20+ Interesting Facts About Pallas's Cats
- Pallas’s cat, also known as manul, is a small wildcat native to the steppes and grasslands of Central Asia and its surrounding areas.
Mongolia and Russia have the highest population of Pallas’s cats. The range of these wildcats is from China and Mongolia in the east to Iran in the west.
The IUCN status of Pallas’s cat is “Near Threatened.” These cats have become extinct in Azerbaijan and Armenia. Additionally, they are endangered or near threatened in countries like China, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Mongolia, and Kyrgyzstan. The main reason behind their declining population is hunting due to the cat’s skin, fat, meat, and organs. (Source)
Pallas’s cat has thick and long fur that protects its body from freezing conditions of its native steppe and grassland region. The dense fur also makes the cat look bigger than its actual size. Apart from the fur, its snowshoe-like paws and thick tail also assists the cat to withstand the freezing mountain climates.
Pallas’s cat is named after German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas. He was the first person to describe this wild cat species in 1776.
Palls’s cats are one of the few cats with round ears that remain low on their heads. These flattened ears remain invisible behind thick fur, providing camouflage in open grasslands. Its scientific name, Otocolobus manul (ugly-eared wildcat), also mentions these ears.
Pallas‘s cat is known as the world’s grumpiest cat. Main features behind this appearance are its large eyes with round pupils (unique among cats), wide ears, flat face, and a constant stare.
Facial features of Pallas's cat make it the grumpiest cat Some old studies establish a relationship between Pallas’s cat and domestic cats. However, a recent genome study has confirmed that Pallas's cat is more closely related to wild cat species than house cats. (Source)
Scientists have had information about Pallas’s cat since the 18th century. However, their initial photographs appeared during the second decade of the 21st Century due to the secretive life of the cat. According to reports, camera-trapped images of Pallas’s cats initially surfaced in 2012 from Pakistan and Bhutan. (Source) (Source)
Pallas’s cats are poor runners because of their stocky build and small legs. So, they rely on camouflage and ambush instead of chasing their prey.
Unlike other small cats, Pallas’s cats usually don’t climb trees. Their short legs and stocky bodies make it difficult to climb trees. Instead, these cats rely on camouflage and hiding in dens to avoid predators.
Pallas’s cats are carnivores and their primary food include local small rodents, such as pikas, mormots, gerbils, and hamsters. Luckily, their habitat has one of the highest concentrations of small rodents. Alternatively, they also eat small lizards and birds (sandgrouse, larks, and partridges).
Gray wolves, red foxes, and dogs are the primary terrestrial predators of Pallas’s cats. These cats also face threats from eagles and other native raptors. Their best defence against these predators is camouflage.
Pallas’s cats are one of the few cat species that can reach an altitude of 5,000 m and above. Scientists have discovered DNA of Pallas cats at the altitude of 5,110 m and 5,190 m, merely 200 m below Mount Everest base camp. (Source)
Pallas’s cats use three types of separate dens during summer, winter, and maternity. They don’t build their own dens but take advantage of abandoned marmots’ burrows for summer and winter dens. Additionally, Pallas’ cats generally use already built rock crevices as maternal dens. These rock dens have multiple entrances to avoid predators and provide escape routes.
Pallas’s cats have a bushy and long tail, covering nearly half the length of the animal. The cat uses its tail to wrap around its body to remain warm. Additionally, Pallas’s cats sometimes stand on their tails to keep their paws warm.
Unlike domestic cats, Pallas’s cats don’t meow. Instead, they produce honking, growling, and chirping sounds to communicate. Additionally, these cats yelp like a small dog when threatened.
Pallas’s cats are solitary animals. Male and female cats come close only during the breeding season, between December and March, for a few days.
Like other small wild cats, Pallas’ cats have a short pregnancy period. Female cats usually reproduce three to six blind kittens after 66 to 75 days of pregnancy. It is one of the highest number of kittens among wild cats. Nearly 68% of these kittens die before starting their separate lives.
It is difficult to keep and breed Pallas’s cats in captivity due to their vulnerability to toxoplasmosis and other feline infections. Also due to their wild nature, Pallas’s cats feel stressed in zoos.
Due to their poor ability to climb and run, Pallas’s cats rely heavily on camouflage to hide from predators and hunt prey. Their silvery-gray skin mixes nicely with the rocky terrain of their habitat. Additionally, their facial features and the ability to sit silently for long duration also enable these wildcats to remain invisible.
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