Wildlifeof Nepal
Clouded Leopard
Cats
Photo: Ian Dugdale · CC-BY
Neofelis nebulosa
Basic stats
Diet
Small to medium mammals and birds
Habitat
Dense forest; recorded in Nepal at 1,823–3,498m
Range
Himalayan foothills of Nepal, Bhutan and India east to Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and southern China
Size
Head and body 68.6–108cm; tail 61–91cm
Weight
11.5–23kg
The clouded leopard is a wild cat named for the large dusky-grey blotches, spots and stripes on a dark grey or ochre coat. Black spots mark the head, the ears are black, and the irises are brownish-yellow to grey-green. The tail, 61 to 91cm long, helps it balance in trees, and it can climb down vertical trunks head first (Wikipedia, general species account).
It was found again in Nepal in 1987 and 1988 after being presumed extinct there, and has since been recorded in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park and the Annapurna Conservation Area. In 2014 and 2015 it was recorded in Langtang National Park at 1,823 to 3,498m. It is solitary, a secretive inhabitant of dense forest that rests in trees by day and hunts on the forest floor at night. Nationally Endangered (Nepal National Red List 2011).
Quick answers
- What does the Clouded Leopard eat?
- Small to medium mammals and birds
- What habitat does the Clouded Leopard live in?
- Dense forest; recorded in Nepal at 1,823–3,498m
- Where is the Clouded Leopard found?
- Himalayan foothills of Nepal, Bhutan and India east to Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and southern China
- How big is the Clouded Leopard?
- Head and body 68.6–108cm; tail 61–91cm
- How much does the Clouded Leopard weigh?
- 11.5–23kg