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1. nemomarx · 1789743042 · focus · HN ↗

   > Tiger cats previously had been considered a single species, but genetic studies decades ago suggested the existence of multiple species.

   So more like they identified that part of the known population was a different species just now. It'll take more effort tagging and identifying other tiger cats to see if they also belong to this particular one?

   1. pvaldes · 1789811409 · focus · HN ↗

      There are other four species of Leopardus in Bolivia if I'm not wrong, and some had several subspecies. Many tiny, highly arboreal and nocturnal so no easy at all to catch or study. This animal was raised as pet since cub so is much easier to take samples. It could be the one animal in their species, ever, as an hybrid abandoned by its mother. Many oaks and willows do that trick routinely.

      That said in 2020 there was an article proposing to split Leopardus colocolo in other 3 to 5. This article worked on the proposal, validating four new species more with L. tilcayo that was closer to L. tigrinus. National Geographic (as in other cases) embellished the history a little. Five new species of cats were disclosed, and four were described previously inside a species complex.

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