Leopard Species Discovered

Imagine spending your entire life being confused with an entirely different species. That's what happened to the Clouded leopard of Borneo and Sumatra. The animal, the biggest predator on Borneo was long assumed to be the same species as the Clouded leopard native to Mainland Southeast Asia. Talk about an identity crisis! In March 2007, scientists at the U.S. National Cancer Institute announced that the genetic testing had determined that there are 40 differences between the two species. For example, the Clouded leopard of Borneo and Sumatra has darker fur and smaller cloud markings than the Mainland leopard. The differences between the cousins are as marked as those between lions, tigers, and jaguars. Most scientist agree that there are about 1 million species of animals on Earth. and yet, more to come.