Scientists have identified and described a new species of carnivorous mammal from the cat family for the first time in a century — a small creature inhabiting the cloud forests of the Bolivian Andes, according to infohub.kz.
The unusual animal weighs just 1.5 kilograms and has a body length of about 46 centimeters. For a long time, its light-colored fur with dark rosette spots led it to be confused with known tiger cats. Local residents have always known about this creature and called it tilcayo, but biologists have only now been able to conduct genetic analysis and confirm that it is an entirely new species, given the scientific name Leopardus tilcayo.
The story of the discovery began at the Senda Verde reserve, where a local resident brought a tiny wild kitten, mistaking it for a domestic one. The only officially registered living representative of the species — a ten-year-old male named Tigrino — still lives at this sanctuary.
Research has shown that these miniature cats lead a secretive nocturnal lifestyle, feed on small rodents, and diverged from their closest relatives approximately 1.5 million years ago.
The discovery will help draw attention to the protection of rare inhabitants of South American forests. Due to deforestation and the destruction of their natural habitat, these unique small predators are under threat of extinction.