Pallas's cat

The manul's pupils remain round even in bright light, unlike those of other cats. This feature is also present in pumas, panthers, and cheetahs.
Manul kittens have high mortality from toxoplasmosis, which exceeds mortality from other causes. In adults, the disease passes almost asymptomatic.
In captivity, manuls usually live up to 12 years, but there is a case where a manul lived 18 years. In the wild, their lifespan usually does not exceed 6 years.
The manul can catch rodents from burrows with its paw. Additionally, it can hunt by waiting for prey near burrows.
The manul has the fluffiest and densest fur among cats. The highest hair density is achieved on its back — up to 9,000 per cm².
The manul hides so well that a large individual can become invisible to humans even among low vegetation, 5–10 cm high. This allows it to avoid danger, even if it cannot run.
The manul's fur looks like icy frost due to the hair color. The hair tips are white, and the tops are black, creating this impression.
Manuls reach adult size by 6–8 months and sexual maturity by 9–10 months. By 9–10 months, they can reproduce during their first season, when they become independent.
The manul's territory is much larger than that of other animals of similar size. For males, it can reach 207 km², and for females — 125 km².
The manul lives at an altitude up to 5500 meters, and the highest recorded altitude of its habitat is over 5500 meters on the Tibetan Plateau. On average, it climbs to 4800 m.
The manul lives at an altitude up to 5500 m and avoids deep snow cover, preferring areas where snow depth does not exceed 15–20 cm. In such conditions, it moves and hides better from predators.
In a litter, the manul usually gives birth to 3–4 kittens, sometimes up to 8, and in some cases even up to 10 kittens. The average litter size varies in different regions.
There was a hypothesis about the manul's relation to the Persian cat due to its distinctive appearance. This hypothesis was incorrect, as the manul has 38 chromosomes, unlike the Persian cat.
One of the most secretive cats.

Age

Pallas's cats have a typical lifespan ranging from 11 to 19 years and 11 months, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 18 years, although their theoretical lifespan is between 7 years and 16 years 3 months. The species reaches sexual maturity between 9 months and 1 week and 1 year 3 months. Eyes open between 1 and 2 weeks of age, and the young begin to walk between 2 weeks and 4 days and 4 weeks. During the "Embryo" stage, the fetus develops inside the mother. The "Kitten" stage sees the birth of a kitten with closed eyes; the mother feeds it milk and provides warmth for a period of from 1 day to 1 month and 2 weeks. Following this, the “Adult” stage begins, lasting from 1 to 12 years, during which the adult manul hunts and lives independently.

Phenotype

The young Pallas's cat has soft and dense fur from birth; the adult Pallas's cats possess very thick and long fur that protects against strong frosts and wind, and the coloration aids in camouflage among stones and grass. The species exhibits a flat and broad face with large eyes and small rounded ears; the adult manuls also have short and powerful legs which allow for rapid movement across rocks.

Physiology

Pallas’s cats measure from 22.9 to 33 centimeters in height and from 50 to 65 centimeters in body length; the species' mass ranges from 3.51 to 3.6 kilograms. The young, during the “young” stage, have a body length of from 12 to 20 centimeters and a body mass of from 70 to 130 grams. Adult manuls have a body mass of from 2.4 to 5 kilograms and a body length of from 50 to 65 centimeters.

Habitat

Pallas's cats inhabit elevations from 300 meters to 4 kilometers above sea level and are found across a variety of biomes, including temperate steppes with abundant grass and few trees, deserts and dry scrublands characterized by intense heat and infrequent rainfall where cacti thrive, and high-altitude meadows that are cold and grassy. The species occupies landscapes such as terrestrial forests, grasslands, steppes, and herbaceous areas, as well as highlands, tundra, deserts, and semi-deserts. Pallas's cats live in a cold steppe environment that is dry with cold winters and abundant grass, and also in regions that are very dry, cold and nearly dry for most of the year. Summers are cool, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 20 degrees Celsius, and precipitation is scarce in winter but more plentiful in summer.

Shelter

Pallas's cats inhabit hillsides among rocks; the species uses dens as shelters. These dens serve multiple purposes, including breeding, resting, and protection from cold.

Geography

Pallas's cats are found within the Palearctic realm, inhabiting ecosystems including the Daurian forest-steppe, the alpine meadows and tundra of Altai, and the alpine meadows and tundra of the Sayan Mountains.

Feeding

Pallas’s cats feed on small animals, with their primary prey consisting of voles and rodents; the species hunts its prey by ambushing it with a quick jump. The diet includes voles, grey field voles, sand rats, marmots, hamsters, sparrows, partridges, hares, and kestrels. Hunting strategies involve active hunting, ambush tactics, and pursuit. Daily food requirements range from 150 grams to 350 grams. Young Pallas's cats feed on milk. The species employs an ambush hunting method to obtain food. Some cultures consume this animal, but it is not considered halal or kosher.

Reproduction

The Pallas's cat inhabits and develops on land, outside of water bodies, and reproduction occurs through live birth, when offspring are born alive on land, not hatched from eggs or larvae; the development of the embryo lasts 2 months 2 weeks, and the female gives birth to from 2 to 6 kittens once a year in a secluded den or crevice where the nest is hidden in an underground burrow. Only the mother exhibits parental care for the offspring, and the litter size ranges from 2 to 6 kittens; sexual maturity occurs in males and females at the age of from 1 to 2 years, and the reproductive interval is 1 year, with reproduction always occurring with homogamy and fertilization, without a change of generations.