Talk:Tilcayo

captive tilcayo tiger cat name

Source number three on the Conservation subheading does not meantion the name 'Tigrino' for the live captive tilcayo tiger. "The same individual that came to the attention of Nogales-Ascarrunz a decade ago continues to live in protective captivity at Senda Verde animal refuge in Bolivia as of 2026. The cat is 10 years old and has been nicknamed "Tigrino".[3][12]" Propsal to remove source three from this sentence, as it does not provide evidence for the information listed. Keeping the sentence is acceptable, as source 12 does mention the name of the cat as 'Tigrino'.

PROPOSED CHANGE:

"The same individual that came to the attention of Nogales-Ascarrunz a decade ago continues to live in protective captivity at Senda Verde animal refuge in Bolivia as of 2026. The cat is 10 years old and has been nicknamed "Tigrino".[12]" ORIGINAL SENTENCE: "The same individual that came to the attention of Nogales-Ascarrunz a decade ago continues to live in protective captivity at Senda Verde animal refuge in Bolivia as of 2026. The cat is 10 years old and has been nicknamed "Tigrino".[3][12]"

This is my first time editing Wikipedia. Please forgive any mistakes made with the correction process. — Preceding unsigned comment added by ~2026-50649-92 (talk) 15:22, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

it's the tilcayo ~2026-51042-74 (talk) 21:12, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

ref

• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/meet-the-first-new-cat-species-discovered-in-100-years

--Another Believer _(Talk) 23:04, 17 September 2026 (UTC)

looks like this is already used in the article? feedmepaperr (talk) 03:28, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Comparator species correction in lead

The lead previously stated the tilcayo tiger cat was the first new felid species identified "after the Chinese mountain cat in 1892." I've corrected this to "the first since the Pampas cat in 1923," per the article's own cited source:

"...the discovery is monumental, and not just because it's the first new cat discovered since the pampas cat in 1923." — Bittel, National Geographic (source already/previously cited in the article as ref name "Bittel")

The Chinese mountain cat date (1892) wasn't sourced to anything in the article and doesn't match the comparator any of the launch-day coverage uses (NatGeo, Live Science, etc. all point to the pampas cat, 1923, when framing this as "first new cat species in over a century"). Flagging here in case anyone has a source that supports the original wording — happy to revert if so. DrMatzahBall (talk) 04:00, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

It's not the first new species identified since the Chinese Mountain Cat or Pallas Cat. Several new cat species have been recognised more recently, e.g. the clouded leopard, leopard cat and northern/southern tiger cat splits. What they are saying is the "first a new cat discovered", i.e description of a cat that is not part of a previous described species, subspecies or population. It might be best to use the quote so we don't introduce any ambiguity.  —  Jts1882 | talk  10:57, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

@Jts1882 yes, of course. I don't agree with how the discovery continues to be reported across media sources. DrMatzahBall (talk) 13:06, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Agreed. I think the most recently discovered species was the Sunda clouded leopard, for which I created the article if I may boast, which was described in 2006. Bondegezou (talk) 14:51, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

We could add a footnote to the article noting the distinction being made? Bondegezou (talk) 14:56, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Expanded Taxonomy section

Added detail (Guianas sampling, tied to where "L.tigrinus" was originally described) plus a direct quote from co-lead author Jonas Lescroart, sourced to his Gizmodo interview. No changes to existing content.

• Note: Scientific American did a nice write-up on the exciting news, however, it would appear that the journalist who put the story together may have confused what Lescroart said in the original source Gizmodo interview and paraphrased. Gizmodo as source for the conversation seems to be stronger cite source for Guianas sampling.

