Scientists discover new species of cat for the first time in more than 100 years

A new species of cat has been discovered in Bolivia for the first time in more than 100 years, according to National Geographic. The length of the first representative of Leopardus tilcayo from head to tail is about 45 cm, and the weight is only 1.4 kg.

Unknown kitten found on the road near the forest local resident in 2015. The man took him home, mistaking him for a domestic, but a year later he took the “strange cat” to the reserve. The animal had a small muzzle, short and round ears and a long mustache. Its color resembled leopard spots. The animal was too small for a domestic cat.

Learning about the find, researcher Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz first suggested that she was dealing with the species Leopardus tigrinus. Only 10 years later, with the help of genetic analysis, the scientific team, which included the scientist, was able to determine that it was a new species. The researchers described the discovery in a paper for the journal Current Biology. The new species lives in the forests of the Yungas region of Bolivia, on the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains. It was proposed to be called Leopardus tilcayo - under the name tilcayo this cat is known to the locals. It is not yet known what these cats eat, how they hunt and reproduce, and many other aspects of their daily lives.

The Pampas cat was last discovered in 1923. The new discovery allowed scientists to redraw the family tree of the cat family, adding many more branches than previously thought.

What scientists know about cats, read in the material “Kommersant” “Ears, legs and tails”.