Well, the known animal kingdom just got a little bigger, and it's always cool when you can find out about that. The tilcayo tiger cat was just discovered in Bolivia. Its Latin binomial is leopardus tilcayo, which sounds not unlike a Chicano rapper with an Ancient Roman theme.
One of the researchers who discovered the tilcayo notes that it's "smaller than a housecat." But how can that be when it's of the genus "leopardus"? Well, actual leopards, which mostly live in Africa, have the genus "panthera." The "leopardus" genus describes South American native cats, most of the species being quite small.
Anyway, here's hoping the tilcayo tiger cat's habitat remains sufficiently intact for them to thrive.
1 comment:
The tilcayo tiger cat is a beautiful little animal. There's something about cats, whether the full sized tigers and lions or the smallest like the tilcayo, that makes you want to invite them on to your lap for a long sit. It's true it's hard to work up the urge to stand with a comfortable cat on one's lap. Of course, I was joking about lions and tigers - them you want to admire from a bit further away with, hopefully, a fence in between. (I have seen lovely videos of big cats greeting one time rescuers, but those encounters are rare).
But yes, the tilcayo is beautiful and likely not tame in the least. There are some cats who have similar 'leopardis' markings that would be nice to share space with - the bengal which I'd thought was a regular cat breed until I found out (this evening) that it's a crossbreed with a feral feline.. a leopard cat from southeast Asia.
Considering just how rare the tilcayo cats are I think you're right in hoping they can melt back into the forests of Bolivia where they'll thrive away from us interfering humans,
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