New cat species identified for first time in more than a century in Bolivia

Pesquisadora Paola Nogales Ascarrunz observa o gato em um refúgio de animais na região das Yungas, na Bolívia, em 1º de setembro de 2026. Fotografia: Fernando Faciole/National Geographic/ReutersVer imagem em tela cheiaPesquisadora Paola Nogales Ascarrunz observa o gato em um refúgio de animais na região das Yungas, na Bolívia, em 1º de setembro de 2026.

• IUCN red list of endangered species.

Photograph: Fernando Faciole/National Geographic/ReutersBoliviaNew cat species identified for first time in more than a century in BoliviaNew species of wild feline was discovered in Bolivia’s Yungas forest that is smaller than the average domestic ⁠cat.

Prefer the Guardian on GoogleA diminutive wild cat that inhabits Bolivia’s ⁠cloud forest has been identified as a previously unknown species, marking the first time a new living feline species has been formally named and described in more than a century.

The cat, called tilcayo by local communities, is part of a group called tiger ⁠cats found across much of South ⁠America. It was found in Bolivia’s ​lush Yungas forest, a mountainous region where forests are often covered by clouds and surrounded by high humidity, according to researchers.

Ele mede cerca de 18 polegadas (46 cm) de comprimento e pesa cerca de 3 libras (1,4 kg), sendo menor que o gato doméstico médio.

Researchers used genetic data to confirm that the cat is a new species, and gave it the scientific name Leopardus tilcayo, retaining its local name.

Ver imagem em tela cheia Um gato Leopardus tilcayo no refúgio animal Senda Verde, na região de Yungas, na Bolívia, em 1 de setembro de 2026. Fotografia: Fernando Faciole/National Geographic/Reuters Seu pelo é castanho claro.

with irregularly shaped rosettes across its body,” said Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic explorer and one of the authors ⁠of the study describing the newly identified species published on Thursday in the journal Current Biology.

Little is yet known about the cat’s biology and lifestyle. Remains of small rodents in scat ​samples suggest they may form part of its diet, while camera-trap evidence indicates it ‌could be more active at night, Nogales-Ascarrunz said.

Tiger ‌cats are so-called cryptic species, meaning they cannot easily be distinguished merely by appearance, said evolutionary biologist and study co-lead author Jonas Lescroart of the University of Antwerp in Belgium.

Tiger ‌cats previously had been considered a single species, but genetic studies decades ago suggested the existence of multiple species.

Ver imagem em tela cheia Um gato tilcayo, o único indivíduo conhecido da espécie recém-identificada que vive em cativeiro protetor. Fotografia: Fernando Faciole/National Geographic/Reuters Em relação à nova espécie, Lescroart disse: “Nossas informações neste momento são limitadas aos dois indivíduos vivos que examinamos, e a um pequeno número de registros de armadilha fotográfica.”.

One of the live cats is a 10-year-old male that now lives in the Senda Verde wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia after being kept by a local family in their home.

Observing the Bolivian cat drew interest because “its characteristics did not match the descriptions, most of them based on Brazilian cats”, Nogales-Ascarrunz said.

A equipe analisou DNA de 38 gatos coletados em vários países da América do Sul, incluindo oito espécimes de museu. O estudo concluiu que os gatos‑tigre são, na verdade, cinco espécies geneticamente distintas.

Genetic analysis suggested ​that the tilcayo lineage separated from other tiger cats about 1. 4m years ago.

The research team also described a new tiger cat subspecies in Peru’s Yungas region, naming it Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo after Antisuyu, the region of the old Inca empire that included the area it inhabits.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list tracking the status of species currently treats ⁠tiger cats as two “vulnerable” species with declining populations.

The researchers have shared their findings with the IUCN, whose upcoming review will assess ​the five lineages separately. That could give a more accurate picture ​of risk, Lescroart said, and species such as the tilcayo ​could be considered endangered when assessed on their own.

A necessidade de uma avaliação mais clara é particularmente aguda nas Yungas, um dos ecossistemas mais ameaçados da região.

The mountain forests ‌face growing pressure from deforestation, agricultural ​expansion, human-caused fires and mining, Nogales-Ascarrunz said. ​Restoring forest patches damaged by fires, protecting remaining native forest and maintaining connections between habitats are urgent priorities, she added.