A new species of feline has been discovered in the Yungas region forests of Bolivia, named 'Leopardus tilcayo' or gato-tilcayo. This small predator measures about 46 centimeters from head to tail and weighs approximately 1.4 kilograms, which is smaller than an ordinary house cat, reports the Spanish news agency EFE.
The identification of the new species was conducted through DNA analysis, where scientists used whole genome sequencing and studied the genetic material of samples preserved in museums in Europe and the USA, as well as live animals.
Researchers concluded that the group of felines previously considered a single widespread species actually consists of at least five different species. EFE adds that genomic analysis allowed for the official confirmation of four other species in this group: Leopardus guttulus, L. emiliae, L. pardinoides, and L. tigrinus, as well as the discovery of a new subspecies in the Yungas region of Peru—L. tigrinus antisuyo.
The study, published today in the scientific journal Current Biology, was carried out by an international team. It included scientist Eduardo Eisirik from the Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) in Brazil, researcher Jonas Lescoart from the University of Antwerp in Belgium, and National Geographic researcher Paola Nogales Ascaruns.
The specimen used in the study is a ten-year-old male currently residing in the Senda Verde wildlife reserve in Bolivia. It was provided by a local family in 2017.
The scientific name of the new species, 'L. tilcayo', is a tribute to the local communities who found the animal and cared for it, giving it this name.
Researchers do not yet know the exact number of 'Leopardus tilcayo' individuals in the wild. Paola Nogales Ascaruns is setting up cameras in the Yungas forests to document the species and study its distribution, behavior, and habitat needs in the region, which is threatened by deforestation and mining.