Cluster Bat vs Diardi’s Clouded Leopard

Myotis sodalis compared with Neofelis diardi

Key Differences

• Cluster Bat is Near Threatened while Diardi’s Clouded Leopard is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cluster Bat	Diardi’s Clouded Leopard
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Vespertilionidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Myotis	Neofelis (Clouded Leopards)
Species	Myotis sodalis	Neofelis diardi

Evolutionary Relationship

Cluster Bat and Diardi’s Clouded Leopard share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Cluster Bat

NT — Near Threatened

Diardi’s Clouded Leopard

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cluster Bat	Diardi’s Clouded Leopard
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cluster Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Diardi’s Clouded Leopard

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Cluster Bat

Myotis sodalis, the Indiana bat or cluster bat, is a medium-sized insectivorous bat in the family Vespertilionidae endemic to the eastern United States. It is one of the most endangered bats in North America, listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. The species is named for its behavior of clustering in extremely dense hibernation groups—sometimes thousands of bats per square meter—in specific limestone caves and mines during winter. These few critical hibernacula make the species extremely vulnerable to disturbance and disease. Since 2007, Indiana bats have suffered severe mortality from white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans that disrupts hibernation and causes mass starvation. During summer, Indiana bats roost under loose bark of dead trees and forage for insects over forested landscapes and riparian areas. Foraging individuals consume moths, beetles, and flying insects. Conservation efforts include cave gate protection, white-nose syndrome research, and summer habitat management on public and private lands across the eastern US.