Spotted wildcat from Bolivian forest revealed as new speciesSkip to contentWatch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. 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But DNA studies show the cat is actually in a class of its own, highlighting how much remains unknown about some of the world's most elusive mammals.Scientists hope the discovery will draw attention to the conservation of tiger cats, a group of small wild cats found in South and Central America that receives far less public attention than their larger cousins like lions, leopards and tigers.Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz / Julie Van CollieThe cat has been given the nickname TigrinoTiger cats are small, spotted wild cats found across Central and South America, from Costa Rica to Bolivia and Argentina. They look remarkably similar and even experts can struggle to tell them apart."It's an amazing result that we have a new species for the world, which is the Leopardus tilcayo," said Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz of Universidad Mayor de San Andres in La Paz, Bolivia."It's amazing that there are still new species waiting to be discovered: we don't have to go to a volcano, an island, or deep into the sea."Getty ImagesThe oncilla, or northern tiger cat, looks remarkably similarOnly one confirmed living member of the species is known - a cat in a rescue sanctuary in Bolivia - but scientists believe others exist.It was this 10-year-old cat, nicknamed 'Tigrino', that set scientists on the path to discovery. Bolivian scientist Dr Nogales-Ascarrunz was volunteering at the sanctuary when she noticed the cat looked unusual.It had been found in the forest by a local resident, who initially thought it was a domestic kitten. As it grew older, however, it became clear that it did not behave like a house cat.Dr Nogales-Ascarrunz had heard of other sightings of small wild cats in the dense forests of the country's Yungas region, but these had not been investigated by scientists.To solve the mystery, she joined forces with other researchers from around the world to investigate the family history of tiger cats, using DNA from living animals and museum specimens."There's so few records or pictures, no individual in a museum, so it was hiding because nobody was looking," said Eduardo Eizirik, a conservation geneticist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.The study, published in Current Biology, uncovered further surprises, suggesting there are five rather than three tiger cat species, including the newly described Tilcaya cat (Leopardus tilcayo) of Bolivia.Getty ImagesBolivia has dense forest that supports thousands of rare plant and animalsHowever, identifying the species is only the first step. Co-researcher Dr Caroline Sartor, of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at the University of Oxford, said the discovery was important for conservation because it is impossible to protect a species if we don't know what it is or where it lives."These are animals similar in size to a domestic cat, so you might think we would know them all by now, but this discovery shows how much biodiversity is still to be uncovered in some of the less-studied regions of the world," she said.Tiger cat species are considered vulnerable to extinction because of deforestation, habitat loss and illegal hunting, although the new species is missing from previous assessments.Getty ImagesThe new discovery suggests the world's cat family - all domestic and wild cats, big and small - will expand from 41 known species to 44 or 45The discovery could also have wider implications for the world's cat family.Both wild and domestic cats belong to the biological family Felidae, which includes every living cat species from tiny house pets to massive tigers.There are officially 41 species recognised but the new discovery, and the finding that there may be several species of tiger cat, brings the number to 44 or more.Andrew Kitchener, an expert in mammals at National Museums, Scotland, who was not involved with the research, says the small spotted South American cats known as tiger cats have been a "taxonomic nightmare". "These cats are confusing because they look so similar and there are few specimens in museums, so even now we are still learning how to tell them apart as genetics reveal more species," he said.Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. 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A new species of spotted wildcat has been confirmed from the forests of Bolivia, marking a significant finding regarding the biodiversity of elusive mammals. This small feline, comparable in size to a domestic moggy, was previously overlooked due to its resemblance to other wild cats, although DNA studies have placed it in its own distinct taxonomic class. This discovery underscores the vast amount of unknown biodiversity remaining in less-studied regions globally.

The only known living member of this newly described species is currently located in a wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia. The impetus for this discovery originated with Bolivian scientist Dr. Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, who noticed an unusual cat while volunteering at the sanctuary. This cat, nicknamed 'Tigrino', was initially mistaken for a domestic kitten until its behavior became clear. Dr. Nogales-Ascarrunz subsequently collaborated with international researchers to investigate the family history of tiger cats, utilizing DNA from living animals and museum specimens, as historical records were scarce.

The research revealed further complexity regarding the tiger cat species. The study published in Current Biology suggested that there may be five species of tiger cats rather than the previously accepted three, including the newly described species, Leopardus tilcayo, found in Bolivia. This finding has important conservation implications, as the identification of species is crucial for effective protection, especially since tiger cat species are vulnerable to extinction due to habitat loss, deforestation, and illegal hunting, a threat to which this new species was previously unrecorded.

The discovery is particularly relevant to the conservation of tiger cats, a group of small, spotted wild cats distributed across Central and South America, spanning countries like Costa Rica, Bolivia, and Argentina, which generally receive less public attention than larger predators such as lions, leopards, and tigers. The finding suggests that the total number of recognized species within the world's cat family, encompassing both wild and domestic cats, may expand from forty-one to forty-four or forty-five. This reevaluation highlights the ongoing need to explore and document the full spectrum of biodiversity in less-investigated areas of the world.