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Range and Habitat: Southeast Asia, from Bhutan in the Himalayas through Assam, Myanmar, Indochina, Formosa, Malay Peninsula and the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Java, in mainland forests, jungles and swampy areas.
Habits and Adaptations: Thought to be arboreal; sleeps in trees, but freely descends to ground to hunt. Low, moaning roar, growls, variety of cat-like sounds. Little is known of habits in the wild; lives solitary or in pairs.
Diet: Carnivorous; eats monkeys, birds, pigs, cattle, deer, young buffalo, goats and porcupines. Zoo diet: canine diet, horse knuckle bones.
Breeding and Maturation: Young cubs are spotted at birth. Gestation is 86 - 95 days and there are 1 – 5 fully furred cubs weighing approximately 5.3 – 10 ounces each. The leopard’s life span is 12 – 14 years.
Miscellaneous: Endangered status. Because of infrequency
of sightings and reductions in number of pelts brought to market,
its numbers seem severely reduced. Known to be a forest dweller,
loss of habitat in large unbroken blocks may account for decline.
Generally protected under game laws and fully protected in parks
and reserves.
Clouded Leopard Links:
www.cloudedleopard.org
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