The clouded leopard was once widely distributed in China, from Tibet to Yunnan, Sichuan, to the south of the Qinling Mountains. It has a habit, never far from people, whether it is Metuo, or Xishuangbanna, the place where the clouded leopard appears will not be more than 5 kilometers away from the village, and the nearest site is less than 3 kilometers away from the village.
In Metuo, southeastern Tibet, there has been no reliable information on wild clouded leopards in its historical habitat for at least five years, but in October 2018, clouded leopards were photographed in Gaoligong Mountain, Yunnan. So, many experts are worried about whether the clouded leopard in Tibet has disappeared.
But animal conservationists believe that there is still a relatively healthy population of clouded leopards living in the primeval forests of southeastern Tibet, but we have not found it. Because of the clouded leopard's arboreal and active avoidance habits, it has caused great difficulties to scientists' investigation.
Among the four species of big cats in the leopard subfamily in China, the clouded leopard belongs to the smallest big cat. The clouded leopard actually got its name from the distinctive 6 cloud-like dark stripes on its body, with the bands nearly black around the rim and the dark yellow center, resembling a turtle's back ornament.
The clouded leopard has short, stubby limbs and a thick tail as long as its body. The head and body of the adult clouded leopard add up to only 70-110 cm, the largest weight is less than 40 kg, generally about 20 kg, barely enough to reach the medium-sized beast, so it is often ignored by people, not counted into the "big cat" ranks, you say not pitiful?
However, the clouded leopard has a slightly rounded head, a protruding snout, and very large claws. The part of the mouth and nose, as well as around the eyes and the chest and abdomen, are white, and the tip of the nose is pink with slightly black spots. The black spots cover the head and face, two tear sinks pass through the cheeks, two narrow black stripes run through the tear grooves, and the round ears have black dots on the back, which really look a bit like a golden leopard from a distance.
Interestingly, the clouded leopard has 4 black stripes on the back of the neck, the middle two are thin and short, ending at the shoulders, and the outer two are relatively thick and extend to the base of the tail.
The teeth of the clouded leopard are unique and unique. You may not believe that the canine teeth are very sharp, even 4 centimeters long, and the proportion of length ranks first among cats. There is a large gap between the canine teeth and the premolars, and there are two distinct blood grooves on the tongue and lip surface, which look similar to saber-toothed tigers.
It is unimaginable that the jaw of the clouded leopard, the distance between the canine teeth and the premolars, is greater than that of any cat, so that the canine teeth can do a greater degree of puncture, and the structure of the mandible and the zygomatic arch joint nest of the skull allows the double jaw of the clouded leopard to open to almost nearly 100 degrees, or even more than the lion, while most cats can only open 65-70 degrees.
The clouded leopard has a long, narrow skull and very narrow orbital spacing. The skull length of adult clouded leopards is generally between 16 and 19 cm, and some larger individuals can be up to 20 cm long.
In the posterior occipital area, there are also some peculiar features that make the attachment surface of the neck muscles larger and make the pulling of the head and neck muscles more powerful. The neck muscles, on the other hand, are closely related to the killing of prey.
This skull structure of the clouded leopard gives it a bite power of up to 360 pounds, which is deadly, surpassing cheetahs and snow leopards, and many small and medium-sized mammals are frightened.
Among the cats in China, the most mysterious is the clouded leopard, which few people can see in person, and even experts have not seen it for several months. As we all know, felines are flexible hunters, but the most flexible in the feline family is the clouded leopard.
They are good at climbing, better at climbing trees than leopards, mainly in the canopy layer of dense forests, and are almost like walking on the ground in the trees, coming and going freely. The clouded leopard can also swing, it uses its hind legs to hook branches, swinging around in the forest, very dashing.
The clouded leopard also has a special skill: head down, tail up, from the vertical tree "walk" down, this is the "upside down" under the tree, the average cat can not. It is said that the domestic cat is good at going up the tree, but the down tree is very difficult, to let the domestic cat also come to a "upside-down onion", then you really want its life.
Why does the clouded leopard have this special ability? According to years of research by zoologists, the conclusion reached is that it is due to their body structure:
First, the relatively light weight is suitable for staying on soft branches, without worrying that the branches will break. The second is the short, thick and powerful limbs, which provide it with a strong climbing ability, and also reduce the body's center of gravity, ensuring its stability when moving on the tree. The third is a wide foot with long sharp claws, which can help them firmly grasp the branches when jumping between trees, and will not "lose their hands". Fourth, the hind leg foot joint is very flexible, and the ankle joint can rotate almost 180 ° to increase the rotation amplitude of the foot.
In addition, a tail that is almost as long as the body, like a balance stick, can maintain body balance on the branches and stand on the "heel".
The clouded leopard is covered with dark clouds and spots, which constitute a camouflage for them to track prey and avoid predators, and when it quietly crouches on the branches of the tree, it is difficult to detect its presence, whether it is a natural enemy passing under the tree or a bird flying in the sky, even people are difficult to find its figure.
It can be seen that its survivability is very strong, but why has it not been seen for many years? Could it be that the destruction of nature has deprived them of the environment in which they live?
Clouded leopards have adapted to arboreal life, and their short, stout limbs, long tail, and curved ankles have made them strongly dependent on large tree forests. They don't like to move in dark, damp ravines, and they drag their long tails around the slopes or ridges of the forest. At present, Metuo does not lack primitive forests suitable for the survival of clouded leopards, and the ecology here is very well maintained to meet its survival.
Could it be a lack of food? Clouded leopards do not eat, eat everything, from rats to sambar deer, and even domestic cattle, the most loved is still red chamois and pheasants, black orioles, squirrels, squirrels, civets, coconut cats will also be an important source of prey for clouded leopards. And in Mede, these animals are everywhere.
So what was the straw that really crushed the clouded leopard? Of course, it is illegal poaching, and the threat of clouded leopards still comes from humans.
Because of this gorgeous fur, the clouded leopard has become the new favorite of the smuggling industry, and the lethality of the illegal trade is increasing day by day, and the clouded leopard has gradually faded from people's vision. According to the latest research from the Wildlife Conservation Research Centre at the University of Oxford, among wild cats, the star index of the clouded leopard is getting higher and higher, and interests are driving new commercial transactions.
As an animal that combines masculinity, femininity, delicacy, ferocity, gentleness, coolness, cuteness, and bodybuilding, clouded leopards are far more capable than many people think, and although they look small, they can hunt prey that is much larger than their own body.
Clouded leopards can avoid beasts, but they often can't avoid people. From the "tiger bone" in traditional Chinese medicine, the leopard tooth played by "collectors" in their hands, to the gorgeous leopard skin worn by some misaligned values in pursuit of beauty, the clouded leopard can be described as "a treasure", attracting countless poachers at home and abroad.
Xuelinggu Nature Laboratory/References: Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, World Wildcat, Oxford University Wildlife Conservation Research Center