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| Neofelis nebulosa (Griffith, 1821) |
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Felis macrocelis |
The Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a medium-sized cat, 55 to 110 cm (2 ft to 3 ft 6 in) long and weighing between 15 and 23 kg (33 to 50 lb). Edward Griffith (1790 - 1858 was a British naturalist and Solicitor. Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year In Scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different Scientific names used for a single Taxon. Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. It has a tan or tawny coat, and is distinctively marked with large, irregularly-shaped, dark-edged ellipses which are said to be shaped like clouds, hence both its common and original scientific name. In Mathematics, an ellipse (from the Greek ἔλλειψις literally absence) is a Conic section, the locus of points in a It is found in southern China, the eastern Himalayas, north-east India and mainland Southeast Asia. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Bornean Clouded Leopard, Neofelis diardi, is a separate species found on the Sumatra, Borneo and the Batu Islands. The Bornean Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi is a medium-sized wild cat found on Borneo, Sumatra and the Batu Islands in the In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. The Batu Islands are an archipelago of Indonesia located in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Sumatra, between Nias and Siberut [3] Because of their distinct skull structure, the two species are considered sufficiently different to be the only members of their genus. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic The Clouded Leopard was a confusion to scientists for a long time because of the appearance and skeleton. It was what seemed to be a cross in between a big cat and a small cat. The scientific name of the genus, Neofelis, originates from neo, which means "new", and felis, which means "small cat", so it literally means new kind of small cat.
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Overview
The Clouded Leopard has a large build and, proportionately, the longest canine teeth (2 in) of any living feline. "Cuspid" redirects here For the heart valves see Bicuspid valve and Tricuspid valve. Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. [4] These characteristics led early researchers to speculate that it preyed on large land-dwelling mammals. However, while remarkably little is known about the natural history and behavioral habits of this species in the wild, it is now thought that its primary prey includes arboreal and terrestrial mammals, particularly gibbons, and macaques, supplemented by other small mammals, deer, birds, porcupines, and domestic livestock. Arboreal is a word meaning "related to or resembling trees" Terrestrial animals are Animals that live predominantly or entirely on land as compared with Aquatic animals which live predominantly or entirely in the water (e Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Gibbons are the small Apes in the family Hylobatidae. The family is divided into four genera based on their Diploid Chromosome The macaques (məˈkæk constitute a genus ( Macaca, /məˈkækə/ of Old World monkeys of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Porcupines are Rodents with a coat of sharp spines or quills that defend them from predators The Clouded Leopard has 5 toes like most big cats. The term big cat is used to distinguish the larger cat species from smaller ones
In conjunction with the fact that some of its prey lives in trees, the Clouded Leopard is an excellent climber. A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or Short, flexible legs, large paws, and keen claws combine to make it very sure-footed. The Clouded Leopard can possess a tail as long as its body, further aiding in balance. Surprisingly, the cat can climb while hanging upside-down under branches and descend tree trunks head-first.
Range, habitat and taxonomy
The animal ranges through southern China, the eastern Himalayas, northeast India, and southeast Asia. It is thought to be extinct in Taiwan. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. The last confirmed sighting of a Clouded Leopard in Taiwan was in 1989 when the skin from a small leopard was found in the Taroko area. This subspecies was characterized by its relatively much shorter tail.
Preferred habitat is tropical and subtropical forests at altitudes up to about 2,000 meters (6,500 ft); however it is sometimes found in mangrove swamps and grassland. Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics. It lives in temperatures from 65 to 120 degrees.
