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title: "What the sources say about the Pallas's Cat (Manul) | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "48 claims from the Pallas's Cat (Manul) profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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# What the sources say about the Pallas's Cat (Manul) (*Otocolobus manul*)

> 48 claims from the Pallas's Cat (Manul) profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Pallas's Cat (Manul)](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/pallas-cat/)

## Felis manul (Pallas' cat). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan, 2013.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Felis_manul/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Pikas and small rodents such as gerbils and voles | The majority (85.5%) of Pallas cats' diet is comprised of small rodents and pikas (Ochotona dauurica) ... the most frequent small mammal remains were Daurian pikas (Ochotona dauurica), Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and mountain voles (Alticola stoliczkanus) |
| Where it lives in Russia, temperatures range from 38°C to -43°C. | The habitat of Pallas cats in Russia is dominated by vegetation composed of Artemesia, Festuca, Stipa, and a variety of small shrubs. These areas are characterized by temperate continental climates with temperatures ranging from 38 degrees Celsius to -43 degrees Celsius. (note: "these areas" follows the Russian habitat sentence, so the figures are scoped to Russia) |
| It is poorly suited to moving through deep snow, so it only lives where winter snow cover stays under 10 cm. | Pallas cats are poorly adapted to moving through deep snow, so their habitat is restricted to areas with less than 10 cm of snow cover during the winter. |
| It can't dig its own burrow either, so it relies heavily on abandoned marmot burrows for winter dens, and on rock crevices and caves in summer. | these cats cannot excavate their own burrows and therefore rely very heavily on the availability of abandoned marmots' burrows for winter dens, in addition to rock crevices and caves in the summer |
| A study of 146 scat samples found that the small mammals it ate most often were Daurian pikas, Mongolian gerbils and mountain voles, with small amounts of perching birds, carrion and insects too. | In a study of 146 scat samples, the most frequent small mammal remains were Daurian pikas (Ochotona dauurica), Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and mountain voles (Alticola stoliczkanus), but there were also small amounts of passerines, carrion and insects present. (note: passerines are perching birds) |
| It hunts by stalking, by flushing prey out of undergrowth, or by waiting outside a burrow for prey to come out. | Pallas cats use a variety of behaviors when they are hunting including stalking, flushing and ambushing prey ... Flushing occurs when cats walk quickly through summer undergrowth, to flush out and capture small mammals and birds ... ambush hunting occurs when cats wait outside a burrow for prey to emerge, before attacking |
| It may be a poor runner, so outrunning a fox, wolf or large bird of prey is unlikely | Pallas cats may be poor runners; therefore running is an unlikely means of escape from large terrestrial or aerial predators. (note: "so" is the source's "therefore") |
| a fox, wolf or large bird of prey | Known Predators red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) Corsac foxes (Vulpes corsac) wolves (Canis lupus) large birds of prey (Aves) |
| instead, a threatened cat freezes low against rock or vegetation, or bolts for a rock crevice or den. | Threatened Pallas cats will run into a ‘bolt hole’, such as a rock crevice or den, slink down low and freeze next to rocks or vegetation, or run into the cover of nearby rocks or ravines. |
| In captivity, Pallas's cats are highly susceptible to the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. | Pallas cats are highly susceptible to the obligate intracellular coccidian, Toxoplasma gondii, in captivity worldwide. |
| for a cat that moves slowly compared with the predators around it | they move slowly compared to other sympatric and predatory carnivores and rely on crypsis and camouflage with their background (note: vibe.reason, settled in #178: replaces 'ancient stone castle atmospheres, and grumpy solitary mountain mystery', which argued from mood) |
| hides by keeping still: a threatened manul slinks down low and freezes next to rocks or vegetation | Threatened Pallas cats will run into a ‘bolt hole’, such as a rock crevice or den, slink down low and freeze next to rocks or vegetation (note: vibe.reason, settled in #178; 'hides' is the crypsis in the same ADW passage) |

## Pallas's Cat. Elmwood Park Zoo.

https://elmwoodparkzoo.org/animal/pallass-cat/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In the wild it can live 8 to 10 years. | They can live 8 to 10 years in the wild, and more than 12 years in captivity. |
| Its large eyes and squashed face give it a distinctly grumpy look | Their large eyes and squashed facial features give them a distinct "grumpy" look. |

## Pallas's Cat. Felidae Conservation Fund, 2021.

https://felidaefund.org/learn/cats/pallas-cat

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Its body is 50 to 65 cm long and it weighs 2 to 5 kg, with a thick, bushy tail about half the length of its head and body combined. | Weight: 2-5 kg / Body Length: 50-65 cm / Tail Length: 21-31 cm ... a squat, short-legged felid with a thick, bushy tail that is about half the length of its head and body combined |
| Under all that fur, it's actually about the size of a house cat. | Although its long coat and thick fur make it appear quite large, this cat is actually about the size of a domestic house cat. (note: "all that fur" is the source's "long coat and thick fur" that make it look large) |

## Felis manul. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Felis_manul

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| One captive Pallas's cat lived to at least 15.9 years. | One captive specimen was at least 15.9 years of age when it died |

