New big cat comes out of the jungle

* Lewis Smith, Environment Reporter
* March 15, 2007

A LEOPARD can, after all, change its spots: a new species of big cat has been identified for the first time in almost two centuries.

The big cats prowling the jungles of Borneo and Sumatra had long been assumed to be the same clouded leopards that are found in mainland Asia.

Genetic analysis and comparisons of fur patterns have now shown the two animals to be as distinct as the lion and the tiger, the WWF announced yesterday. Among the findings that convinced scientists was the realisation that the Bornean cat has changed the number and prominence of its spots.

The cats have now been reclassified as the Bornean clouded leopard, with the name Neofelis diardi, to distinguish them from other clouded leopards, Neofelis nebulosa.

The two species, both endangered, are shown by genetic analysis to have separated 1.4 million years ago, after the animals used a land bridge, now covered by water, from mainland Asia to reach Borneo and Sumatra.

Clouded leopards, found in China, Nepal and northeast India, were described in 1821 by the British naturalist Edward Griffiths and were the last of the big cats to be discovered.

Scientists classified the Bornean cat as a subspecies in the late 19th century — yet failed to notice that it was a totally different species. They were hampered by the secretive nature of the nocturnal animal, which lives in remote forest areas, and by there being only 57 specimens in museums worldwide.

Andrew Kitchener, of the Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, who led the study of fur patterns, found that the Bornean leopard had smaller cloud-shaped markings than the mainland cat, a double stripe along the back instead of a single one, more spots within each cloud and a darker coloration.

“It’s incredible that no one has noticed these differences,” he said. “The moment we started comparing the skins of the mainland leopard and the leopard found on Borneo, it was clear we were comparing two species.”

The genetic findings were even more conclusive, said Stephen O’Brien, of the US National Cancer Institute, who led that analysis. “DNA tests high-lighted around 40 differences.”

Stuart Chapman, of the WWF, said: “The fact that Borneo’s top predator is considered a separate species further emphasises the importance of conserving the Heart of Borneo.”

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21387571-30417,00.html

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Leopard is One of 52 New Species Found

Clouded Leopard Latest in a List of Unique Species of Borneo, Scientists Say

[image]http://a.abcnews.com/images/International/KL10103150753_sp.jpeg[/image]

In this undated photo released by the global conservation group WWF, known as the World Wildlife Fund and the World Wide Fund for Nature, a clouded leopard discovered by WWF member inside the Borneo rainforest, East of Malaysia, is shown. The clouded leopard of Borneo, discovered to be an entirely new species, is the latest in a growing list of animals and plants unique to the Southeast Asian country's rainforest and underscores the need to preserve the area, conservationists said Thursday, March 15, 2007. (AP Photo/WWF, Alain Compost, HO)

By VIJAY JOSHI

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Mar 15, 2007 (AP)— The clouded leopard of Borneo discovered to be an entirely new species is the latest in a growing list of animals and plants unique to the Southeast Asian country's rainforest and underscores the need to preserve the area, conservationists said Thursday.

Genetic tests by researchers at the U.S. National Cancer Institute revealed that the clouded leopard of Borneo and Sumatra islands is a unique cat species and not the same one found in mainland Southeast Asia as long believed, said a statement by WWF, the global conservation organization.

"Who said a leopard can never change its spots? For over a hundred years we have been looking at this animal and never realized it was unique," said Stuart Chapman, WWF International Coordinator of the Heart of Borneo program, which is dedicated to preserving the flora and fauna in the deep jungles on Borneo.

The secretive clouded leopards are the biggest predators on Borneo, growing sometimes to the size of a small panther. They have the longest canine teeth relative to body size of any cat.

"The fact that Borneo's top predator is now considered a separate species further emphasizes the importance of conserving the Heart of Borneo," Chapman said.

The news about the clouded leopard comes just a few weeks after a WWF report showed that scientists had identified at least 52 new species of animals and plants over the past year on Borneo, the world's third largest island that is shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

The Heart of Borneo, a mountainous region about five times the size of Switzerland covered with equatorial rainforest in the center of the island, is the last great forest home of the Bornean clouded leopard.

Researchers believe that the Borneo population of the clouded leopard likely diverged from the mainland population some 1.4 million years ago.

Over the millennia, at least 40 differences emerged between the two species, making them as distinct as other large cat species such as lions, tigers and jaguars.

he results of the genetic study are supported by separate research on geographical variation in the clouded leopard, based mainly on fur patterns and coloration of skins held in museums and collections.

The Borneo clouded leopard is darker than the mainland species and has many distinct spots within its small cloud markings. It also has a grayer fur, and a double dorsal stripe.

Clouded leopards from the mainland have fewer and fainter markings within large clouds on their skin. They are also lighter in color.

"It's incredible that no one has ever noticed these differences." said Andrew Kitchener from the Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums, Scotland.

A total of 5,000 to 11,000 Bornean clouded leopards are estimated to live in the jungles of Borneo. The total number in Sumatra could be in the range of 3,000 to 7,000 individuals. The cats' biggest threat is destruction of their habitat.