Neofelis nebulosa
clouded leopard

The clouded leopard is found in the southeastern part of the Asian continent, from Nepal eastward to Taiwan, including southern China, and southward to the island of Java, including Burma (Myanmar), Indochina, Malaysia, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

(Loxton, 1973)

Clouded leopards prefer the deep tropical forest, jungles, and swampy areas away from human settlements.

(Defenders of Wildlife, 1997; Feline Conservation Center, 1997; Minnesota Zoo, 1997)

The clouded leopard is the largest of the small to medium sized cats, about the size of a small Labrador retriever. Average body length is between two to three feet in length. The exceptionally long tail usually measures between two and a half to three feet. The legs are relatively short with large broad paws.

The clouded leopard is immediately recognizable by its distinctive coat patterning. The base color of the fur is a pale yellow to a rich brown. Large irregular-shaped blotches on its side give the cat its name. These blotches are edged with dark brown or black and are paler in the middle, with pale areas ringing the blotches. Its underside is pale or white with few spots. The neck and back are streaked with elongated dark brown or black spots. The head and legs are usually spotted. The tail is heavily furred and marked with broken black rings. Its eyes are yellow.

The clouded leopard has an elongated skull that is different from all other cats, placing it in a separate genus. Its canines are the largest of all the cats in proportion to its body size. It is sometimes referred to as the "modern day saber-tooth."

(Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, 1997; Defenders of Wildlife, 1997; Feline Conservation Center, 1997; Line & Ricciuti, 1985; Loxton, 1973; Minnesota Zoo, 1997; Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 1997)

Clouded leopards are solitary except during the breeding season. Largely arboreal, clouded leopards are one of the best tree climbers; they use their long tail and broad paws for balance and grasp. These animals are shy and prefer areas that are inaccessible to humans; hence, little else is known of their social behaviors.

(Defenders of Wildlife, 1997; Line & Ricciuti, 1985; Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 1997)

The clouded leopard is a carnivore feeding on deer, cattle, goats, wild pigs, reptiles, birds, and monkeys. It hunts by day or night, either by stalking its prey on the ground or by ambushing it from the trees.

(Defenders of Wildlife, 1997; Feline Conservation Center, 1997; Minnesota Zoo, 1997; Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 1997)

Clouded leopards are known to prey on domesticated livestock as humans encroach upon the habitats of this wild cat.

(Defenders of Wildlife, 1997)

As a top carnivore, clouded leopards are an important link in the rainforest ecosystem. Without them overpopulation of the species that they prey upon could occur, resulting in underpopulation of the species that the increased numbers of prey would feed upon, etc. Clouded leopards are needed to help maintain the intricate web of flora and fauna found in this ecosystem. Clouded leopards have been hunted for the fur trade and for the supposed medicinal properties of their body parts.

(Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, 1997)

Clouded leopards are listed as an endangered species due to overhunting and deforestation. The animal is hunted for its striking pelt (it takes 20-30 cats to make one full-length fur coat) and for its teeth and bones. Its habitat is being destroyed through logging as well as by advancing human settlements.

The clouded leopard is generally protected under game laws and fully protected in parks and reserves. Captive breeding programs have been attempted, but so far they have been unsuccessful due to the small gene pool available in captive as well as wild individuals.

There are four subspecies of Neofelis, including Neofelis nebulosa brachyurus (the Formosan clouded leopard) which is only found on Taiwan. Lack of recent sightings of this subspecies indicate that it may already be extinct, a bad omen for clouded leopards elsewhere.

(Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, 1997; Defenders of Wildlife, 1997; Feline Conservation Center, 1997; Minnesota Zoo, 1997)

The clouded leopard is not at all related to the true leopard.

(Loxton, 1973)

The name for this cat in Malay is "rimaudahan" which means "tree tiger."

(Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 1997)

In China this cat is called the "mint leopard"--the irregular blotches on its coat are thought to resemble the shape of mint leaves.

(Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 1997)

Many scientists consider Neofelis nebulosa to be the evolutionary link between the big cats (genus Panthera) and the smaller cats (genus Felis). The skull and teeth of the clouded leopard are similar to the big cats but its body and other traits are like those of the smaller cats. Thus it has been placed in its own genus.

(Line & Ricciuti, 1985)

The clouded leopard can only roar very softly, due to a physiological difference between it and the larger cats, who can roar very loudly.

(Loxton, 1973)