New leopard species caught on film

[bonegrind]

Doesn't look like a new species to me.. More like a sub species of clouded leopard maybe.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100215/wl_asia_afp/malaysiawildlifeanimalleopard_20100215130440

Comments

[blasphemusfish]

The article does go into detail about how it is a different species, but it doesn't specifically say subspecies. IT SHOULD FF

[bonegrind]

hmm i'm looking for a better article. but apparently its called a "Sundaland clouded leopard". not sure how its different. looks exactly the same.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OaDVGuj8D-U/SlKgDiUjSOI/AAAAAAAAAO8/2-UWv1PNU74/s320/Sundaland+clouded+leopard.JPG
http://www.the-bengal-cat.com/Clouded%20leopard.jpg

[blasphemusfish]

Apparently it was proven through genetic research.
There appears to be size difference at least.

The differences between some tiger species isn't really obvious either, as an example.

[bonegrind]

aww. i hope one day we'll find something really awesome instead of species that just look the same..
like the bornean clouded leopard looks cool. its like the chocolate milk version.

[soren_grey]

Ah, it's gorgeous... such a slender build and long muzzle. I'd love to see more of these guys.

[ferahgo]

The Sundaland clouded leopard was classified as a new species through genetic studies several years ago

Doesn't matter how it looks.

[grygon]

loooove it. :)

and i also love how more and more these days genetic testing is playing a part in animal studies. for instance- for a decade or more hunters have been swearing up and down that 60+% of coyotes out there are no longer just coyotes. most are mixed with wolf or dog! but it took genetic testing for people to start believing them, lol.

[winter_ruins]

I'm pretty certain (we obviously never proved it, but suspected it) that my old husky was part coyote. The people we bought her from swore she was full-bred Siberian, but she was kinda small/skinny for a husky and when she ran, she kinda hopped like a coyote.

Ttly OT, I know, but I couldn't help. But I bring a couple of pictures, if that'll allow you to indulge me at all. =P

[grygon]

oh my, she DOES look kind of wild. :) i guess ya never know though.

i had a friend who KNEW his dog was part yote. she didn't look it but he said her mother came home tied with a yote so... yeah, pretty sure those pups were part yote, lol. he also said when she was a pup you could tell from how she looked, all gangly and her ears all pointy and her fur coloring, but as she grew she looked more and more "mutt" as one ear flopped down and she turned a golden color like a retriever (her mother).

[slyminera]

A few wolf species can interbreed with Coyotes and Jackals (the Red Wolf, for example, which is having a hard time increasing its critically small population, has to be monitored so that hybrid Red Wolf/Coyotes don't keep popping up).
I'm surprised no one listened to the hunters sooner xD