Stinky waits patiently by the teleportation tunnel for Periwinkle’s arrival. He rechecks his fur to make certain he is looking his best. Moments later, the tunnel begins to vibrate, and Periwinkle pops out with the usual whoosh. She falls into Stinky’s arms, and they spend several minutes whisker kissing and paw hugging.
International Clouded Leopard Day
They come up for air, and before Periwinkle can ask, Stinky tells her his plan. “I just learned a couple of days ago that today is International Clouded Leopard Day. I did a search on line and found that several live in the United States, and six of those are in Virginia. Two (Jilian and Paintoon) reside at Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington D.C.
“Two other pairs (Tikka and Masala and Ariel and Ta Moon) reside at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia.”
“Oh goody. Let’s go to one of those places,” replies Periwinkle.
Stinky sheepishly tells her that his mom REALLY wants to visit them as well, but since he just found out about this special day, she didn’t have time to make plans to go today.
“Stinky, that’s okay. We can go and tell her all about them, and she can go some other time.”
“Normally, we would do that, but as they are right here in Virginia, I would feel really awful if we went and she had to stay at home.”
“You know, Stinky, I will be really disappointed if we cannot go today, but that is one of the things I love about you … your thoughtfulness!”
Stinky blushes and replies, “Thanks for understanding. A future visit will give us something we can look forward to, plus my dad can come along and take lots and lots of photos.”
“Stinky, do you have any photos of a Clouded Leopard?”
“Yes, I have a few, thanks to AI. Here’s a photo of an adult.”
“Stinky, that is one of the most beautiful cats I have ever seen,” replies Periwinkle.
Facts About Clouded Leopards
“I have learned lots about these gorgeous cats, and I think we should share some of those facts,” Stinky tells Periwinkle. He continues, “I’ll include a list of web-sites at the conclusion of our adventure, in case our readers want to learn more.”
“That’s a good idea, Stinky. Where should we start?”
“Well, There are two types of Clouded Leopards, the Mainland (Neofelis nebulosa) and the Sunda (Neofelis diardi). We are going to be concentrating on the Mainland variety. Clouded Leopards are not related to true leopards (Panthera genus) but are a distinct genus (Neofelis).”
“If they are not related to leopards, why is that part of their name?” asks Periwinkle
“I don’t know why they received the name leopard. The clouded part of their name comes from their dark grey or ochre coat marked by dusky-grey and black blotchy and irregular spots and stripes. Their coat helps camouflage them in the trees. The first Clouded Leopard was described in 1821 on the basis of one example found in China and taken back to England.”
Habitat
“Periwinkle, I found various lists of places where these beautiful kitties can be found. They are native to South/Southeast Asia: Assam (eastern India), Bangladesh, Borneo, China, Nepal, Sumatra and Thailand. This list may not be entirely inclusive.
“It inhabits dense forests where it spends its days in the trees. The Clouded Leopard is primarily nocturnal; though, they can be active at dawn and dusk (crepuscular).
“Estimates suggest fewer than 10,000 Clouded Leopards (both Mainland and Sunda) currently remain in the wild. They are an endangered species in the “vulnerable” category. Their populations are threatened across their native ranges in Asia due to the shrinking of their habitats as a result of deforestation and fragmentation as well as poaching.”
“That is very sad, Stinky.”
Size/Anatomy
“Newborn cubs weigh in at five to ten ounces. Adult females weigh from 25 to 40 pounds and adult mails from 35 to 50 pounds.”
“Stinky, I cannot believe that the females are only a bit bigger than Cooper Murphy,” responds Periwinkle incredulously.
Stinky giggles and continues, “Due to their small size, Clouded Leopards are not considered one of the ‘big cats.’ Here’s how they stack up among some of those cats.”
Clouded Leopard: 25-50 pounds
African Leopard: 80-175 pounds
Snow Leopard: 60-120 pounds
Bobcat: 15-35 pound
“Their total body length ranges from two to three-and-a-half feet. The tail of a Clouded Leopard is the longest of any cat species in relation to its body size. Its length is from two-and-a-half to three feet long.”
“Stinky, that is amazing. Why do they have such long tails.”
“Its tail provides balance while it navigates and travels through tree branches. And, get this Periwinkle, it can climb down vertical tree trunks head first. And, its large paws and flexible ankle joints allow it to hang upside down from branches.”
“Cool,” exclaims Periwinkle!
“Besides being smaller in size, the Clouded Leopard has short limbs compared to other large cats. Its hind legs are longer than its front limbs to allow for increased jumping and leaping capabilities.
“Periwinkle, one of their unique features is huge jaws. In fact, the Clouded Leopard can open its mouth wider than any other feline. They also possess the longest upper canine teeth (1.6 inches) relative to their skull size. The Clouded Leopard is often referred to as a ‘modern-day sabre-tooth’.”
“Yikes, that sounds like they are really scary.”
“Maybe, but I did read that they are shy,” replies Stinky.
Vocalization
“According to some sources, the Clouded Leopard has the ability to purr due to a rigid hyoid bone. But other sources claim that the hyoid bone is not totally ossified, so they cannot purr. They are unable to roar like the big cats due to a different neck structure. They do growl, hiss, chuff and meow.”
“I hope when we do go to visit them, we get to hear them meow,” says Periwinkle.
Diet
“What do these kitties eat, Stinky?”
“They are carnivores, just like us. They eat birds, small rodents like squirrels, as well as gibbons, macaques, slow loris, wild boar and small deer.”
Reproduction & Lifespan
Stinky tells Periwinkle that the female Clouded Leopard gives birth once a year to a litter of one to five (usually three) cubs, about 93 to 99 days after becoming pregnant. Cubs are born with closed eyes. They open their eyes after about 10 days. After about three months of age, they are completely weaned. The cubs attain the adult coat pattern at around six months and become independent after around 10 months.
On average the Clouded Leopard lives 11 years in the wild but can live up to 12 to 15 years. In captivity, they may live up to 17 years.
In Conclusion
“I did learn more about the Clouded Leopards, Periwinkle, but I think I will save that for when we can actually visit them.”
“That sounds like a good idea, Stinky. My brain is already bursting with information. Should we list the sources you mentioned in case our readers want to learn more?”
“Yes, definitely. Here they are:”
https://bigcatrescue.org/conservation-news/clouded-leopard-facts
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/clouded-leopard
https://factanimal.com/clouded-leopard/
Picnic & A Gift
Stinky takes Periwinkle’s paw and leads her outside where he has a picnic ready. When they get there, Stinky gives Periwinkle a gift of a Clouded Leopard stuffie. “I feel badly about not getting to see real Clouded Leopards today, so I wanted to give you a little something,” explains Stinky.
“Stinky, it is adorable. Thank you so much,” gushes Periwinkle. She throws her paws around his neck and gives him a huge whisker kiss.
After they finish their snacks, it is time for Periwinkle to head home. Stinky takes her paw again and leads her back to the teleportation tunnel. After several whisker kisses, paw hugs and whispered, “I love you,” Periwinkle enters the tunnel and with a wave and blown kiss is gone in a whoosh.
Stinky heads back into the house to talk to his mom about taking a trip to see the Clouded Leopards in the fur.
The End
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