DrMatzahBall (talk) 04:25, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Photos

Was thrilled to realize while reading the news articles that it's the same individual I had the privilege of seeing and photographing in Bolivia in early July! I've cleaned up and uploaded four photos that I think are of encyclopedic value and made them public domain. Hope this helps! Alessandro Verniani (talk) 05:58, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Very much appreciated! -SlvrHwk (talk) 06:13, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Are we sure those images are not AI images? AndersenAnders (talk) 23:49, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

I am very much not an expert but they seem legit to me given the data provided by the uploader. PharaohCrab speak𓀁 works𓀨 02:14, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

I agree, though the images seem slightly off to me (direct eye contact, strong colouration, paw reaching out to the camera), it all seems a little too perfect. But I can't really pinpoint to anything specific, and I may very well be wrong. AndersenAnders (talk) 13:09, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

This is not tilcayo and these pictures look like AI to me. Please remove these promptly, they are already being picked up by news outlets. Signed, Jonas Lescroart, co-lead of the discovery study. You can verify by reaching out to my email listed in the study's correspondence. ~2026-50575-40 (talk) 22:08, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

Oh shoot, thanks for weighing in here! I took a number of photos of two small Leopardus cats at La Senda Verde a few months ago, but it seems I mistook the similar coat markings, diminutive size, large ears, and the guide's backstory of the cat having previously been a pet as being the tilcayo, but looking closely at photos from media shows a slightly different face shape and chest markings. I've taken down the four photos, my sincerest apologies for the misattribution!

I've uploaded some 60 photos of both cats here (photos.app.goo.gl/ followed by FXxaDLuoR5JYMNRG7)

I'd greatly appreciate help identifying the first (margay or southern tigrina?), and the second (possibly Geoffroy's cat). Happy to clean up and upload any to Wikimedia Commons which may be of value to their respective articles. Alessandro Verniani (talk) 23:35, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

I am not really seeing any differences in the coat patterns or head shape between your picture and other pictures. I think you did in fact photo the right cat given the fact that the story you say the guide gave, and the place you took the pictures all lines up exactly with other reports. I doubt La Senda Verde refuge countians two tiger cats with vertically identical backstories that look that similar but only one is a new species. PharaohCrab speak𓀁 works𓀨 00:15, 20 September 2026 (UTC)

I was able to receive confirmation from Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz that the first cat is in fact a margay, so I've added all four images to the correct article. Once the second cat is identified, I'll upload a few to commons as well! Alessandro Verniani (talk) 17:55, 20 September 2026 (UTC)

if that is the case the files will have to be renamed PharaohCrab speak𓀁 works𓀨 18:03, 20 September 2026 (UTC)

Thank you! A major improvement to our article. User:Tillman

Requested move 18 September 2026

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: WP:SNOW consensus to move (non-admin closure) InfernoHues (talk) 00:21, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

---

Tilcayo tiger cat → Tilcayo – "Tilcayo" (not "tilcayo tiger cat") is the common/vernacular name suggested and used by the describing authors . It is also the name used in reliable press releases associated with the announcement (e.g., , ). -SlvrHwk (talk) 06:12, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

• Move I agree. However, I noticed that another tiger cat, the Oncilla is also called Northern Tiger Cat, Little Spotted Cat, and Tigrillo. As we learn more about the range of this cat, we may learn other local names for it as well. MiguelMunoz (talk) 08:25, 18 September 2026 (UTC)
• Oppose Keep it as it is, no need to change it. ~2026-50393-08 (talk) 08:29, 18 September 2026 (UTC)
• Move I agree. Not only is "tilcayo" alone the suggested vernacular name, but also the "tiger cat" bit is sort of redundant, and surely its best practice to use the pre-existing local name for it. Saying all this as the one who titled the page to begin with. Thestorkjob (talk) 08:53, 18 September 2026 (UTC)
• I agree to "move". It has no common name and exactly for that the discoverers made a statement: "We propose “tilcayo” as the English common name, preserving the traditional local designation in recognition of its cultural and regional relevance." Let's pay respect to the scientists. Chhandama (talk) 09:07, 18 September 2026 (UTC)
• If there is a move it should be to the scientific name and/or to draft space. The species hasn't been recognised by reliable secondary sources (news reports may be reliable for the information, but not as a source for taxonomic issues). Also WP:COMMONNAME is about what is the most common name actually used in English, not what someone thinks it should be. The scientific name seems to be used most at the moment, given the split between use of Tilcayo and Tilcayo tiger cat. If the IUCN or MDD adopt the proposed name then we can move to that later. I'd leave it where it for now, though.  —  Jts1882 | talk  11:08, 18 September 2026 (UTC)
• Support Tilcayo is a type of tiger cat, the "tiger cat" is unnecessary when there isn't any other creature called tilcayo. The scientific name is Leopardus tilcayo, so even scientists recognise its name as tilcayo. We cannot really use WP:COMMONNAME as a rationale since it is a newly discovered species therefore its common name is not yet established, but tilcayo is used in all the sources in one form or another, and we don't normally use scientific name for mammals. Sources also don't all use "tilcayo tiger cat", e.g. says "tilcayo cat", suggesting that "tilcayo tiger cat" is not generally accepted. It's best to use tilcayo until we have a better idea what its common name might be. which might take some time to be established. Hzh (talk) 13:04, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

