3 August 2018 – Only one day before International Clouded Leopard Day! Not many people know but there is actually two species of Clouded Leopards! Neofelis nebulosa are found from the foothills of Nepal, across to China, and all the way down South in to Thailand and Malaysia! Neofelis diardi is found only on Sumatra and Borneo! Whilst very similar the two species have some marked differences that allow them to adapt to their environments- N.Diardi has many more spots and is often darker that the mainland species- perhaps for the denser tropical environments it lives in, and also has much longer canine teeth! Why is this important? Because small variations between populations allow the different subspecies to adapt slightly differently and survive and thrive better! In fact, it is thought the two species are now as different from each other genetically as they are to lions or tigers! Never judge a book by it’s cover! More information about International Clouded Leopard Day can be found at https://www.
