The Pallas’s Cat, also known as Otocolobus manul or Manul, is a small wild feline. Its stocky build and long, dense coat make it appear larger and rounder than its actual size. The cat’s broad, flattened face and small, low-set ears contribute to its distinctive look. This elusive animal maintains a highly secretive existence across Asia, where its habits and true population size remain difficult for researchers to track.
Defining the Global Range
The distribution of the Pallas’s Cat spans a vast area across Central Asia, stretching from the Caspian Sea eastward into the Tibetan Plateau and Southern Russia. The species’ range encompasses at least 16 countries, including core populations in Mongolia and China. Other nations where the cat resides include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
The cat’s presence in the south-western part of its range is generally sparse and isolated. Even within the main distribution, the population is highly fragmented and patchy. The cats occupy suitable habitat pockets separated by large expanses of terrain where they rarely occur.
In Russia, the Pallas’s Cat is found primarily in the Altai, Tuva, and Buryatia Republics, along the borders with Mongolia and China. The largest and most stable populations are concentrated in the expansive steppes of Mongolia and the Tibetan Plateau region of China.
Preferred Terrain and Elevation
The Pallas’s Cat is a specialist of the cold, arid environments of the high-altitude steppes and montane grasslands of Central Asia. The preferred habitat is characterized by complex terrain, featuring a mix of rocky outcrops, ravines, and hilly areas. This structural complexity is important for stalking prey and avoiding larger predators.
The species is found at elevations ranging from 1,000 to over 5,000 meters above sea level. The cat prefers areas where the ground snow cover remains shallow, generally avoiding regions with persistent snow deeper than 15 to 20 centimeters.
To survive extreme weather and for shelter, Pallas’s Cats rely on existing natural features and the abandoned homes of other animals. They utilize caves, rock crevices, and, most frequently, the deserted burrows of marmots and badgers. These dens are essential for daily rest, protection, and for providing a safe location to raise their young.
Adaptations for Harsh Climates
The cat’s survival in its harsh, high-altitude domain is owed to several adaptations. The most noticeable feature is its coat, which is the longest and densest of any cat species worldwide. This thick fur provides exceptional insulation against the severe continental climate, where winter temperatures plummet far below freezing.
The fur on the cat’s belly and tail is nearly twice as long as the rest of its body, offering additional warmth when the cat is resting on frozen ground. The Pallas’s Cat possesses small, rounded ears set low on the sides of its head. This small surface area minimizes heat loss in the cold and helps the cat maintain a low profile while hunting.
Unlike most small wildcats whose pupils contract into a vertical slit, the Pallas’s Cat has pupils that constrict into small circles. It also has a well-developed nictitating membrane, or third eyelid, which protects the eyes from the frequent cold, intense winds and dust storms encountered in its arid habitat.
Status and Protection Efforts
The Pallas’s Cat is currently listed as a species of “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This global classification reflects the species’ wide distribution, though local populations are often small, declining, and highly fragmented. Habitat degradation and fragmentation are considered the most significant threats to the Manul.
Habitat loss is caused by overgrazing from domestic livestock and the conversion of natural steppe grasslands for agricultural use. The decline of primary prey, such as pikas and voles, due to government-sponsored rodent control and poisoning campaigns negatively impacts their survival. Historically, the cat was hunted extensively for its dense fur, and illegal poaching continues to be a threat in some regions.
To address these challenges, the Pallas’s Cat International Conservation Alliance (PICA) was formed. PICA works to increase scientific knowledge about the cat’s ecology, raise global awareness, and develop coordinated strategies for its long-term protection across its fragmented range.