@SlvrHwk I agree with the move to "Tilcayo". I also think the suggestion of using the scientific name is good. I don't agree with the current "Tilcayo tiger cat" naming. Kubaj CZ2006 (talk) 12:08, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

• Concur on Move. Article names should only contain riders for disambiguation. Nothing else is called "tilcayo" - David Gerard (talk) 12:14, 18 September 2026 (UTC)
• Support per nom.--Ortizesp (talk) 13:14, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

• Support I also agree to move to "Tilcayo", since it is already explained later in the text that it is a tiger cat. There is also no other animal called Tilcayo, so it does not cause any confusion. Ruditaly (Talk) 13:14, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

@SlvrHwk Move, it is the name that was already used by locals and it seems to be the most common name to refer the species, so it would guide people reading wikipedia better AndyNSCr (talk) 13:24, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support per Hzh's logic. UnscapeableDeath (talk) 13:31, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support for the move away from “Tilcayo tiger cat” as the article name; that name is an amalgamation of the local people’s name for the animal (“tilcayo”) and the evolutionary branch in which Leopardus tilcayo is currently placed. From the original text:

Etymology This species is named after the local name “tilcayo” used for this felid, which is widely known in the Bolivian Yungas zone. The name is treated as an unchanged noun in apposition.

Vernacular name We propose “tilcayo” as the English common name, preserving the traditional local designation in recognition of its cultural and regional relevance.

The suggested move away from the current article name of “Tilcayo tiger cat” to “Tilcayo” is both scientifically sound and more mindful of the desires of both the publishers of the discovery paper and the local population of the area in which this species is located.

Another key note: in the official discovery paper, the recommendation is that the common name of “tilcayo” not be capitalized. This change would apply to the uses of the name tilcayo within the body of the article itself. ~2026-50607-08 (talk) 13:44, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

This was my contribution, I have now created an account. Liet-Quines (talk) 13:53, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support, 'tilcayo' is more concise and reflective of how the majority of sources have been referring to it. kitokat ✦ xe/it/any ✦ chat? 14:19, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support, note how saying tilcayo tiger cat would be like saying ursus polar bear, it's redundant, the word tilcayo already means Bolivian tiger cat. LorenzoF06 (talk) 14:36, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

• Support - While I would normally agree with @Jts1882: on draftifying a not-yet-accepted new species, there is more than enough support outside of NSPECIES that supports GNG. The current article name is not supported. After that, the decision as to common vs scientific name falls to what's used in the sources. Given the level of media coverage, the proposed move is preferential vice the scientific name. - In solidarity, UtherSRG (talk) 14:40, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support per nom (suggested English name + use in sources). Anecdotally, I saw the form "tilcayo" much more in the reading I did yesterday before seeing this article, and when I did see it the version with "tiger cat" appended immediately struck me as odd. Ookap (talk) 14:54, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support per nom. Can this be WP:SNOWed? Bondegezou (talk) 15:01, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

It can not - there is not unanimous support. - In solidarity, UtherSRG (talk) 15:06, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support per nom. Pete Tillman (talk) 15:09, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

I agree that the article should be titled as 'tilcayo', both because the cat is already becoming known as such and because adding 'tiger cat' may lead to confusion as it belongs to the Leopardus genus. ~2026-50470-87 (talk) 15:25, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

