Learn concerning the Pallas cat (Otocolobus manul), a resident of the Central Asian steppe that’s generally known as the grumpiest cat on the planet owing to its somewhat pinched look. It options in BBC One’s Frozen Planet II.
Its right widespread identify – Pallas’s cat – honours Peter Simon Pallas, the Prussian naturalist-explorer who first described the species for science in 1776. However, the time period Pallas cat, is extra continuously used when trying to find info on the feline on-line. Therefore, this text refers back to the species on this means all through.
The Pallas cat is often known as the manul, steppe cat or rock wildcat.
Where is a Pallas cat from?
The Pallas cat has a large however fragmented distribution throughout the grasslands and montane steppes of Central Asia, together with Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India. Mongolia and Russia make up nearly all of its vary at the moment, with Pallas cats dwelling at altitudes as much as almost 5,600m.
Where do Pallas cats stay?
Pallas cats stay in deserted marmot burrows and rock cavities on steppes and grasslands. Their silvery or orangey-buff coloration supplies the right camouflage within the terrain of this inhospitable, sparsely populated grassland area.
Where are you able to see captive Pallas cats within the UK?
Tull and Penelope, Cotswold’s Wildlife Park’s pair of Pallas cats, had a litter of two kittens in August 2022, the primary ever born on the zoo. There are additionally Pallas cats at Port Lympne Safari Park, The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, and at Banham Biological Gardens in Norfolk.
How massive is a Pallas cat?
A Pallas cat is 65–95cm lengthy, from nostril to the tip of its thick, bushy tail. The tail of a Pallas cat is round half the size of its physique.
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How tall is a Pallas cat?
A Pallas cat stands 30-35 cm tall, its comparatively brief legs higher suited to ambushes and brief stalks than working. Its very thick fur coat, which retains the animal heat within the freezing situations of the Central Asian steppe, makes the Pallas cat seem a lot bigger than it truly is.
How is a Pallas cat tailored for a chilly setting?
The Pallas cat’s flattened ears are protected against the chilly by the identical thick fur that covers the remainder of its physique, whereas its broad paws present cold-protection and act almost like snowshoes. The Pallas cat can wrap its tail round its physique for extra heat.
The Pallas cat has a effectively developed nictitating membrane – often known as a 3rd eyelid – which may be used to guard the eyes from excessive chilly and dirt storms.
How many kittens do Pallas cats have?
Pallas cats have litters of between one and 6 kittens, with three or 4 the most typical quantity. Pallas cat kittens have a darkish, woolly coat which they moult at round two months old. Kittens are impartial by 4 to 5 months old.
Female Pallas cats solely come into season for 2 to 4 days per yr, with mating taking place between December and March, and kittens born 66- 75 days later, between late March and May. Pallas cats attain sexual maturity at round 9-10 months.
What do Pallas cats eat?
Pallas cats hunt for small prey together with marmots, pikas, floor squirrels, voles, gerbils and hamsters. The steppe is home to a number of the densest populations of small mammals on the planet. Ground-living birds, primarily sandgrouse, partridges and larks are additionally a part of their eating regimen.
When a Pallas cat is searching (and when making an attempt to keep away from predators) it engages in a behaviour generally known as ‘periscoping’, which entails repeatedly elevating its head above the terrain behind which it’s hiding to examine on the standing of its quarry.
How lengthy does a Pallas cat stay for?
Pallas cats can stay to round eight years old within the wild, although the oldest recorded captive people lived to 12 years old. They have a excessive mortality price, with 68% of Pallas cat kittens not surviving to the purpose of having the ability to set up their very own territory.
What are the predators of the Pallas cat?
Eagles and different raptors, gray wolves, herding dogs and crimson foxes. They are additionally hunted by people for his or her pelts, primarily in Mongolia, the place searching is authorized (they may also be hunted in China if a particular licence is obtained). Many Pallas cats are additionally shot by accident when mistaken for marmots, that are hunted in a lot of the Pallas cat’s vary. The fats and organs of Pallas’s Cats are used as drugs in Mongolia and Russia.
What are the threats going through the Pallas cat?
The essential threats going through the Pallas cat are habitat degradation and fragmentation. These are largely penalties of accelerating livestock numbers, conversion of steppe grasslands into arable land, infrastructure growth and useful resource extraction.
Hunting can be a critical risk, with Pallas cats killed for his or her pelts and for drugs, in addition to by accident when mistaken for marmots.
How many Pallas cats are left within the wild?
It is tough to determine figures for the variety of Pallas cats within the wild as a result of they’re distributed so broadly and stay at such low inhabitants densities throughout their vary. But the IUCN estimates a inhabitants of roughly 58,000 mature Pallas cats. The species is at present listed as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, even if the inhabitants is in decline.
Main picture: Pallas cat lives within the chilly and arid steppes of central Asia. © kjekol/Getty
