So cute!
What a cute homicidal killer!
Showing major 'tude For the first time in over 100 years a new cat species has been identified in Bolivia.
The diminutive cat, it weighs around 1½ kilos, has been named Leopardus tilcayo.
I want one. I also want a Pallas' cat, but I am getting neither. These are wild animals, and except for professionals doing rehabilitation or study, people should not disturb them.
But they are so cute!
A diminutive wild cat that inhabits Bolivia’s cloud forest has been identified as a previously unknown species, marking the first time a new living feline species has been formally named and described in more than a century.
The cat, called tilcayo by local communities, is part of a group called tiger cats found across much of South America. It was found in Bolivia’s lush Yungas forest, a mountainous region where forests are often covered by clouds and surrounded by high humidity, according to researchers. It measures about 18in (46cm) long and weighs about 3lb (1.4kg), making it smaller than the average domestic cat.
Researchers used genetic data to confirm that the cat is a new species, and gave it the scientific name Leopardus tilcayo, retaining its local name.
Tiger cats are difficult to distinguish by physical characteristics, and this cutie pie was identified through DNA studies.
Score one for DNA assisted taxonomy.
