayo, Rodrigo; Balderrama, José; Cortez, Claudia; Tarifa, Teresa (2009). Libro rojo de la fauna silvestre de vertebrados de Bolivia [Red Book of the Wild Fauna of Vertebrates of Bolivia] (in Spanish). La Paz, Bolivia: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Agua. hdl:20.500.14624/1192. Archived from the original on September 19, 2026.
- Lescroart, Jonas; Nogales-Ascarrunz, Paola; Cassatt-Johnstone, Molly; Bonilla-Sánchez, Alejandra; Sartor, Caroline Charão; Angulo, Fernando; Ramirez, Jorge L.; de Oliveira, Larissa Rosa; de Oliveira, Tadeu Gomes; Shapiro, Beth; Aliaga-Rossel, Enzo; Svardal, Hannes; Eizirik, Eduardo (September 17, 2026). "Phylogenomics and museomics reveal five distinct species of tiger cats in South America". Current Biology: 1–15. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2026.08.059. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 42753727. Archived from the original on September 17, 2026. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