"Tiger Cat" in this case is just redundant. Tilcayo is a tiger cat. I think we either name the article "Tilcayo" or "Leopardus tilcayo". The article itself already includes "The tilcayo". This furthermore proves that adding "Tiger Cat" to the end of the article is unnessecary. Haider981 (talk) 17:18, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support per LorenzoF06. To clarify, WP:SNOW applies when a discussion has a "foregone conclusion," such that "nearly unanimous" consensus also works, though letting this one run at least another day would be worthwhile given the reasoned opposition from Jts1882. ViridianPenguin🐧 (💬) 17:27, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support move to Tilcayo per WP:COMMONNAME. ~2026-49511-43 (talk) 18:33, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support per nom and reasoning given by others. 'Tiger cat' is redundant Scelultrix (talk) 18:38, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Oppose for now. Due to the fact that it's an extremely new discovery, keeping the "tiger cat" in the title till a common name is established more within the scientific community makes more sense for the common reader who probably won't know anything about it yet. When a common name is established, whichever it is, that should be the title. Lazar0ss13 (talk) 18:43, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support per nom, and sources Staib (talk) 19:45, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support per nom and above. “Tilcayo” may not have as much data as we would like to weigh the common name, but if we believe in the RS’ claim that this is a local name, then that should take precedence in my opinion. It is more concise, suitably precise (not ambiguous), recognizable, and natural. There are not enough tiger cat species for consistency to be considered across similar topics, and an analysis of the naming of cat species on a whole would probably not help much anyways (all this based on WP:CRITERIA ASUKITE 20:09, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support per nom and Hzh. Matches name proposed by the researchers and what the cat is already known by locally. --Joshua Issac (talk) 20:38, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Move per nom and above, it seems to be the COMMONNAME per RS and is also more concise than "Tilcayo tiger cat" without becoming any more ambiguous. Obsidian the Fox 21:12, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Snow close and move: pretty much a common name. There is overwhelming support for the move, so there is no need to follow the standard seven-day procedure. — Raihanur (talk) 21:14, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Move It’s called a Tilcayo in the press, it has been called a Tilcayo for many generations, so WP:COMMONNAME says this is what the article should be called. Samboy (talk) 21:45, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

• Snow close and move. Tilcayo is the WP:COMMONNAME, tiger cat is redundant, and there are a total of two oppose votes so far (one of them is a "status quo because status quo" type vote by an anon). —Leaf.Sheap ⇖ /.°°.\ ⇗ (They•Them) 21:58, 18 September 2026 (UTC)
• Move per nomination. Tilcayo is clearly the long established WP:COMMONNAME per the local population. Tiger cat is an unneeded redundancy. Safiel (talk) 22:05, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support NotRealShady7 7 7 (customer service) 22:20, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

• Support per nom. WAVELANDSHIELDDROP (talk) 22:39, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

• Support: Tilcayo is a type of tiger cat, so "tiger cat" is redundant. WP:COMMONNAME

Sushidude21! (talk) 22:41, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support Not much to add that hasn't been said by other editors already. Support having any uninvolved editor WP:SNOW close this, I'd do it myself instead of !voting if I had the right permissions  Vanilla  Wizard 💙 22:44, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Support move WP:SNOW close material the Doug hole (a crew 4 life) 22:46, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Source of the Name “Tilcayo”

Articles I've read about where the name came from say it doesn't have any particular meaning in Quechua, and quote a Yungas local who simply says "That's what my grandfather called it. But the indigenous people of Yungas most likely speak Aymara, not Quechua. Whoever looked up its meaning in Quechua may have just assumed that was the language. I don't have a reference that clearly states what language this comes from, so I don't want to change the article yet, but it's something to think about. — MiguelMunoz (talk) 08:36, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Joining in on this discussion. There is one edit that claims it is related to the phrase tillti qallu, which supposedly means "small wildcat" in Aymara. I am hesitant including material that mentions Aymara without explicitly mentioning the etymology (or lack of knowledge thereof) for "tilcayo." ForeverFlying (talk) 04:17, 20 September 2026 (UTC)

Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz accepted social media discussion of the etymology: Aymara phrase for "tiny paws."

https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-09-21/the-purr-fect-new-cat-species-discovered-in-bolivia starting just after 3:00

That seems fairly definitive.