The Clouded Leopard, despite its name, is not closely related to the Leopard. The leopard (lɛpɚd Panthera pardus) is an Old World Mammal of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four roaring Scientists think it is more likely to be descended from such creatures as smilodon
For fifty years the Clouded Leopard was regarded as a monotypic genus with four subspecies:
- Neofelis nebulosa brachyura: Taiwan (presumed extinct in the wild)
- Neofelis nebulosa diardi: Borneo, Sumatra, (Java - absent since Neolithic times)
- Neofelis nebulosa macrosceloides: Nepal to Myanmar (Burma)
- Neofelis nebulosa nebulosa: Southern China to eastern Myanmar
Recent molecular genetic analyses (mtDNA, nDNA, microsatellite variation, and cytogenetic differences) have revealed that there is a strong case for reclassification and the defining of two distinct species of Clouded Leopard - Neofelis nebulosa (all three subspecies on mainland Asia) and Neofelis diardi (one taxon on the Indonesian archipelago, except Peninsular Malaysia). Smilodon (ˈsmаɪləˌdɒn sometimes called saber-toothed tiger, is an extinct Genus of large machairodontine Saber-toothed Monotypic is an adjective that refers to a taxonomic group with only one type: In Botany, "monotypic" means that a Taxon has only In Zoology, as in other branches of Biology, subspecies is the Taxonomic rank immediately subordinate to a Species. The Formosan Clouded Leopard ( Neofelis nebulosa brachyura) is a subspecies of Clouded Leopard that was endemic to the island of Taiwan and is now believed The Bornean Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi is a medium-sized wild cat found on Borneo, Sumatra and the Batu Islands in the The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Mitochondrial DNA ( mtDNA) is the DNA located in Organelles called mitochondria. Nuclear DNA, nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid (nDNA is DNA contained within a nucleus of eukaryotic organisms. Microsatellites, or Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs are polymorphic loci present in nuclear and organellar DNA that consist of repeating Cytogenetics is a branch of Genetics that is concerned with the study of chromosomes and cell division A taxon (plural taxa) or taxonomic unit, is a name designating an organism or a group of Organisms In Biological nomenclature according to The Malay Archipelago is a name given to the Archipelago located between mainland Southeastern Asia ( Indochina) and Australia. Peninsular Malaysia ( Semenanjung Malaysia) also known as Malaya or West Malaysia, is the part of Malaysia which lies on
This case for two Clouded Leopard species based on genetic distinction that is equivalent to, or greater than, comparable measures among Panthera species (Lion, Tiger, Leopard, and Jaguar) is also strongly supported by the geographical variation revealed by morphometric analyses of the pelage (coat colour and patterns) between Clouded Leopard in mainland Asia, and on Borneo and Sumatra; again providing a compelling case for reclassification into two distinct species, N. Panthera is a Genus of the family Felidae (the cats which contains four well-known living Species: the Tiger, the The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. The tiger ( Panthera tigris) is a member of the Felidae family the largest and the most powerful of the four " Big cats quot in the Genus The jaguar (Panthera onca,, or—especially in British English — is a New World Mammal of the Felidae family and one of Morphometrics is a field concerned with studying variation and change in the form (size and shape of organisms Commonly the measurements taken are of little significance in terms of nebulosa and N. diardi. [5][6]
Diet
Like all cats, the clouded leopard is a carnivore. Its prey includes the sambar and muntjac deer, birds, bearded pigs, civet, monkeys, gibbons, squirrels, porcupines, fish, domestic cattle and chicken. Civets are small lithe-bodied mostly arboreal Mammals native to the tropics of Africa and Asia Gibbons are the small Apes in the family Hylobatidae. The family is divided into four genera based on their Diploid Chromosome Clouded Leopards that are held in captivity also eat eggs and some vegetation.
Behaviour
The Clouded Leopard is a tree dweller, and has a squirrel-like agility like the Margay of South America. A squirrel is one of the many small or medium-sized Rodents in the family Sciuridae. The Margay ( Leopardus wiedii) is a spotted cat native to Central and South America. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a In captivity, the Clouded Leopard routinely hangs by its hind legs using its long tail for balance and runs head-first down tree trunks. Little is known about its behaviour in the wild, but it is assumed that it is highly arboreal and that a favoured hunting tactic is to drop on prey from the trees.
