New species of small predator discovered in the forests of Bolivia

A small predator inhabiting Bolivia's mountain forests has been recognized as a new species, marking the first time in more than a century that such a mammal has been formally described. The animal, called "Tilcayo" by local communities, lives in the forested region of the Yungas, weighs about one and a half kilos and measures 46 centimeters, making it smaller than an average domestic cat. The scientists used genetic data to confirm the discovery, assigning the specimen the scientific name of Leopardus tilcayo. The study, published in the scientific journal 'Current Biology', was conducted by an international team including scientist Eduardo Eizirik, researcher Jonas Lescroart and National Geographic explorer Paola Nogales Ascarrunz.

The characteristics

Researcher Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz explained that "its coat is light brown with irregularly shaped rosettes distributed all over its body." The scientists then analyzed the DNA of 38 animals, establishing that the so-called tiger cats are actually divided into five distinct strains. "We would never have expected that this Bolivian tiger cat was an evolutionary branch in its own right," said biologist Jonas Lescroart, specifying that the genetic line separated almost a million and a half years ago. Now experts hope that international conservation authorities will evaluate the five groups independently, to precisely define the real risk of extinction in threatened habitats like the Yungas. In fact, researchers do not yet know how many specimens of this feline species live in the wild. Nogales Ascarrunz is installing camera traps in the Yungas forests to document the species, learn about its distribution, behavior and habitat needs.