Clouded Leopard vs Red Fox

Neofelis nebulosa compared with Vulpes vulpes

Key Differences

• Clouded Leopard is Vulnerable while Red Fox is Least Concern.
• Clouded Leopard is carnivore while Red Fox is omnivore.
• Clouded Leopard is 3.3x heavier than Red Fox.
• Clouded Leopard lives longer (15 years vs 5 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clouded Leopard	Red Fox
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Neofelis (Clouded Leopards)	Vulpes (Foxes)
Species	Neofelis nebulosa	Vulpes vulpes

Evolutionary Relationship

Clouded Leopard and Red Fox share a common ancestor at the Order level: Carnivora. (Carnivorans)

Conservation Status

Clouded Leopard

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~10.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Red Fox

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clouded Leopard	Red Fox
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	15 years	5 years
Average Length	1.0 m	70 cm
Average Weight	20.0 kg	6.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic 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.

Red Fox

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Cyprus, Israel), Europe (8 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina).

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.

Red Fox

The most widespread wild carnivore on Earth, red foxes have colonized habitats from Arctic tundra to urban environments across the Northern Hemisphere and introduced ranges in Australia. Recognized by their russet coat, white belly, and bushy tail. Highly adaptable omnivores, red foxes eat everything from rabbits and voles to fruit and human refuse. They communicate with over 40 distinct vocalizations.