国际研究团队通过DNA分析确认，玻利维亚森林中的一只斑点猫属于此前未被认可的新物种，学名为蒂卡亚猫（Leopardus tilcayo）1。这项研究由玻利维亚安第斯圣马克思大学的帕奥拉·诺加莱斯-阿斯卡伦兹、巴西南里格兰德天主教宗座大学的爱德华多·埃齐里克以及牛津大学野生动物保护研究部门的卡罗琳·萨托尔等人主导，相关成果已发表在《当代生物学》期刊上1。
研究表明虎纹猫属包含的物种数量从之前认为的三个增加至五个1，进而使全球已确认的猫科动物物种总数增加至44个或更多1。然而，该新物种的生存状况极为严峻——目前仅有一只已知的活体成员，为玻利维亚野生动物救援所内一只名叫提格里诺（Tigrino）、现已10岁的猫咪1。
Scientists have confirmed the discovery of a previously unknown wild cat species in Bolivian forests through DNA analysis.1 The newly identified feline has been named Leopardus tilcayo, or the Tilcayo cat, and represents a significant addition to global felid taxonomy.1 The research, published in Current Biology, was conducted by an international team including Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz from Bolivia's Andean Saint Marx University, Eduardo Eizirik from Brazil's Southern Rio Grande Catholic Pontifical University, and Caroline Sartor from Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit.1
The discovery has prompted a reclassification of the genus Leopardus.1 Researchers now believe the genus contains five species rather than the previously recognized three, expanding the total number of confirmed wild cat species globally from 41 to 44 or more.1 Despite this breakthrough, the species remains exceptionally rare: only one living member is currently known to exist—a 10-year-old individual named Tigrino housed at a wildlife rescue facility in Bolivia.1
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