Tilcayo
Species of small cat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo) is a species of small wildcat in the genus Leopardus native to Bolivia. Identified through a 2026 genetic study of tiger cats, the tilcayo is the first cat species formally described since 1923.[1] The tilcayo was already known to local communities but its visual appearance is extremely similar to other tiger cat species and the tilcayo had not been understood to actually be genetically distinct until this study revealed so.
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| Tilcayo | |
|---|---|
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| Tilcayo in captivity at La Senda Verde | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Subfamily: | Felinae |
| Genus: | Leopardus |
| Species: | L. tilcayo |
| Binomial name | |
| Leopardus tilcayo Nogales-Ascarrunz, Aliaga-Rossel, Lescroart & Eizirik, 2026 | |
Discovery
The tilcayo has been described as the first new felid formally identified since the identification of the Pampas cat L. fasciatus in 1923.[1] The tilcayo was already known to local communities but had not been scientifically identified as genetically distinct from other tiger cat species.[2]
Biologist and National Geographic explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz first encountered the species in 2016, when Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary contacted her about a cat that had been brought in. For around a year prior, the cat had been living with a man in La Paz who found it as a kitten and initially believed it to be a domestic cat before realising it required the care of a wildlife sanctuary. During that time, he had attempted feeding it "noodles, rice, and eggs".[3] Nogales-Ascarrunz was intrigued by the cat and photographed it, then believing it to be a unique-looking member of the related species Leopardus tigrinus.[1]
In 2019, while preparing a booklet of Bolivian cat species, Nogales-Ascarrunz realised that the individual from the wildlife sanctuary appeared distinct from L. tigrinus.[1] In 2026, the tilcayo was identified as a distinct species using genomic analysis.[4] "Its fur is light brown ... with irregularly shaped rosettes across its body," she described soon after.[2]
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Etymology
The name "tilcayo" was already used for the species by local communities in the region.[5] Publications on Bolivian fauna predating 2026 associate the term tilcayo with Leopardus tigrinus.[6]
The exact etymology of the term is unknown as it does not seem to be directly related to any Spanish or Quechuan words. According to Nogales-Ascarrunz, "We asked the local people, 'Why do you call it tilcayo?' and they said, 'I don't know! My grandpa called it tilcayo, so I call it tilcayo.'"[1]
Taxonomy
A genetic analysis of 38 cats from South and Central America, including 26 individuals in the Leopardus tigrinus species complex, revealed that the tigrinus complex consists of five distinct species, including L. tilcayo, which is believed to have split off from other Leopardus species over 1.4 million years ago.[5] The study incorporated genetic material from previously unsampled tiger cats in the Guianas region, near where L. tigrinus was originally described in 1775. Jonas Lescroart, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Antwerp, and co-lead author of the study called it "the most complete genetic study yet".[7]
The time-scaled, maximum-likelihood phylogeny of the genus Leopardus obtained from mitogenomes is displayed below:[8]
| Leopardus |
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Characteristics
The fur of the tilcayo is light brown with irregularly shaped rosettes.[2] Its rosettes are large and dark-brown to black in color; they appear mostly open or partially closed and do not coalesce.[5] It also has short round ears, long whiskers, and a scrunched-up face. Like many species in the Leopardus genus, it is smaller than a domestic cat.[1] It has a head–body length of 42.5–50 centimetres (16.7–19.7 in), with a tail length of 25–26.5 cm (9.8–10.4 in). It weighs 1.5–2.0 kilograms (3.3–4.4 lb).[9]
The tilcayo resembles the other five tiger cat species. Tiger cats are considered "cryptic species", as different species look extremely similar and are difficult to distinguish based on morphology.[10]
Distribution and habitat
The species was found near the town of Arapata in Nor Yungas Province, La Paz Department, Bolivia, 1,570 m (5,150 ft) above sea level.[5] This locality is positioned in the mountainous Yungas forest region (a cloud forest), on the eastern slope of the Andes mountain range.[1]
Ecology and behavior
As of September 2026[update], little is known about the behavior of the tilcayo tiger cat. Remains of small rodents in faeces samples indicate that they are part of the species' diet, and camera footage suggests the species may be more active at night.[2]
Conservation
As of September 2026, L. tilcayo has not been formally assessed by the IUCN Red List. It currently recognizes two tiger cat species, L. tigrinus and L. guttulus, both listed as vulnerable.[7] According to a study co-lead author Jonas Lescroart, the research team shared its findings with the IUCN ahead of a planned reassessment of tiger cats, in which each newly delineated species is expected to be evaluated separately, rather than as part of a single combined classification.[7][clarification needed] Study co-author Tadeu de Oliveira, an ecologist at the State University of Maranhão in Brazil, said the tiger cat species identified in the study are found in habitats that are "vanishing fast."[3]
The same individual that came to the attention of Nogales-Ascarrunz a decade ago continues to live in protective captivity at Senda Verde animal refuge in Bolivia as of 2026. The cat is 10 years old and has been nicknamed "Tigrino".[2][11]
