The new sabre-toothed cat:
When pre-history comes alive!
CURRENT CONSERVATION MAGAZINE 2020 (VOLUME 14 - Issue 4)
Created for Current Conservation Magazine (Volume 14, Issue 4), this editorial illustration accompanies an article exploring one of nature's most fascinating predators – the clouded leopard. Inspired by recent scientific research comparing its remarkable canine teeth and jaw structure to those of prehistoric sabre-toothed cats, the artwork brings together wildlife, science, and storytelling. The project highlights how editorial illustration can make complex natural history topics engaging and accessible while celebrating one of Asia's most elusive and extraordinary big cats.
The clouded leopard has the scientific name Neofelis nebulosa, which actually means ‘new cat, cloud’! It is medium-sized, lives in trees, and is named for the large cloud-shaped patterns on its fur. This creature is less than three feet long and weighs between 25 and 50 pounds, which is quite small compared to larger cats like South American jaguars, African lions, and Asian tigers. For this reason, the clouded leopard is known as “the smallest big cat”. Like its cousin, the snow leopard, the clouded leopard does not roar, and has many other unusual and unique characteristics.
Per Christiansen, a Norwegian palaeontologist who studies prehistoric cats, noticed that clouded leopards have the amazing ability to open their mouths wider than any other living cat, to a staggering 100 degrees or more! In comparison, a human has a gape angle that averages 75 degrees. This got him thinking about their teeth and the reason for those wide mouths. He found that along with their incredible gape angle, their canine teeth were somewhat sabre-shaped, just like the cats he studied.
Right now, Sunda clouded leopards hold the record for having the longest and most sabre-like teeth for their body size in the cat world today, crowning them the new sabre-toothed cats of the animal kingdom! The massive canine teeth, along with other incredible and beautiful features, make this animal one of the most interesting creatures there is still so much to learn about. How amazing is it that there are still extant sabre-toothed cats living among us today?
