Tilcayo is recognized as a distinct species among the Andes’ tiger cats

Found as a kitten in Bolivia, a cat was raised in a home for about a year before arriving at the Senda Verde sanctuary in 2017. The animal, which remains in care, would become part of a story larger than its rescue: the identification of a feline species. Published September 17 in Current Biology, a study describes Leopardus tilcayo and distinguishes five species within the complex of small South American tiger cats.

The tilcayo lives in the mist-covered forests of the Yungas, on the eastern slopes of the Bolivian Andes. Its name was taken from local usage, since residents already knew this wild cat. What remained unclear was its place among similar-looking felines. Differences in the coats of Bolivian cats caught the researchers’ attention, but were not enough on their own to resolve the animals’ relationships.

The investigation, led by Jonas Lescroart of the University of Antwerp, brought together genomes from 38 individuals of the genus Leopardus, which includes tiger cats. The dataset incorporated eight museum specimens as well as living animals. Preserved material made it possible to relate genetic information from historical specimens to that of present-day animals. By comparing DNA sequences, the researchers examined differences and similarities in hereditary material to reconstruct relationships among the lineages.

Within this broader set of comparisons, the authors found support for recognizing five species in the tiger cat complex. The tilcayo was one of them. This distinction gives the Yungas feline an identity separate from species with which it could be confused. It also clarifies which group of animals should be studied when asking where it lives and what conditions it needs to continue living there.

Its proposed identity is now clearer than the picture of its life in the wild. Information about its diet, reproduction, and population size is still lacking. Researcher Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz is helping search for further records using cameras installed in the forest that photograph passing animals. Finding more tilcayos in the wild will connect the genetic result to the actual landscape, showing where individuals are and how they use their environment—information needed to assess their conservation needs.