• About
  • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Disclaimer
  • Contact
  • Advertise
    • Cat Clout! Top Influencer.
    • Awards
    • Demographics
  • PR Friendly
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

The Tiniest Tiger

  • Home
  • Gracey’s Story
    • Gracey’s Blog
    • The Tiniest Tiger’s Habitat
      • Bad Kitty
      • Lazy Leopard
      • Bossy Backyard Blue Jay
      • Great Horned Owl
    • Gracey’s Place of Refuge
    • Bissell MVP 2010
      • Bissell MVP Pet Photo Winner 2010
  • Conservation Cub Club
    • Wildlife Wednesday
    • Big Cat Cousins
      • Tigers
      • African lions
      • Jaguars
      • Leopards
      • Cheetahs
      • Puma
      • Smaller Big Cats
  • Cat News
    • Reader Opinion Polls
    • Cat Health
    • Feline diabetes
    • Feline Nutrition
    • Water!
    • Litter Box News & Issues
  • Shop Triple T Studios
  • Product Reviews
    • Cat Comfort
    • Cat Food and Treats
    • Fountains & Dishes
    • Cat Litter
    • Cat Towers
    • Cat Toys
    • Cat Collars & ID
    • Cat Grooming
    • Cat Travel
    • Cleaning
    • For Cat Parents
      • Apparel
      • Books
  • Giveaways

Pallas’s Cat : One of the World’s Most Secretive Cats

Smaller Big Cats

27 Jul
Altai Biosphere Reserve
Photo from Camera Trap Altai Biosphere Reserve

One of the World’s Most Secretive Cats

Pallas’s Cats can be found primarily in the grassland and shrub-land steppe of Central Asia, but is found as far west as Western Iran and previously was known to inhabit Armenia and Azerbaijan.  The core populations of Pallas’s Cat  exist in Mongolia and China where they can live in elevation of 5,050 meters on the Tibetan Plateau.

Atlai Biosphere Reserve
Photo from Camera Trap Altai Biosphere Reserve

This secretive cat is rarely seen so getting an estimate on population is difficult.  With the addition of camera traps, images of the fluffy cat with the expressive face are popping up more frequently.  Also known as Manul cats, a name of Mongolian origin this wild cat is about the same size as our domestic cats, even though they appear much bigger.  The Pallas’s Cat has an amazing 9,000 hairs per square centimeter and the hair can be up to 7 centimeters in length, making their fur longer and denser than any other cat!

Pallas's Cat  Atlai Biosphere Reserve
Photo from Camera Trap Altai Biosphere Reserve

The reclusive behavior and rarity of the species has prevented  a specific conservation action being implemented to protect resources essential for the cats’ survival. The threats to Pallas’s Cat are habitat degradation and fragmentation. The degradation is occurring due to increased human population and the expansion of animal husbandry across the species range.  Over-hunting and poisoning of the Pallas’s Cat prey base is another serious threat.

what do pallas’s cats eat?

Daurian pikas are the most frequent prey for Pallas’s cats. These cats also eat a range of small mammals, insects, birds, reptiles and carrion.

Pallas’s Cats are Listed as Near Threatened under CITES

Listed as Near Threatened under CITES, hunting of Pallas’s Cat is prohibited in all range countries except Mongolia where the cat has no legal protection even though classified as Near Threatened in the country. The Pallas’s Cat has long been hunted for their fur in relatively large number in Mongolia, Russia and China but international trade in Pallas’s Cat pelts has nearly stopped since the late 1980s.  Last estimate, there were 1000 hunters of Pallas’s Cats in Mongolia with an estimated mean harvest of two cats per year.  Pallas’s Cats are also shot by mistake by hunters looking for marmots.  The cats are trapped as by-catch in leg-hold traps set for wolves and foxes and in snares set for marmot and hares.

Atlai Biosphere Reserve   Pallas's Cat
Photo from Camera Trap Altai Biosphere Reserve

The  cat is a distant relative, millions of years ago, to the leopard. The cat is a native of Siberia but lives in the shadow if their more famous cousins the Amur Tiger and Leopard.  Technology will help scientists learn more about this gorgeous little cat, by capturing them on camera like the photos in this post captured by camera trap in the Altai Biosphere Reserve.

Previous Post: « KATRIS Announces New Lynks Cat Scratcher Pair
Next Post: One Year After Cecil. Saving African Lions Today »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. katsrus says

    July 28, 2016 at 7:59 am

    Beautiful cat. Thanks for sharing about them.
    Sue B

  2. Dash Kitten in NZ says

    July 27, 2016 at 6:12 pm

    this is such a thrilling post. To see the cats in pictures. I hate that people are threatening them Grrrr

  3. databbiesotrouttowne says

    July 27, 2016 at 5:35 pm

    dood…ewe R total lee awesum !! yur furz ree mind uz oh de siberian
    lynx !!!

    we R troo lee sorree bout yur habitat N az sorree two lurn bout those hunterz ~~~~~ ???

  4. Summer says

    July 27, 2016 at 4:11 pm

    We love the Pallas cats and have wanted to learn more about them.

  5. Danielle Sauers says

    July 27, 2016 at 4:02 pm

    I love Pallas Cats! Thanks for sharing these photos.

  6. Elliott Hankin says

    July 27, 2016 at 1:09 pm

    All kitties are so very beautiful and precious. Id love to spoil her withchicken, fish and everything she likes.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to The Tiniest Tiger

Gracey for TTT
Hi, I'm Joanne and I love all cats. With a Global Field Master of Zoology degree focused on big cat conservation, I like to learn and talk about big cats too. I share my habitat with Paul and we were adopted by our cats Annie, Eddie and Mercy. The Tiniest Tiger has a fierce following of cat lovers and we'd love it, if you'd join us.

Triple T Studios ~ Fashion With a Passion®

Join Team Cat!


Our Books

our books ad with border

Light-a-Candle Memorial

candlelight vigil image
Light A Candle

The Tiniest Tiger

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2023 · Refined theme by Restored 316