CLOUDED LEOPARD

(Neofelis nebulosa), also called clouded tiger strikingly marked cat, very similar in colouring and coat pattern to the smaller, unrelated marbled cat (Felis marmorata). The clouded leopard is found in southeastern Asia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and Taiwan, particularly in forests and other wooded regions; the population declined sharply in the latter half of the 20th century as a result of hunting and deforestation. It is reported to be nocturnal and to live in trees; it preys on birds and on small mammals, such as pigs and monkeys. A rather short-legged cat, the clouded leopard has a long head and large upper-canine teeth that are proportionately longer than those of any other cat. The coat of the adult is short and grayish brown, spotted on the body with large, dark patches partly edged with black; the head, legs, and long tail are spotted. The male clouded leopard may attain a length of about 106 cm (42 inches) excluding the 90-centimetre tail, a shoulder height of about 80 cm, and a weight of about 23 kg (50 pounds); the female is smaller. The clouded leopard, as one of the big, or roaring, cats, was formerly placed in the genera Panthera or Leo. In other classifications, it was considered a member of the genus Felis.