The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a wild cat inhabiting dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas through mainland Southeast Asia into southern China. The first clouded leopard known to science was brought to London from China in the early 19th century and described in 1821. It has large dusky-grey blotches and irregular spots and stripes forming a clouded pattern. Its head-and-body length ranges from 68.6 to 108 cm (27.0 to 42.5 in) with a 61 to 91 cm (24 to 36 in) long tail. It uses its tail for balancing when moving in trees and is able to climb down vertical tree trunks head first. It rests in trees during the day and hunts by night on the forest floor.
The clouded leopard is the first cat that genetically diverged 9.32 to 4.47 million years ago from the common ancestor of the Felidae. Several million years ago, it reached Sundaland, where it diverged 2.0–0.93 million years ago to a different species, the Sunda clouded leopard (N. diardi). Today, the clouded leopard is locally extinct in Singapore, Taiwan, and possibly Hainan Island. Its total population is suspected to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, with a decreasing population trend, and no single population numbering more than 1,000 adults. It is therefore listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2021. The population is threatened by large–scale deforestation and commercial poaching for the wildlife trade. Its body parts are offered for decoration and clothing, though it is legally protected in most range countries. |
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