Card #024 · Mammals
Clouded leopard
Neofelis nebulosa
Rare VU · Vulnerable
Field notes
- Classification
- Order Carnivora · Family Felidae
- Range
- Southeast & South Asia
- Size
- 69–108 cm (+61–91 cm tail)
- Weight
- 11.5–23 kg
- Lifespan
- ~11 yrs (captivity)
- Diet
- Carnivore
Most Notable
Canines ~2 in (5 cm) long, proportionally the longest of any living cat, earning it the nickname "modern-day sabre-tooth."
Its ankle joints rotate nearly 180°, letting it climb head-first down tree trunks like a squirrel, or hang from a branch by its hind feet alone.
Unlike most cats, which kill with a suffocating bite to the throat, it delivers its killing bite to the back of the neck.
Range: Himalayan foothills, mainland Southeast Asia, and southern China