Where does the clouded leopard live?
The clouded leopard is a wild cat with large dusky-grey blotches and irregular spots and stripes reminiscent of clouds. It lives in dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas through north-east India and Bhutan to mainland Southeast Asia and into south China. It is locally extinct in Singapore and Taiwan, and possibly Hainan and Vietnam. It was first described in 1821.
What does the clouded leopard eat?
It rests in trees during the day and hunts by night on the forest floor. It can climb down vertical tree trunks head first. Its prey includes the southern pig-tailed macaque, Indian hog deer, Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine, Bengal slow loris, barking deer, pheasants and binturong. Its upper canines measure 4 cm or longer. Its long tail is used for balancing in trees.
Is the clouded leopard endangered?
Yes: the IUCN has listed it as Vulnerable since 2008. The wild population is thought to be in decline, with fewer than 10,000 adults and no more than 1,000 in any subpopulation. Threats are habitat loss following large-scale deforestation and commercial poaching for the wildlife trade: body parts are traded for decoration and clothing.
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