Editing Clouded leopard (section)

== Characteristics ==
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The clouded leopard's fur is of a dark grey or ochreous ground-color, often largely obliterated by black and dark dusky-grey blotched pattern. There are black spots on the head, and the ears are black. Partly fused or broken-up stripes run from the corner of the eyes over the cheek, from the corner of the mouth to the neck, and along the nape to the shoulders. Elongated blotches continue down the spine and form a single median stripe on the loins. Two large blotches of dark dusky-grey hair on the side of the shoulders are each emphasized posteriorly by a dark stripe, which passes on to the foreleg and breaks up into irregular spots. The flanks are marked by dark dusky-grey irregular blotches bordered behind by long, oblique, irregularly curved or looped stripes. These blotches yielding the clouded pattern suggest the English name of the cat. The underparts and legs are spotted, and the tail is marked by large, irregular, paired spots. Its legs are short and stout, and paws broad. Females are slightly smaller than males.<ref name="Pocock">{{cite book |author=Pocock, R.I. |author-link=Reginald Innes Pocock |year=1939 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/PocockMammalia1/pocock1#page/n315/mode/2up |chapter=Genus ''Neofelis'' Gray. The Clouded Leopard |title=The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma |volume=Mammalia. – Volume 1 |publisher=Taylor and Francis, Ltd. |location=London |pages=247–253}} {{source-attribution}}</ref>

Its [[hyoid bone]] is ossified, making it possible to purr. Its pupils contract into vertical slits.<ref name=Guggisberg1975>{{cite book |author=Guggisberg, C.A.W. |year=1975 |chapter=Clouded leopard ''Neofelis nebulosa'' (Griffiths, 1821) |title=Wild cats of the World |publisher=Taplinger Publishing |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8008-8324-9 |pages=125–130}}</ref> [[Iris (eye)|Iris]]es are brownish yellow to grayish green. [[Melanism|Melanistic]] clouded leopards are uncommon. It has rather short limbs compared to the other big cats. Its hind limbs are longer than its front limbs to allow for increased jumping and leaping capabilities. Its [[ulnae]] and [[Radius (bone)|radii]] are not fused, which also contributes to a greater range of motion when climbing trees and stalking prey. Clouded leopards weigh between {{cvt|11.5|and|23|kg}}. Females vary in head-to-body length from {{cvt|68.6|to|94|cm}}, with a tail {{cvt|61|to|82|cm}} long. Males are larger at {{cvt|81|to|108|cm}} with a tail {{cvt|74|to|91|cm}} long.<ref name=WCoW>{{cite book |author=Sunquist, M. |author2=Sunquist, F. |name-list-style=amp |year=2002 |title=Wild cats of the World |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |location=Chicago |chapter=Clouded leopard ''Neofelis nebulosa'' (Griffiths, 1821) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IF8nDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA278 |pages=278–284 |isbn=978-0-226-77999-7 |access-date=26 November 2020 |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210100205/https://books.google.com/books?id=IF8nDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA278 |url-status=live }}</ref> 
Its shoulder height varies from {{cvt|50|to|55|cm}}.<ref name=clssp>{{cite book |author=Clouded Leopard SSP |year=2000 |title=Clouded leopard (''Neofelis nebulosa'') Husbandry Guidelines |location=Silver Spring |publisher=[[Association of Zoos and Aquariums]] |url=http://www.cloudedleopard.org//Documents/Husbandry_manual.pdf |access-date=27 January 2013 |archive-date=17 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017214344/http://www.cloudedleopard.org/Documents/Husbandry_manual.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Its skull is long and low with strong [[Occipital bone|occipital]] and [[sagittal crest]]s. The [[Canine tooth|canine teeth]] are exceptionally long, the upper being about three times as long as the basal width of the socket. The first premolar is usually absent.<ref name="Pocock" /> The upper pair of canines measure {{cvt|4|cm}} or longer.<ref name=WCoW />
It has a [[bite force]] at the [[Canine tooth|canine]] tip of 544.3 [[Newton (unit)|Newton]] and a [[bite force quotient]] at the canine tip of 122.4.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Christiansen, P. |author2=Wroe, S. |name-list-style=amp |year=2007 |title=Bite forces and evolutionary adaptations to feeding ecology in carnivores |journal=Ecology |volume=88 |issue=2 |pages=347–358 |doi=10.1890/0012-9658(2007)88[347:bfaeat]2.0.co;2 |pmid=17479753}}</ref>
The clouded leopard is often referred to as a "modern-day [[Saber-toothed cat|sabre-tooth]]" because it has the largest canines in proportion to its body size.<ref name=Guggisberg1975/>