Researchers report that what was previously treated as a single South American tiger cat species actually comprises several distinct species. The work renames and reorganizes this group, concluding that there are five separate tiger cat species rather than one.
Two outlets say the study is the first formal naming of a tiger cat species in more than a century. One source highlights the South American tiger cat group as newly divided into five species, while the other specifies an additional named species within that group: tilcayo. Together, the reports indicate that the new classification increases the number of known tiger cat species to five and is based on scientific analysis conducted by the researchers.
While the coverage is consistent on the main outcome—recognizing five distinct species—the emphasis differs slightly. One outlet focuses broadly on the taxonomic revision of the South American tiger cats, and the other points to the naming of tilcayo as a notable milestone after a long period without new tiger cat species being described.
