Jump to content

Formosan clouded leopard

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 91.153.51.174 (talk) at 19:04, 11 March 2008. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Formosan Clouded Leopard

Critically endangered, possibly extinct
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
Subspecies:
N. n. brachyura
Trinomial name
Neofelis nebulosa brachyura

The Formosan Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa brachyura) is a subspecies of Clouded Leopard that was endemic to the island of Taiwan and is now believed to be extinct. Its tail is slightly shorter than that of other subspecies of clouded leopard.

The Formosan Clouded Leopard was the second-largest native animal on Taiwan, after the Formosan Black Bear. After extensive loggings at its natural habitat, the clouded leopards were forced to retreat into the Jade Mountain and Dawu Mountain. After the 1980s, there have been no sightings of this animal.

The Rukai Taiwanese aborigines believed that their ancestors transformed from these clouded leopards.