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Encyclopaedia Britannica@Britannica · Sep 20, 2026

New cat species just dropped. Meet Leopardus tilcayo, or the tilcayo tiger cat. It’s smaller than a housecat, lives in…

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Summary

Scientists have identified Leopardus tilcayo, a new wild cat species from Bolivia's Yungas forest, marking the first new living cat species discovered in over 100 years. The discovery was made through genetic testing of an animal adopted from the streets in Brazil, and local communities had known about the species for generations, calling it 'tilcayo.'

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  1. #1

    New cat species just dropped. Meet Leopardus tilcayo, or the tilcayo tiger cat. It’s smaller than a housecat, lives in Bolivia’s Yungas forest ecoregion, and is the first new living cat species discovered in more than 100 YEARS. 🧵⬇️

  2. #2

    Biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz first observed the cat in 2016. While working in Brazil, a wildlife sanctuary reached out for help identifying an unusual cat. The animal was adopted off the street but surrendered to the sanctuary when its owner realized it wasn't a house cat.

  3. #3

    While the wild cat looks similar to another tiger cat species in the region, Nogales-Ascarrunz wasn’t convinced that they were the same.

  4. #4

    Using genetic testing, she determined that the newly discovered creature was its own species and had diverged from other tiger cat species around 1.4 million years ago.

  5. #5

    Although the scientific identification is new, according to Nogales-Ascarrunz, local communities have known about the animal for generations. In fact, the species name comes from what locals call the cat: “tilcayo.”

  6. #6

    The genetic analysis also provided evidence for five new subspecies. This comprehensive reanalysis meant that instead of just adding to the existing cat family tree, researchers had to redraw it entirely.

  7. #7

    Scientists hope that this identification aids in the discovery of other cat species, especially small, elusive ones. These animals may be in need of protection, and the more information we know about them, the more helpful conservation efforts can be.