Clouded leopard

구름표범

Named for its cloud-shaped blotches, the clouded leopard has the longest canine teeth for its size of any living cat. It lives high in Borneo's forests and can climb down trees headfirst thanks to flexible ankles.

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At a glance

Class: Mammals
Lives in: Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia
Diet: Meat eater (carnivore)
Weight: about 17 kg
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN VU)
Habitat: rainforests, forests

Quick answers

Where does the Clouded leopard live?

It lives in rainforests, forests. On the globe you can find it near Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia.

How big is the Clouded leopard?

It grows to about 17 kg.

What does the Clouded leopard eat?

Its diet: meat eater (carnivore).

Is the Clouded leopard endangered?

It is listed as Vulnerable (IUCN VU).

The Sunda clouded leopard is a medium-sized wild cat from the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. It is named for the cloud-shaped blotches on its grey-yellow coat, and it spends much of its time in the trees. A smaller-cloud pattern and darker fur tell it apart from its mainland relative.

It weighs about 12 to 26 kilograms, has a stocky body and a tail almost as long as its body for balance. Its canine teeth are about 5 centimetres long, which are longer than any other living cat's compared with skull length. Forest clearing threatens it, and the IUCN lists it as Vulnerable.

A cat for the treetops

Its tail helps it balance on branches, and its pupils narrow to vertical slits. In Borneo it lives in lowland rainforest and, in lower numbers, in logged forest below 1,500 metres. Unlike big cats such as lions, it can purr, because its hyoid bone is ossified. It is rarely seen, so scientists study it with tracks and camera traps. It is thought to climb down tree trunks headfirst.

How many are left?

Researchers in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah used footprints to estimate about eight to 17 animals per 100 square kilometres. For the whole of Sabah the estimate is roughly 1,500 to 3,200 animals, and only a few hundred of them live in fully protected reserves. In 2006 scientists showed that Sunda clouded leopards are a separate species from those on the mainland.

Fun facts

It can climb down tree trunks headfirst and even hang upside down from branches.
Its canines are the longest of any living cat for its size.
It can purr, as its hyoid bone is ossified.
Its tail can be as long as its body.
It was recognised as a separate species in 2006.