Species comparison
Asian Golden Cat vs Clouded Leopard
A side-by-side look at Catopuma temminckii and Neofelis nebulosa across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The clouded leopard averages about 1.4 times the body mass of the asian golden cat.
- Both species use tropical rainforest and montane forest.
- Their ranges both include Asia.
- Red List categories differ: Asian Golden Cat is listed as Near Threatened, Clouded Leopard as Vulnerable.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Asian Golden Cat
Catopuma temminckii
Clouded Leopard
Neofelis nebulosa
Asian Golden Cat
Catopuma
Clouded Leopard
Neofelis
Asian Golden Cat
Bay cat lineage
Clouded Leopard
Panthera lineage
Asian Golden Cat
Medium-sized cats
Clouded Leopard
Medium-sized cats
Asian Golden Cat
Temminck's cat, Fire cat
Clouded Leopard
Mainland clouded leopard
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Asian Golden Cat
2 ft 2 in – 3 ft 5 in (66–105 cm)
Clouded Leopard
2 ft 3 in – 3 ft 7 in (68–108 cm) Longer
Asian Golden Cat
16 in – 22 in (40–57 cm)
Clouded Leopard
2 ft – 3 ft (61–91 cm) Longer
Asian Golden Cat
18 in – 22 in (45–56 cm)
Clouded Leopard
20 in – 22 in (50–55 cm) Taller
Asian Golden Cat
20–35 lb (9–16 kg)
Males average heavier than females.
Clouded Leopard
24–55 lb (11–25 kg) Heavier
Males are noticeably heavier than females.
Asian Golden Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Clouded Leopard
Not reliably measured
No reliable field measurement exists for this species.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Asian Golden Cat
10–12 years
Clouded Leopard
10–12 years
Asian Golden Cat
17–20 years Longer
Clouded Leopard
13–17 years
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Asian Golden Cat
tropical rainforest, montane forest, dry forest
Evergreen and mixed forest from lowland to about 12,000 feet in the Himalaya, including bamboo, secondary growth and drier deciduous woodland.
Clouded Leopard
tropical rainforest, montane forest, dry forest
Primarily closed-canopy evergreen forest, but also recorded in secondary growth, mangrove, dry woodland and, in the Himalaya, forest above 8,000 feet.
Asian Golden Cat
Asia
From Nepal and north-east India through Bhutan, Myanmar, southern China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra.
Clouded Leopard
Asia
Mainland South East Asia and the eastern Himalaya: Nepal, north-east India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and southern China.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Asian Golden Cat
small mammals, birds, medium ungulates, reptiles
Rodents, hares, birds and reptiles, plus muntjac and young ungulates; the species is strong enough to take prey considerably larger than itself.
Clouded Leopard
primates, small mammals, birds, medium ungulates
Gibbons, macaques, slow lorises, porcupines, squirrels, pheasants, small deer and pigs, taken both in trees and on the ground.
Asian Golden Cat
Solitary
Mostly terrestrial and territorial. Field observations remain sparse despite the cat's relatively large size.
Clouded Leopard
Solitary
Secretive and rarely observed directly; most ecological knowledge comes from camera trapping and a small number of radio-collared animals.
Asian Golden Cat
Crepuscular and partly diurnal
Camera-trap studies show more daytime activity than early accounts suggested, with peaks around dawn and dusk.
Clouded Leopard
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Camera-trap records cluster at night and around dusk, with daytime resting in trees.
Asian Golden Cat
Ground stalking in forest
Hunts on the forest floor, using cover for a close approach before a short rush.
Clouded Leopard
Arboreal and ground ambush
Prey is approached quietly and killed with a bite to the nape or skull, aided by unusually long canines.
Asian Golden Cat
Strong
Climbs well and will follow prey into trees, though it hunts mainly on the ground.
Clouded Leopard
Exceptional More developed
One of the most arboreal cats: it can hang from branches by its hind feet and climb down trunks head first.
Asian Golden Cat
Limited
No strong association with water.
Clouded Leopard
Capable More developed
Recorded crossing rivers, though the species is not associated with wetlands.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Asian Golden Cat
NT — Near Threatened
Assessed 2015
Clouded Leopard
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2016
Asian Golden Cat
Decreasing
Clouded Leopard
Decreasing
Asian Golden Cat
Deforestation, Indiscriminate snaring, Trade in skins and bones, Prey depletion, Retaliatory killing near livestock
Assessed as Near Threatened. Deforestation across South East Asia and pervasive snaring for the wild-meat and skin trade are the main pressures.
Clouded Leopard
Deforestation, Indiscriminate snaring, Trade in skins, teeth and bones, Prey depletion, Habitat fragmentation
Forest loss across South East Asia is the dominant pressure, compounded by intensive snaring that removes both the cat and its prey.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
Asian Golden Cat
- At least six coat morphs have been recorded, an unusual level of variation for a wild cat.
- Local names in several range countries translate as "fire cat" or "rock cat".
- A spotted morph photographed in China initially confused researchers, who suspected a new species.
Clouded Leopard
- Relative to skull length, its canines are the longest of any living cat, a proportion often compared with extinct sabre-toothed forms.
- Rotating hind ankles allow head-first descent, a trait shared with very few other cats.
- The tail can be as long as the head and body, acting as a balance beam in the canopy.
Sources used for this comparison
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Global assessment categories, population trends and documented threats.
- IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group Species accounts, distribution notes and Cat News reporting for every wild felid.
- Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation Dedicated research and field reporting on the lesser-known felids.
- Wildlife Conservation Society Field programmes, camera-trap surveys and population monitoring.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Body measurements, longevity records and life-history notes.
- National Geographic — Animals General natural-history reference for behaviour, range and ecology.