Cataloged Taxon
Bolivian Highland Feline
Scientific Name: Leopardus tilcayo (Tiger-cat clade)
Adult Weight
1.5 kg (3.3 lbs)
Kitten equivalent
Head-Body
45 cm (17.7")
Slender build
Pelage Coat
Slate Rosettes
Highland fog camo
Compare Silhouette & Weight With:
Domestic Kitten (3-mo)
Morphological Scale Stage
Grid unit: 50mm
L. tilcayo (Wild Adult)
1.5 kg • 45 cm
VS
Domestic Kitten
1.4 kg • 40 cm
Morphology Match: The adult Bolivian Highland Feline weighs almost identically to a 12-week domestic kitten (~1.5 kg), yet possesses hyper-specialized highland adaptations including dense slate underfur and thickened paw pads for cloud forest rock scrambling.
⏳
1923 – 2026
100-Year Feline Discovery Timeline
1923 • Uruguayan Pampas Cat
Last distinct South American small feline species formally classified prior to the century-long taxonomic hiatus.
2013 • Tiger-Cat Lineage Resolution
Genomic sequencing confirms that Leopardus tigrinus is a polytypic complex hiding cryptic speciation across South America.
2017 • Yungas Escarpment Sighting
Field cameras in the Bolivian cloud forest record camera-trap footage of an uncataloged kitten-scale feline with slate underfur.
NBC News Report • 100-Year Milestone
Confirmed
Formal verification of Leopardus tilcayo as the first novel wild cat species identified in 100 years. Diverged ~1.4 million years ago in the isolated eastern Andean ridges.
Ecological Workbench
Andean Habitat & Elevation Simulation
Zone:
Yungas Cloud Forest
3,200 m (10,500 ft)
1,500m (Foothills)
3,200m (Optimal)
4,500m (Puna / Glacial)
82% (Dense Fog)
10% (Dry Season)
50% (Transitional)
100% (Amazon Plume)
Avg Temperature
7.8 °C (46 °F)
Extreme nocturnal dip
Atm. Pressure
68.2 kPa
67% sea level O₂
Vegetation Canopy
Mossy Polylepis
Rocky escarpments
Species Suitability
96% Optimal
Documented Range
Habitat Thermal & Oxygen Gradient Across Elevation
Simulated In-situ Telemetry
📝
Export Ready
Biodiversity Field Report Generator
Compile live simulation telemetry and custom observational notes into an archival brief.
DOC-ID: BIO-BOL-2026-TILCAYO
AUTOGEN: 2026-09-17
Taxon: Leopardus tilcayo
Milestone: 1st cat in 100 yrs
Elevation: 3,200 m
Microclimate: 7.8°C (82% Mist)
Morphology: 1.5 kg (Kitten-scale)
Status: Cryptic Endemic
JSON & Archival Text formats supported