Radsci (talk) 04:44, 22 September 2026 (UTC)

Tiger cat redundant debate

Should be removed. ‘Tiger cat’ is redudant, as no other thing has the name Tilcayo. Make tilcayo tiger cat a redirect there.

even the person who found it named it Tilcayo ~2026-50394-66 (talk) 11:55, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Phylogeny

A mitochondrial tree is presented without any qualification, but given the substantial nuclear–mitochondrial discordance in the genus Leopardus, wouldn't it be better to show the nuclear phylogenetic tree (Fig. 3A in the paper) if only one tree is to be included? コロネン (talk) 12:48, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

The difference between Figures 2B and 3A lies in the placement of the kodkod and the Geoffroy's cat. Which arrangement should be adopted? (I do not recommend featuring the mitochondrial phylogenetic tree (2C) as the primary figure.) コロネン (talk) 13:11, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

It appears to be caused by gene flow between the Geoffroy's cat and the southern tiger cat. Therefore, I will proceed to rewrite it into the 3A phylogenetic tree. コロネン (talk) 13:13, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

I have made edits. コロネン/Coronene (talk) 06:55, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

Where does the term "Tiger cat" originate?

This was a question I had in mind, I guessed it was just because the Tilcayo species was related to tigers. But after a while it didn't make sense after realizing nothing else was called Tilcayo, so the term "Tiger cat" would be pointless. Tilcayobro (talk) 17:36, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

I think this article will be moved without the tiger cat in the title as almost a full house of agreement is presented for today in a move discussion. Iggy Swan (Contribs) 21:20, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

It looks like you were right, it did change. Tilcayobro (talk) 03:53, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

'Already known'

'Identified through a 2026 genetic study of tiger cats, the tilcayo is the first cat species formally described since 1923. However, the tilcayo was previously known to local communities.'

Knowing that something exists and knowing that it is a distinct species from a scientific point of view are different things. The article should indeed contain the information that it was known, but the 'however' is misplaced, IMO. Anonymous44 (talk) 23:53, 18 September 2026 (UTC)

Agreed. Why not rephrased it to something like "The tilcayo was previously known only to local communities." — Huntster (t @ c) 01:30, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

This whole story is *extremely* old news to many people. It was well known and documented in the 1960s from a multitude of sources (furriers, private owners such as those represented by LIOC, behavioural biologists such as Paul Leyhausen, etc.) that there were deep divisions in the "tigrina".



It is good that these observations which were ignored by those on their "ivory towers" have finally been confirmed but it is worrying that the genomic chauvinism of modern science which did so point-blank even refuses to acknowledge previous recognition in either mainstream or scientific journals - either through ignorance and/or because they wish to claim the "eureka" moment for themselves.



This general approach is not helpful as it reinforces the "no science without DNA" paradigm, erasing historical expertise and risks totally pushing aside observations on the ground including those from indigenous populations.

Just a comment from the sidelines, anyhow! Harami2000 (talk) 21:42, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

Senda verde wildlife sanctuary link goes to dua lipa

I’m not on wikipedia editing so idk what to do about this but I thought someone should know…? ~2026-50593-63 (talk) 16:25, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

Fixed.. :) — Raihanur (talk) 16:34, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

First extant cat species formally described since 1923

This may be dubious but wasn't the red tigrina also described and might still be living (it's unknown)? That Northern Irish Historian (talk) 18:01, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

@That Northern Irish Historian The issue at hand is not whether the species is extant, but whether it represents a taxonomically valid species.

The specimen identified as Leopardus tigrinus pardinoides that was used for comparison in the paper describing Leopardus narinensis showed evidence of introgression with ocelots or margays. Consequently, its apparent genetic distinctiveness may not have reflected the actual relationship between L. narinensis and non-introgressed L. pardinoides.

