Species Hang in the Balance

BINOMIAL NAME:

Felis manul

ANATOMICAL PROPORTIONS:

1 ft. tall/ 2-3 ft. long (tip-to-tail)/ 6-15 lbs.

POPULATION (APPROXIMATE):

4,800-6,100

CONSERVATION STATUS:

NEAR THREATENED

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT:

Grasslands, hilly areas, alpine deserts, lowland sandy basins, rocky outcrops, ravines, and high elevation steppes of Mongolia, western China, Iran, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Siberia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Nepal, Tibet, and northern India

DIET:

Primarily rodents (pikas, voles, jerboas, rats, mice, squirrels, marmots, and gerbils), small mammals (hares and seasonal lamb), small birds, lizards, and large insects

SPECIES THREATS:

Between 1950-1990, at least 200,000 Pallas's cats were hunted for their fur, worldwide---and this is a low estimate. There is no way to know precisely how many cats were harvested. Whatever the number, it is clear that enough Pallas's cats were eliminated, and within a fairly short period of time, that it certainly put enormous pressure on the natural population.

Today, the Pallas's cat is a protected species, particularly in the countries where it still exists. However, the newest threat to remaining cat populations is the massive effort to control its main prey species (pika and marmot), considered a regional pest. Also related to its main prey, rodents carry toxomoplasmosis, which is easily transmitted to the Pallas's cat through ingestion.

UNIQUE FACTS:

Pallas's cats have an unusual eye structure for a feline---much like the cheetah and snow leopard, its pupils contract into a circular shape, as opposed to the iconic slit of most cats.

Pallas's cat reproduction is unique for a few reasons. First of all, females come into season for an extremely short period of time (around 42 hours); to boot, if their cycle is in any way interrupted, they will not breed again until the following year. Perhaps to compensate for such a finicky reproductive cycle is the average size of a litter, which can be anywhere from six to eight cubs.

Like the sand cat, the Pallas's cat is built more for life in open, exposed terrain---its flattened head, pronounced third eyelid (to protect its eyes from the blowing sands of the arid Steppes), small, round, low-set ears, enlarged auditory bullae (increasing volume perception), and a barking call are all befitting of its environment, and are relatively unique among felids.

DEVOTED ORGANIZATION:

Pallas's Cat Project

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