Asiatic elephant vs Clouded Leopard

Elephas maximus compared with Neofelis nebulosa

Key Differences

• Asiatic elephant is Endangered while Clouded Leopard is Vulnerable.
• Asiatic elephant is herbivore while Clouded Leopard is carnivore.
• Asiatic elephant is 200.0x heavier than Clouded Leopard.
• Asiatic elephant lives longer (60 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Asiatic elephant	Clouded Leopard
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Elephas (Asian Elephants)	Neofelis (Clouded Leopards)
Species	Elephas maximus	Neofelis nebulosa

Evolutionary Relationship

Asiatic elephant and Clouded Leopard share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Asiatic elephant

EN — Endangered

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Clouded Leopard

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~10.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Asiatic elephant	Clouded Leopard
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	60 years	15 years
Average Length	5.5 m	1.0 m
Average Weight	4.0 t	20.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Asiatic elephant

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Clouded Leopard

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Asiatic elephant

Smaller than its African cousin, Asiatic elephants range across South and Southeast Asian forests and grasslands from India to Indonesia. Distinguished by their smaller ears, rounded back, and a single finger-like projection on the trunk tip. Deeply interwoven with Asian cultures, they have been used in religious ceremonies and as working animals for millennia. Endangered, with fewer than 50,000 remaining in the wild.

Clouded Leopard

A medium-sized wild cat weighing up to 26 kg, clouded leopards inhabit tropical and subtropical forests from the eastern Himalayas through Southeast Asia to Borneo. Named for their distinctive cloud-like coat markings, they possess the longest canine teeth relative to skull size of any wild cat and are exceptional climbers able to descend trees headfirst. Vulnerable due to deforestation, though the total population remains poorly known.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇮🇩 Indonesia 🇲🇲 Myanmar 🇹🇭 Thailand