Pallas's Cat(Otocolobus manul)
They are also called manul and it is a small wild cat. The Pallas's cat is about the size of a domestic cat. Its body is 46-65 cm long and its tail 21-31 cm. It weighs 2.5-4.5 kg. The combination of its stocky posture and long, dense fur makes it appear stout and plush. Its fur is ochre with dark vertical bars on the torso and forelegs. The winter coat is greyer and less patterned than the summer coat.
There are clear black rings on the tail and dark spots on the forehead. The cheeks are white with narrow black stripes running from the corners of the eyes. The chin and throat are also white, merging into the greyish, silky fur of the underparts. Concentric white and black rims around the eyes accentuate their rounded shape. The legs are proportionately shorter than those of other cats, the ears are set very low and wide apart, and the claws are unusually short. The face is shortened compared with other cats, giving it a flattened look. The pupils are circular rather than vertical slits. The short jaw has fewer teeth than is typical among cats, with the first pair of upper premolars missing, but the canine teeth are large.
Habitat
The Pallas's cat is native to the steppe regions of Central Asia, where it inhabits elevations of up to 5,050 m in the Tibetan Plateau. It is also found in parts of Iran, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, India, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan, and occur across much of western China. In the south of Russia, it occurs in the Transbaikal Krai, and, less frequently, in the Altai, Tyva, and Buryatia Republics. In 1997, it was reported for the first time as being present in the eastern Sayan Mountains
Diet
They feed largely on diurnally active prey species such as gerbils, pikas, voles and chukar partridges, and sometimes catch young marmots.
Breeding
The breeding season is relatively short due to the extreme climate in the cat's native range. Estrus lasts between 26-42 hours, which is also shorter than in many other felids. Pallas's cats give birth to a litter of around two to six kittens after a gestation period of 66-75 days, typically in April or May. Such large litters may compensate for a high rate of infant mortality in the harsh environment. The young are born in sheltered dens lined with dried vegetation, feathers, and fur. The kittens weigh around 90 g at birth and have a thick coat of fuzzy fur, which is replaced by the adult coat after around two months. They are able to begin hunting at four months and reach adult size at six months. Pallas's cats have been reported to live up to 11 years in captivity.
Population
According to the IUCN Red List, they are classed as Near Threatened(NT) and their population trend is decreasing and there are about 15,000 mature individuals. Pallas’s Cat has a wide distribution across Central Asia and west into Iran. However, it is rarely sighted. Due to recent habitat degradation and habitat specialisation shown by the species the population is likely to be fragmented and much of the supposed distribution is likely to be unoccupied by the species. Undocumented populations of Pallas’s Cat are still being found resulting in small extensions of its range into Nepal and Bhutan. At the same time, a lack of recent records from range countries indicates possible expatriation from its historic range.
Threats
New information regarding Pallas’s Cat’s biological susceptibility to threats has recently been made available. Pallas’s Cat has several known and tested causes of vulnerability, including feeding and habitat specialization, large range sizes, dependency on shelters made by other threatened species (marmots), and vulnerability to pastoralist activities which are ubiquitous throughout its range (high associated mortality and displacement by herding activities). The most serious threat to Pallas’s Cat is habitat degradation and fragmentation. Degradation is occurring through increased human population size and expansion of animal husbandry across the species range. In Mongolia, livestock numbers have increased from 33 million in 1999 to 45 million in 2013, with a forecast annual increase of 10.2%. As well as habitat degradation, with livestock come domestic herding dogs which are known to be an important predator of Pallas’s Cat. Across the region, other sources of habitat fragmentation include infrastructural developments, development of the mining industry, and the petrochemical industry in China. Due to habitat loss, it is very likely that Pallas’s Cat populations are becoming increasingly fragmented and isolated. In Russia, there is believed to be a risk of loss of isolated subpopulations, particularly in the Buryatia Republic. Another serious threat is depletion of their prey base through poisoning and over-hunting. Pikas and rodents have been targeted as pests by poisoning campaigns in China and Mongolia because they are believed to compete for forage that could otherwise be utilised by livestock, contribute to grassland degradation, and can serve as vectors for the plague. Pika makes up the majority of Pallas’s Cat diet and is extremely important for the species persistence. Poisoning continues in China where pika populations have been reduced to less than 5% of pre-control densities. In Mongolia poison bait campaigns to control small mammal numbers have occurred in all provinces and are continuing. Control of rodents in Russia is also on-going but only at small localized scales which are currently not expected to threaten the species. Due to sympatric predation, the Pallas’s Cat has a dependency on marmot burrows and rock cavities, particularly for raising young. Most marmot species remain non-threatened but the Siberian Marmot which overlaps Pallas’s Cat’s range in Russia and Mongolia has declined due to overharvesting and is now classified as Endangered. The decline of this species may result in the loss of keystone resources for the Pallas’s Cat and other steppe species.
