The Pallas's cat was first described in 1776 by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas.[3][4]
Characteristics
Distribution and habitat
The Pallas's cat is native to the steppe regions of Central Asia, where it inhabits elevations of up to 5,050 m (16,570 ft) in the Tibetan Plateau.[6] 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.[2] In 1997, it was reported for the first time as being present in the eastern Sayan Mountains.[7]Until the early 1970s, only two Pallas's cats were recorded in the Transcaucasus, both encountered near the Aras River in northwestern Iran.[8] Populations in the Caspian Sea region, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, are thought to be declining and becoming increasingly isolated.[9][10]
In recent years, several Pallas' cats were photographed for the first time during camera trapping surveys:
- in Iran's Khojir National Park in 2008;[11]
- in the Eastern Himalayas: in Bhutan's Wangchuck Centennial Park in April 2012;[12] and above 4,100 m (13,500 ft) in the Jigme Dorji National Park in autumn 2012;[13]
- in Pakistan's Qurumber National Park above 3,400 m (11,200 ft) in July 2012;[14]
- in Nepal's Annapurna Conservation Area above 4,200 m (13,800 ft) in December 2012 and December 2013.[15][16][17]
Ecology and behaviour
Reproduction
The breeding season is relatively short due to the extreme climate in the cat's native range. Estrus lasts between 26 and 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 to 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 (3.2 oz) 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.[5]Threats
Conservation
The Pallas's cat is listed in CITES Appendix II. Hunting is prohibited in all range countries except Mongolia, where the species has no legal protection despite being classified as Near Threatened in the country. Since 2009, it is legally protected in Afghanistan, where all hunting and trade in its parts is banned.[2]The cat is being studied in the Daursky Nature Reserve in Russia to obtain new information about habitats and migrations, and to estimate the survival rate of kittens and adult cats.[20]
In captivity
In June 2010, five kittens were born in the Red River Zoo in Fargo, USA.[23] A female was artificially inseminated for the first time at the Cincinnati Zoo, also in the United States, and gave birth to three kittens in June 2011.[24] In May 2013, three kittens were born at the Nordens Ark zoo in Sweden.[25] In May 2016, four kittens were born at the Korkeasaari zoo in Finland.[26] In March 2017, five kittens were born in the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah. In April 2017, five kittens were again born in the Red River Zoo in Fargo.[27] In April 2019, Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington, Illinois announced five kittens have been born in their successful breeding program after importing a male from the Czech Republic.[28]
Taxonomic history
In 1776, Peter Simon Pallas first described a Pallas’s cat using the scientific name Felis manul. Pallas encountered Pallas’s cats during his travels in eastern Siberia.[3][4] Several Pallas's cat zoological specimens were subsequently described:- Felis nigripectus by Hodgson in 1842 was based on three specimens from Tibet.[29]
- Otocolobus manul ferrugineus by Ognev in 1928 was a specimen from the Transcaspian region.[30]
In the 1960s, John Ellerman and Terence Morrison-Scott considered
- the nominate subspecies Felis manul manul occurring from Jida River south of Lake Baikal to eastern Siberia;[33]
- F. m. nigripecta occurring in Tibet and Kashmir;[33]
- F. m. ferruginea occurring in the mountain ridge of Missanev, Kopet-Dag Mountains, Transcaspia, southwestern Turkestan, northern Iran, Baluchistan and Afghanistan.[33]
- O. m. manul syn. O. m. ferrugineus in the western and northern part of Central Asia from Iran to Mongolia;
- O. m. nigripectus in the Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan.
Evolution
Following genetic studies, the monotypic genus Otocolobus has been proposed to be placed in the tribe Felini together with the genera Felis and Prionailurus, because of their close phylogenetic relationship.[35] Otocolobus manul is estimated to have diverged from a leopard cat ancestor about 5.19 million years ago.[36]Otocolobus manul[1]
(Pallas, 1776)
Distribution of Pallas's cat in 2016[2
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