The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a nocturnal species geographically distributed from Nepal to southeastern China, and is additionally found in Hainan, Tawian, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo (Line and Ricciuti, 1985; Yamada and Durrant, 1989; Nowak, 1991). The species inhabits tropical rainforests up to 2,500 m in elevation (Yamada and Durrant, 1989; Nowak, 1991). The coat of the clouded leopard is yellow or gray with dark markings in the form of circles or ovals. Body length ranges from 61 cm to 106 cm and tail length is between 55 cm and 92 cm. Individuals typically weight between 16 kg and 23 kg (Nowak, 1991).
The clouded leopard belongs to the group Felidae, which includes all wild cats. Felidae includes four genera and 37 species (Gunderson, 1976; Nowak, 1991). The clouded leopard is the only species within the genus Neofelis (Nowak, 1991). Felids occur in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the African mainland.
Felids are characterized by having large canines, well-developed carnassials, and reduced cheek teeth (Gunerson, 1976). Additionally, most species have retractable claws. These long, curved claws are used to catch and manipulate prey. Felids prey on a variety of mammals and birds, but also may hunt reptiles and fish. Hunting is characterized by a long stalking period and then a quick attack (Nowak, 1991).
Within Felidae, the clouded leopard is distinctive in having relatively larger canines than other extant species (Nowak, 1991). Its diet consists mainly of birds and mammals. The clouded leopard is a highly arboreal species and will often hunt in the trees or attack prey by pouncing from above (Nowak, 1991). It is a difficult animal to study because it is nocturnal, and when active, individuals spend much of their time in trees. As a result, little is known of the ecology and life history of the clouded leopard (Yamada and Durrant, 1989).
Additional Information on the Skull
Click on the thumbnails below for labeled images of the skull in standard anatomical views.
This specimen, a male, lived in the National Zoological Park until its death on 17 June 1946. It was made available to The University of Texas High-Resolution X-ray CT Facility for scanning courtesy of Dr. Blaire Van Valkenburgh of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles. Funding for scanning and image processing was provided by Dr. Van Valkenburgh and by a National Science Foundation Digital Libraries Initiative grant to Dr. Timothy Rowe of The University of Texas at Austin. The clouded leopard is one of several carnivorans included in ongoing research of respiratory turbinates by Dr. Van Valkenburgh.
Gunderson, H. L. 1976. Mammalogy. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, NY. 483 pp.
Line, L., and E. R. Ricciuti. 1985. The Audubon Society Book of Wild Cats. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, New York, NY. 256 pp.
Nowak, R. M. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World, Volume 2. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Balitmore, MD. 1629 pp.
Yamada, J. K., and B. S. Durrant. 1989. Reproductive parameters of clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa). Zoo Biology 8:223-231.
Neofelis nebulosa page on the Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan Museum of Zoology)
Additional information and images of N. nebulosa at Big Cat Rescue
Videos and images of N. nebulosa from ARKive