The manul carries the densest coat of any cat relative to its size, with fur on the belly roughly twice as long as on the back — insulation for lying on frozen ground. Its flattened head and low-set ears let it look over a rock or ridge while exposing very little of itself.
It is a poor runner. Faced with danger, a Pallas's cat freezes, flattens itself against rock or bolts for the nearest marmot burrow rather than trying to outrun a pursuer.
Size and measurements
| Head-body length | 18 in – 2 ft 2 in (46–65 cm) |
|---|---|
| Tail length | 8 in – 12 in (21–31 cm) |
| Shoulder height | 11 in – 13 in (28–32 cm) |
| Body weight | 5.5–9.9 lb (2.5–4.5 kg) — The heavy coat makes the animal look considerably larger than it is. |
| Top recorded speed | Not reliably measured — Not measured; the species relies on concealment rather than escape speed. |
| Lifespan in the wild | 8–11 years |
| Lifespan under human care | 11–14 years |
Habitat and range
Cold, dry grassland, rocky outcrops and mountain steppe up to about 17,000 feet, where winter temperatures fall far below freezing and snow cover stays shallow.
Mongolia, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and parts of the Caucasus and northern India.
Diet and hunting
Pikas and voles form the core of the diet; ground birds, marmots and insects are taken opportunistically.
Hunting strategy — Stalk and ambush at burrow entrances. The cat waits beside pika holes or creeps along rock lines, using cover rather than speed to close the distance.
Behaviour and activity
Solitary. Shelters in rock crevices and abandoned marmot burrows, and depends on those refuges both for cover and for raising kittens.
Crepuscular and cathemeral. Most active around dawn and dusk, but activity shifts through the day in cold weather and near pika colonies.
Climbing and swimming
Climbing — Limited. Heavy-bodied and short-legged; it scrambles over rock but is not an agile climber.
Swimming — Very limited. Occupies dry, cold habitats and avoids water.
Conservation status
The Pallas's Cat is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a population trend recorded as decreasing in the assessment published in 2020.
A wide range keeps the global category low, but the species is naturally sparse everywhere, and the loss of marmots and pikas to poisoning campaigns removes both prey and shelter.
Documented threats
- Rodent poisoning campaigns
- Loss of marmot burrows used as dens
- Killing by herding dogs
- Trapping and incidental snaring
- Overgrazing of steppe habitat
Look up the current Red List assessment for Otocolobus manul
Notable traits
- It has round pupils rather than the vertical slits typical of small cats.
- Kittens are highly susceptible to toxoplasmosis outside their native range, a long-standing problem in zoos.
- Its coat contains more hairs per square inch than that of any other felid.
Sources for this profile
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Global assessment categories, population trends and documented threats.
- IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group Species accounts, distribution notes and Cat News reporting for every wild felid.
- PICA — Pallas's Cat International Conservation Alliance Range-wide status review and field ecology of the Pallas's cat.
- Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation Dedicated research and field reporting on the lesser-known felids.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.