Cloud Forest Wild Cat Discovery Lab | Bolivia Feline Research Station

Field Specimen Dossier

Bolivian Cloud Forest Cat

Leopardus sp. nov. (Diminutive Yungas Cloud Forest Ecotype)

First new living cat species in over a century

Mean Weight 1.8 kg Diminutive (~Kitten)

Active Elevation 2,800 m Montane Epiphyte Belt

Atmospheric Hum. 92% Persistent Mist Layer

Coat Camouflage Muted Rosette Slate-Brown Underfur

Specimen Silhouette & Biometric Grid

Scale: 50 mm / division

Bolivian Cloud Specimen Adult body ~42 cm · 1.8 kg

Selected Benchmark: Domestic Kitten

Benchmark Mass: 1.2 – 1.6 kg

Mass Differential: +0.2 kg (+12%)

Niche Stratum: Sub-canopy arboreal

Diminutive Ratio: Fits comfortably in two adult hands; among the rarest miniaturized adaptations in Carnivora.

Tune ecological factors to evaluate Bolivian Yungas habitat suitability index.

Elevation (m) 2,800 m

1,200m Lowland 4,200m Puna

Canopy Humidity (%) 92%

40% Arid 100% Saturated

Canopy Density (%) 85%

20% Fragmented 100% Intact

96%

Ecological Suitability: Optimal Cloud Belt

Ideal elevation band (2,400–3,100 m) with persistent mist support for moss epiphyte foraging.

Ecosystems:

Ecological Trait Radar: Diminutive Feline vs. Sympatric Carnivores Standardized Niche Dimension (0–100)

Small Felid Clade

Formal naming of living wild cat species across eras.

100+ Year Interval

Bolivian Cloud Forest Cat Present (CNN Report)

Identified as a distinct living wild cat species. First formal new living feline description in over a century.

Iriomote Island Specimen 1967 (Island Reclassification)

Discovered in Okinawa; later recognized predominantly as a subspecies of the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis).

Early 20th Century Monograph Era Early 1900s

The last undisputed basal feline species descriptions were formalized prior to the 1920s taxonomical freeze.

Biodiversity Expedition Brief Live Handoff

EXP-BOL-2026-09

Field Observer Notes / Expedition Coordinates:

Target Taxon: Bolivian Cloud Forest Cat (1.8 kg)

Simulated Habitat: 2,800m | 92% Hum | 85% Canopy

Suitability Index: 96% (Optimal Cloud Belt)

Milestone Class: 100-Year Living Felid Milestone