Conservation
Pallas’s Cat is listed under CITES Appendix II. Hunting of this species is prohibited in all range countries except Mongolia, where it has no legal protection despite being classified as Near Threatened in the country. Trophy hunters can purchase hunting licenses to export trophies, from which US$70 is allocated to the government. Approximately 12% of the species range in Mongolia occurs within protected areas, although it was found that the Pallas’s Cat's preferred shrub-steppe habitat was under-represented in an important protected area in Central Mongolia and that illegal hunting inside the protected area was frequent. Due to new initiatives within Russia, protection of Pallas’s Cat within reserves has increased since 2008. Approximately 13% of Pallas’s Cat's range in Russia is now situated within protected areas. Pallas’s Cat habitats are included in Zabaikalsky Krai: federal refuge "Dzeren's Valley", regional wildlife refuges "Aginskaya Steppe", "Gornaya Steppe" and "Semenovsky", the protective zone of Sokhondo Nature Reserve near the Mongolian border. Pallas’s cat is also found in Sailughemsky National Park (Altai Republic) and in Shuisky Nature Park (Tyva Republic). Tyvan and Daurian State Nature Reserves remain the most important protected areas for Pallas’s Cat conservation. The newly created federal refuge Dzeren's Valley (subordinated to Daursky reserve) is fully situated within Pallas’s Cat's range. In China Pallas’s Cat is reported in the following nature reserves: Xuelingyunshan, Tuomuerfeng, Luoshan, Baijitan, Qinghaihuniaodao, Wanglang, Wolong, Zhumulangmafeng, Kalamailishan, Qitaihuangmobanhuangmo, Aerjinshan, Ganjiahu (Xinjiang), Luobupoyeluotuo. It is reportedly present in 29 Chinese Nature Reserves.
The cryptic behaviour and rarity of Pallas’s Cat have resulted in extremely low detection rates of the species across its range. However, fundamental to conserving Pallas’s Cat and recognizing it within conservation action plans is understanding its occurrence. Dedicated surveys to understand the species occupancy, habitats and resources associated with its presence are needed across its range. Following this, more specific conservation action should be implemented to protect resources important for the cat's conservation. Pallas’s Cat has long been hunted for its fur in relatively large numbers in Mongolia, Russia and China, but international trade in Pallas’s Cat pelts has largely ceased since the late 1980s. Mongolia is the only range state which permits hunting of Pallas’s Cat for "household purposes". The permitting system is said to be ineffective, and Pallas’s Cat furs are illegally exported to China. They estimated that there are approximately 1,000 hunters of Pallas's Cats in Mongolia, with a mean estimated harvest of two cats per year. Pallas’s Cats are also shot due to them being mistaken for marmots, which are commonly hunted. They are also trapped incidentally in leghold traps set for wolves and foxes, and in snares set for marmot and hares. Their fat and organs are used as medicine in Mongolia and Russia.