Pallas Cat
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| Pallas Cat | ||||||||||||||
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| Otocolobus manul Pallas, 1776 |
The Pallas Cat (Otocolobus manul, or Felis manul) or Manul is a small wild cat of Central Asia. The length is 60 cm, plus 25 cm tail. The colour of the fur is ochre; there are vertical bars, which may be invisible due to the thick fur.
This cat has an appearance unique among felines. Its legs are short, the rump is rather bulky, and the fur is long and thick. The fur changes between the seasons: the winter coat is greyer and less patterned. Its ears are set low and give the cat a somewhat owl-like appearance. Because of its relatively flat face, it was once thought that it was the ancestor of the Persian cat breed.
The Pallas Cat inhabits the Asian steppes up to heights of 4000 m. It hunts at night for rodents, pikas and birds.
For a long time the Manul was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected in most areas, for instance in China. Since this cat feeds on agricultural pests, it is regarded as beneficial. However, the custom of poisoning rodents and pikas may also affect the cat.
Subspecies:
- Otocolobus manul manul, Mongolia, western China
- Otocolobus manul ferruginea, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan
- Otocolobus manul nigripecta, Kashmir, Nepal, Tibetar:قط بالاس