Amazing Nature #180 - Clouded leopard
Clouded leopard
We are approaching the last days of this super special feline where it has known many species that are present in all continents of the planet, demonstrating that it is one of the leading species in the world, which has managed to adapt to any climate from the coldest to the hottest climates and extreme consuming water only from its prey. Today it is the turn of the cloudy leopard. Join me to learn more about this incredible species.
Its scientific name is Neofelis nebulosa, commonly known as cloudy leopard, belongs to the family neofelis, is a breed of feline that adapts very well to trees, thanks to its huge tail achieves the necessary balance if it is to jump from one branch to another tree. Its main feature is its beautiful skin soft to the touch, which has many spots of irregular size large and blurry. The coat has a brown and black color, thanks to this design can camouflage perfectly in places where there are many leaves.
Another characteristic is its weight in the case of males can measure a maximum of 1.10 meters long and a maximum weight of 65 kilograms, while females can measure 60 centimeters with a maximum weight of 20 kilograms which shows a clear sexual dimorphism. In some areas of China is known under the name of mint leopard as it resembles that plant by the design of its skin.
Of all the felines it has the particularity of having the canines of greater size, as well as its skull that has a somewhat different form to that of other common felines, therefore, it is classified within the bispecífico genus. As its behavior is arboreal is very rare when they come to the surface. They prefer to hunt in trees, their diet is based on the ingestion of rodents, mammals of different kinds such as wild pigs, porcupines, and sometimes domestic animals and corral, also consume large numbers of birds and eggs because of this long time in the trees.
Perhaps its most outstanding feature is the agility it possesses to jump from one tree to another or from one branch to another with physical precision, when hunting on the ground it does the same from the trees throwing itself on them. Its behavior is purely nocturnal, which has hindered a little scientific study of this wonderful species. Relatively recently was discovered through some studies that there are 2 species of leopard nebula.
It will never be less than 2000 meters above sea level, preferring forest areas, humid tropical forests, swamps, mangroves on the coast, specifically in tropical forests of China, India, Indochina, Burma, Borneo and Sumatra, as far as reproduction is concerned we have that its state of gestation is 95 days, unlike other cats a female leopard cloudy can give birth to a litter of 5 puppies, and in just 5 weeks will be learning the art of hunting accompanied by his mother.
They are currently under threat of extinction in most of the countries mentioned above, however, there are many non-profit organizations and subsidized by private companies that are developing captive breeding programs, but not everything has been a success because the leopard has a very negative temperament, the males are extremely territorial, representing problems in mating, sometimes becomes so aggressive that can kill the female. Even so, studies continue to better understand the species and be able to dominate its reproductive system.
On the other hand the consumption of its meat as well as its hunting to use its skin, they put in imminent danger of disappearing, this in the red list of threatened animals since 2006.
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