New Species of Tiger Cat Identified in Bolivia

Scientists have demonstrated that the South American tiger cat complex Leopardus tigrinus consists of five genetically distinct species, including one entirely new to science.

The Leopardus tigrinus species complex is a group of small, spotted felines found across Central and South America and known variously as tiger cats, little spotted cats, or tigrinas.

Their subtle physical differences have made them notoriously difficult to classify, and previous efforts relying on limited morphological and mitochondrial DNA data produced contradictory conclusions.

“Much of the Earth’s biodiversity remains unknown, which poses a challenge to conservation planning in the face of rampant anthropogenic impacts,” said Dr. Jonas Lescroart, a researcher at the University of Antwerp and the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, and his colleagues.

“A necessary step for biodiversity assessments is to correctly delimit species.”

“In this context, species complexes, due to their subtle boundaries, present a serious challenge to straightforward taxonomic assignment.”

“The tiger cat species complex presents one such example, having eluded taxonomic resolution since the description of its nominal species, Leopardus tigrinus, based on a single illustration of an animal from Cayenne, French Guiana.”

To resolve the puzzle, the authors analyzed complete genomes from 38 individuals across the genus Leopardus.

They sequenced DNA from eight historical museum specimens, including skull fragments from Guyana that provided the first-ever genetic data from the species’ original type locality in the Guiana Shield, a population that had never before been molecularly sampled.

The genomic analysis confirmed five reciprocally distinct lineages within the complex, alongside the previously recognized southern tiger cat (Leopardus guttulus).

Among the findings was a previously unknown species, named Leopardus tilcayo, discovered in Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests.

The researchers also identified a new subspecies from Peru’s Yungas region, Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo.

“Leopardus tilcayo is a small felid with a head-body length of 42.5-50.5 cm (17-20 inches) and a tail length of 25-26.5 cm (10-10.4 inches),” they said.

“It has a light brown dorsum, darker along the mid-dorsal ridge and paler toward the limbs.”

“The pelage is characterized by relatively large, irregular, dark brown to black rosettes, mostly open or partially closed, on a light brown to beige background.”

“Leopardus tilcayo diverged from the Leopardus tigrinus/pardinoides lineage nearly 1.4 million years ago, during the Early Pleistocene period,” they added.

“This period was marked by substantially fluctuating climatic conditions that led to the fragmentation of the montane forest, which likely facilitated geographic isolation.”

Beyond taxonomy, the new genomic data revealed a long-term population decline across nearly all tiger cat units dating back through the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs, with some lineages — including the newly described Leopardus tilcayo — showing population decreases of 60% or more.

“Altogether, our results clarify the evolutionary history of a complex radiation of wild cats, reveal novel taxa, and serve as a basis for conservation planning on behalf of these elusive wild cats,” the scientists concluded.

The discovery is described in a paper in the journal Current Biology.

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Jonas Lescroart et al. Phylogenomics and museomics reveal five distinct species of tiger cats in South America. Current Biology, published online September 17, 2026; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.08.059