Animal Talk with Pecker: The Clouded Leopard

In the shadows of the Himalayas lurks a majestic and mysterious predator. Leaping and climbing through the East Asian forests, this acrobatic assassin arouses a primal sense of intrigue within each of us. With grace and puissance, the Clouded Leopard serves as an exemplar of evolution in its grandest form.




Of the genus Neofelis, the Clouded Leopard represents an evolutionary link between the large and small cats. It is the smallest of the big cats (subfamily Pantherinae – tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, etc.). Despite its name, the cat is more closely related to the jaguar and tiger than to an actual leopard. The closest living relative is the Sunda clouded leopard out of Borneo and Sumatra.



Weighing up to 55 lbs, with short, powerful limbs and large paws, the Clouded Leopard excels as a climber. The cat's forelimbs have a unique bone structure which allows for greater range of motion and flexibility when climbing and leaping through trees. Their canines are exceptionally long, and can measure up to 2 inches. To put that in terms you’ll understand, that’s only 2 inches shorter than the average penis on the OT, and 2 inches longer than zero inches. That’s a lot of teeth (or tooth) is what I’m trying to say. Of all wild cats the Clouded Leopard has the largest canines in proportion to its body size.



The range of the Clouded Leopard occurs from the Himalayan foothills in Nepal, Bhutan and India to Myanmar, southeastern Bangladesh, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Indochina, and in China south of the Yangtze River. It is regionally extinct in Singapore and Taiwan.




At home in the trees, the Clouded Leopard is capable of hanging straight down from tree branches using only its long tail and hind legs for support. They can climb horizontal tree branches with their backs to the ground, and can run and jump on those branches while inverted. Resting in trees during the daytime, these cats are most active as hunters after dark. They can hunt in the trees, ambushing prey below, or use their speed and agility to stalk prey on the ground. The Clouded Leopard has an estimated top speed of 40 MPH.



"Their partly nocturnal and far-ranging behaviour, their low densities, and because they inhabit densely vegetated habitats and remote areas makes the counting and monitoring of clouded leopards extremely difficult. Consequently, little is known about their behaviour and status."




It's beautiful, graceful, savage, erotic. There’s just something about this creature; something that tickles the senses. Something that reminds us all that nature is, in fact, lit.

Tell your friends and family what you've seen here, and never forget where you were when you gazed deeply into the eyes this resplendent beast.

Join me in celebrating the Clouded Leopard.