Meet mainland clouded leopard 🐾

Clouded leopards are unique in the cat world as their hyoid bone is semi-ossified, which is why they can’t purr like small cats or roar like lions. Small cats have a fully ossified hyoid, allowing them to purr, while big cats have a softer, unfused hyoid that lets them expand their vocal cords to roar.🤯

Instead, mainland clouded leopards have developed their own language of moans, chirps, hisses, growls, meows, and even a special “prusten”, a soft puffing sound that’s their version of a purr, also known as “chuffing” 💨✨

National Geographic