The habits and behaviour of the Clouded Leopard in the wild are virtually unknown to man because of the animal's secretive nature. With a lack of evidence for a pack- or pride-society like that of the Lion, it is assumed that it is a generally solitary creature. Certainly it interacts with other Clouded Leopards while engaged in activities relating to mating and rearing young. While it was once assumed that the Clouded Leopard was active only at night, the cat has now been observed during the day.
Breeding
Females give birth to a litter of 1 to 5 cubs after a gestation period of about 85 to 93 days. Initially, the young are blind and helpless, much like the young of many other cats. Unlike adults, the kittens' spots are "solid"—completely dark rather than dark rings. The young can see within about 10 days of birth, are active within 5 weeks, and probably become independent at about 10 months of age. The Clouded Leopard reaches sexual maturity at two years of age and females are able to bear one litter each year. Adults in captivity have lived as long as 17 years: in the wild, they have an average 11 year lifespan. This gives hope that the Clouded Leopard will be able to increase its numbers with careful management.
Despite these facts, captive breeding programs met with little success in their early stages, largely because the females were frequently killed by aggressive males; largely due to ignorance of courtship activity among these cats in the wild. Normally, the Clouded Leopard is not aggressive. Experience has taught keepers that carefully selected pairs of Clouded Leopards introduced and given opportunities to bond often breed successfully.
Carefully regulated introductions between prospective mating pairs and breeding programmes that take into account the requirements for enriched enclosures with adequate space to permit climbing, provide and stimulate natural behaviour, remove sources of exposure and minimise stress combined with a feeding programme that fulfills the proper dietary requirements have proven more successful in recent years. Cats born in captivity may one day supplement and bolster threatened populations in the wild.
Conservation and threats
Because the Clouded Leopard's habits make it difficult to study, reliable estimates of its population do not exist. The World Conservation Union estimates that fewer than 10,000 individuals exist, and warns that the population is declining. [2] Habitat loss due to widespread deforestation and hunting for use in Chinese medicinal preparations are thought to be causing populations of the Clouded Leopard to decline. Traditional Chinese medicine (also known as TCM,) includes a range of traditional medical practices originating in China. Only six Clouded Leopards have ever been radio collared and their territorial movements monitored and recorded by scientists using radio telemetry. All of these cats were studied within Thailand. Almost all that is known of the Clouded Leopard today comes from studies of the cats in captivity. Apart from anecdotal accounts very little is known of the Clouded Leopard's natural history, ecology and behaviour in the wild throughout its range.
The World Conservation Union, the organization that maintains the global Red List of endangered species, lists the Clouded Leopard as Vulnerable. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global [2] In addition, CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, lists the Clouded Leopard as an Appendix I species, meaning that international trade in Clouded Leopards is banned. CITES (the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments drafted The United States also lists the Clouded Leopard under the Endangered Species Act, further prohibiting trade in the animals or any parts or products made from them in the United States. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( et seq or ESA is the most wide-ranging of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s In the countries of its native range, hunting of the Clouded Leopard is prohibited; however, these bans are poorly enforced.
References
- ^ Wozencraft, W. C. (16 November 2005). Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. in Wilson, D. E. , and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 545-546. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- ^ a b c Cat Specialist Group (2002). Neofelis nebulosa. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable
- ^ Island leopard deemed new species. BBC news. Accessed 2008-05-06
- ^ Clouded Leopard
- ^ Buckley-Beason, V. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. , et al. (2006-12-05). "Molecular Evidence for Species-Level Distinctions in Clouded Leopards". Current Biology 16 (23): 2371-2376.
- ^ Kitchener, A. , et al. (2006-12-05). "Geographical Variation in the Clouded Leopard, Neofelis nebulosa, Reveals Two Species". Current Biology 16 (23): 2377-2383. doi:. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document.
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