In subsequent papers, the holotype of L. narinensis was recovered within the same lineage as L. pardinoides, and L. narinensis was not recognized as taxonomically distinct.

However, since L. narinensis is a formally established scientific name, even if it is currently treated as a synonym, it is still open to debate whether recognition as a taxonomically valid species should be treated as an implicit requirement for inclusion. コロネン/Coronene (talk) 14:06, 20 September 2026 (UTC)

"Tiger cat" listed at Redirects for discussion

The redirect Tiger cat to the article Oncilla has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2026 September 19 § Tiger cat until a consensus is reached. Zeibgeist (talk) 22:14, 19 September 2026 (UTC)

Etymology of the name

It seems whoever added the section about the etymology of the name sourced it from a comment on a Reddit post, which is now deleted. The comment was posted by u/recursivedeath.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/1wkqc0r/removed_by_moderator/

Togoree (talk) 15:01, 20 September 2026 (UTC)

N The section has four secondary reliable sources. And we don't cite a Reddit comment as a source... — Raihanur (talk) 15:23, 20 September 2026 (UTC)

It was the other way around, the Reddit comment was added an hour later Special:Diff/1375741089/prev. Trooper57 (talk) 00:07, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz accepted social media discussion of the etymology: Aymara phrase for "tiny paws."

https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-09-21/the-purr-fect-new-cat-species-discovered-in-bolivia starting just after 3:00

That seems fairly definitive. Radsci (talk) 04:39, 22 September 2026 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 21 September 2026

Please change Biologist and National Geographic Society explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz first encountered the species in 2016, to Biologist and National Geographic Society explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz first encountered the species in 2017

Gill2026 (talk) 00:50, 21 September 2026 (UTC) Gill2026 (talk) 00:50, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

 Not done, the source says 2016. ~ oklopfer (💬︎) 01:13, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

Please check the source again. It has been updated to 2017. There is errata at the bottom of the source confirming an edit. Gill2026 (talk) 21:30, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

 Done. Apologies, I had been looking at a third party reprint of the source that did not include the errata. ~ oklopfer (💬︎) 17:22, 22 September 2026 (UTC)

References

Semi-protected edit request on 21 September 2026 (2)

Change [...] until the 2026 study to [...] until a 2026 study ~2026-50872-89 (talk) 07:00, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

 Not done "Until the 2026 study" is accurate because the text specifically references a particular study previously mentioned in the paragraph ("a genetic study of tiger cats published in September 2026"). — Raihanur (talk) 07:40, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

See also

I added a See Also section linking to the Sunda clouded leopard, Neofelis diardi, which was widely reported as the most recently described new feline species in 2006, when it was upgraded from a subspecies based on genetic analysis. (It was initially described as a separate species as Felis diardi in 1823, then subordinated as a subspecies to Neofelis nebulosa in 1917.) SlvrHwk reverted this, saying, "no explanation for inclusion, this species was named more than 200 years ago."

Given the reporting in 2006 of the Sunda clouded leopard as a new feline species, I think it makes for an obvious see-also for this article, also widely reported as a new feline species. Readers of this article will have a good chance of being interested in the Sunda clouded leopard. I propose re-adding the See Also. What do others think? Bondegezou (talk) 16:14, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

I think it makes sense to include this with an annotation, a la Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) – Feline declared as a distinct species in 2006 ~ oklopfer (💬︎) 16:35, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

There is also the Sunda leopard cat, proposed for resurrection in 2014 and accepted in the IUCN Cat SG taxonomy review, although there is no assessment in the current red list (odd that!). The compariosn with these two "new species" could be useful to make clear that the Tilcayo is newly described from a living specimen, while these Sunda cats had been described ages ago but treated as subspecies and then elevated to species, something most of the reporting on new cat species fails to convey.  —  Jts1882 | talk  16:44, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

@Jts1882 As a slight aside, regarding the Indonesian species (such as the Sunda clouded leopard and Sunda leopard cat), the assessment has now been initiated, but progress remains constrained by unresolved issues concerning the sharing and use of research data from Indonesia. コロネン/Coronene (talk) 01:29, 22 September 2026 (UTC)

I have re-added Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) – Feline declared as a distinct species in 2006, as suggested above. We could also add the Sunda leopard cat: happy with that idea, but I am less familiar with the details there. Bondegezou (talk) 11:37, 22 September 2026 (UTC)

Faulty language name in reports

Originally reported by NBC and now picked up by Smithsonian magazine:

When you ask, 'Does it have some meaning in Quechua or Almyra and other Indigenous languages?'

