New Species of Cat Discovered for First Time in a Century

The species, called a tilcayo, is smaller than a house cat and lives in the cloud forests of the Andes Mountains in Bolivia.

The top 3

  1. Discovery of the Tilcayo: A New Andean Feline: Researchers identified the tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo) in Bolivia's cloud forests, marking the first new cat species discovery in over 100 years, confirmed by genetic sequencing.
  2. Top Three Smallest Wild Cat Species: The tilcayo joins an elite, rarely seen group of miniature felines known for their diminutive size and specialized, restricted ecological niches.
  3. Most Elusive Cat Species by Detection Difficulty: Beyond size, these species are categorized by the 'Detection Gap'—the time elapsed since their last confirmed sighting or initial discovery.

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