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The genus Neofelis comprises two species, the (Neofelis nebulosa) and the Sunda Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi), which are classified as vulnerable by IUCN.

The term clouded leopard or Neofelis does not refer to a single species of feline, but instead, it refers to two, Neofelis Nebulosa and Neofelis Diardi, also known as the Clouded Leopard and Diard’s Clouded Leopard respectively. Neofelis Diardi also possesses several other common names. These names are Sunda Clouded Leopard, Enkuli Clouded Leopard, Sunda Islands Clouded Leopard, and Sundaland Clouded Leopard. Both species are listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Both species are listed on CITES Appendix I.

Background
Neofelis Nebulosa was first discovered in 1821 by Edward Griffith. It was originally named as the Clouded Leopard due to the “clouds” of color on its fur. Neofelis Nebulosa populations can all be found within the mainland portion of China. Neofelis Diardi can be found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra off the coast of China. After its discovery in 1823, Neofelis Diardi was classified as a subspecies of Neofelis Nebulosa due to the strong resemblance between the two. It was in 2006 that Neofelis Diardi was awarded its own rank as a separate species after tests indicated that it was sufficiently different to warrant the title.

Differences
The populations of Neofelis Nebulosa are found in the Himalayan foothills, and stretch to Southeast Asia and the mainland of China (Kitchener, Beaumont, and Richardson 2377). Neofelis Diardi is found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Apart from the location where the populations can be found, another noted discrepancy between the two species can be found in the number, size, and shape of the clouds for which the two species are named. Other differences include variation in the formation of the jaws and teeth. In a study conducted by Per Christiansen, the Sunda Islands Clouded Leopards tested showed to vary from the mainland species. They showed to have longer upper canines and a narrower palate between the upper canines. Apart from these Christiansen’s study also showed other differences in the skull apart from the mandibles.

Controversy
Since its separation from Neofelis Nebulosa as a subspecies, Neofelis Diardi has had many opponents to its status as a full separate species. Many of these detractors have stated that Neofelis Diardi should not be awarded the rank of full species due to small variations in allopatric population, which is not uncommon.

Population
“The populations of Neofelis Nebulosa can all be found within the Himalayan foothills of Nepal, stretching to the southeast portion of Asia and into China”. The population of this species in Taiwan is extinct today. The species mostly appears in tropical forest regions. It also occurs in Bangladesh in small numbers. A major threat to Neofelis Nebulosa is deforestation. Areas of this population are undergoing the fastest deforestation in the world. Populations of Neofelis Diardi are found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. It is unknown if the island of Batu contains any of this species today. Fossils have been found on Java, but the species is extinct on this island. A major threat to this species of clouded leopard, like Neofelis Nebulosa, is also deforestation. The populations of Sumatra and Borneo are highly forest dependent, and these island, while not having the largest deforestation rate like the mainland near them, are also undergoing rapid deforestation.