There is no Almyra language. Are we safe to assume that they mean Aymara language and just misheard? I want to include one of these as a source in the etymology section such that it says The exact etymology of the term is unknown, as it does not appear to be of Spanish, Quechuan, or Aymaran origin. ~ oklopfer (💬︎) 17:03, 21 September 2026 (UTC)

@Oklopfer Only language similar of name and spoken currently in the region is in fact Aymara. 🪐Kepler-1229b | talk | contribs🪐 02:26, 22 September 2026 (UTC)

In this, it sounds like Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz said Aymara.

https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-09-21/the-purr-fect-new-cat-species-discovered-in-bolivia starting just after 3:00

She seems to have accepted social media discussion of the etymology: Aymara phrase for "tiny paws." Radsci (talk) 04:42, 22 September 2026 (UTC)

it does seem like kayu is the Aymaran word for foot, but I am not finding anything close to tilli or tillti etc in any dictionaries, nor anything that sounds similar when translating small, little, tiny, or thin. I think she may have been fooled by social media there. I take that back, in a trilingual Aymara–Spanish–English dictionary: TILI/T'ILI adj El más pequeño, menudo. adj. Smallest. So the term is tili kayu, lit. "smallest foot". ~ oklopfer (💬︎) 12:38, 22 September 2026 (UTC)

The article has to report what was said in the reliable source. we cannot use WP:OR. The translation offered above of “smallest foot” counts as WP:OR. ~2026-50381-83 (talk) 06:54, 23 September 2026 (UTC)

The interview says t'ili meaning small or tiny and kayu meaning foot. The dictionary entry merely confirms the spelling and superlative. Translations and transcriptions are not OR. ~ oklopfer (💬︎) 08:37, 23 September 2026 (UTC)

(The IP editor was me, on my iPad and not logged in.) I am fine with the spelling: she clearly says something like that, so looking up how to spell the word in a dictionary is OK: as you say, per WP:TRANSCRIPTION. But offering a different (if similar) translation is more probelmatic. The obvious thing to do is to follow the source given, in which she says "small foot" and then "small paws". She does not say "smallest". WP:TRANSCRIPTION does allow for a "faithful translation". OK, so are you an Aymara speaker? If not, I don't think you looking up a word in a dictionary is guaranteed to produce a "faithful translation" and we should prefer what is in the source. Bondegezou (talk) 09:38, 23 September 2026 (UTC)

OK, so are you an Aymara speaker? Nope, just a linguistics obsessive. To be picky, a few moments later she updates her interpretation to tiny paws. Tiny is a valid translation of Spanish menudo (as is also provided in the dictionary for t'ili), so I'd be fine with us providing lit. 'tiny foot' (Currently it's lit. 'smallest/tiny foot' in the article; if you want to remove smallest/ and just keep tiny, I am on board for that). Her word as current combined with corroboration from the dictionary is going to be more stable than any further on-the-fly slight changes to interpretation in interviews. ~ oklopfer (💬︎) 10:35, 23 September 2026 (UTC)

Thanks. I have revised to "tiny foot". Bondegezou (talk) 10:44, 23 September 2026 (UTC)

What happened?

I saw that this page was a red link, and the edit history just gives me more questions. Is this something that I should even acknowledge happened? TansoShoshen (talk) 17:25, 22 September 2026 (UTC)

TansoShoshen The page was vandalized and moved to a user page. Then was restored. --Apoxyomenos (talk) 17:28, 22 September 2026 (UTC)