## Pallas' Cat. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

https://www.columbuszoo.org/animals/pallas-cat

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Round pupils | pupils that contract into small circles rather than the typical vertical slits of most felines |
| ears set low for peeking over boulders | short ears set low on the sides of their head, they can remain undetected when peering over boulders |
| stalking prey across Central Asia's rocky steppes | Their current range is throughout central Asia from western Iran to western China ... Pallas' Cats have a very specific habitat in rocky steppes and stony outcroppings with sparse shrub coverage ... while stalking their prey |
| A flat head with short ears set low on the sides, letting it peer over boulders while stalking prey without being seen. | With a flat head and short ears set low on the sides of their head, they can remain undetected when peering over boulders while stalking their prey in an area with very little cover. |
| Rocky steppes and stony outcrops with sparse shrubs across Central Asia | Their current range is throughout central Asia from western Iran to western China ... Pallas' Cats have a very specific habitat in rocky steppes and stony outcroppings with sparse shrub coverage. |
| plus birds, carrion and insects in winter | In the winter, when prey is less available, they will switch to a more generalized foraging strategy and consume a greater variety of food items. This includes birds, carrion (dead animals), and insects. |
| Its head is flat and its short ears sit low on either side, so it can peer over boulders without being seen while stalking prey where there is very little cover. | With a flat head and short ears set low on the sides of their head, they can remain undetected when peering over boulders while stalking their prey in an area with very little cover. |
| instead of narrowing to vertical slits like most cats', a manul's pupils contract into small circles | Pallas' cats have large yellow eyes with pupils that contract into small circles rather than the typical vertical slits of most felines. |
| It ranges across Central Asia from western Iran to western China, and its core populations are in Mongolia and China. | Their current range is throughout central Asia from western Iran to western China. ... The core populations of Pallas’ cats occur in Mongolia and China now. (note: current institution page replaces ADW 2013. Its "Historically, populations also extended into Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan" was dropped: the 2023 paper puts the Caucasus inside the current range) |
| It keeps to rocky steppes and stony outcrops with sparse shrubs. | Pallas' Cats have a very specific habitat in rocky steppes and stony outcroppings with sparse shrub coverage. |
| Most of its diet is pikas and small rodents. | Most of Pallas’ cat’s diet consists of pikas and other small rodents. |
| In winter, when prey is harder to find, it switches to a wider range of food. | In the winter, when prey is less available, they will switch to a more generalized foraging strategy and consume a greater variety of food items. |
| Its head is flat and its short ears sit low on either side, so it can peer over boulders without being seen while stalking prey where there is very little cover. | With a flat head and short ears set low on the sides of their head, they can remain undetected when peering over boulders while stalking their prey in an area with very little cover. (note: faq 1) |
| Most cats have pupils that narrow to vertical slits. A Pallas's cat's pupils contract into small circles instead. | Pallas' cats have large yellow eyes with pupils that contract into small circles rather than the typical vertical slits of most felines. |

## Brown et al. (2005). EXPLORING THE ECOLOGIC BASIS FOR EXTREME SUSCEPTIBILITY OF PALLAS' CATS (OTOCOLOBUS MANUL) TO FATAL TOXOPLASMOSIS. Journal of Wildlife Diseases.

https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-41.4.691

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In a 2005 study, only 2 of 15 wild Pallas's cats caught in Mongolia had antibodies to it, which suggested that wild cats have little chance of meeting the parasite in their natural habitat and usually aren't infected until they are brought into captivity. | 15 wild Pallas' cats, 15 domestic cats, and 45 prey animals (rodents and pikas) captured in Mongolia ... only two of 15 (13%) wild Pallas' cats were seropositive ... These findings suggest that wild Pallas' cats have minimal opportunity for exposure to T. gondii in their natural habitat and, typically, do not become infected with this parasite until being brought into captivity. (note: 2005 is the reference's year; seropositive means antibodies were found) |
| About 60% of Pallas's cat kittens in North American zoos died as newborns, mostly from toxoplasmosis, the 2005 study reported. | Recent efforts by North American zoos to establish a genetically viable captive population of Pallas' cats (Otocolobus manul) have been compromised by high newborn mortality (approximately 60%), primarily because of toxoplasmosis. (note: 2005 is the reference's year; past tense because the 2023 paper reports breeding has since succeeded) |
| Why the species was so susceptible was unknown. | The basis for this extreme susceptibility to toxoplasmosis is unknown. |
| That held back the zoos' efforts to build a genetically viable captive population. | Recent efforts by North American zoos to establish a genetically viable captive population of Pallas' cats (Otocolobus manul) have been compromised by high newborn mortality (approximately 60%), primarily because of toxoplasmosis. |
| A 2005 study found that wild Pallas's cats in Mongolia have little chance of meeting the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, and usually aren't infected until they are brought into captivity. | the general health status of wild Pallas' cats in Mongolia was evaluated ... These findings suggest that wild Pallas' cats have minimal opportunity for exposure to T. gondii in their natural habitat and, typically, do not become infected with this parasite until being brought into captivity. (note: 2005 is the reference's year) |
| In North American zoos, about 60% of kittens were dying as newborns, mostly from toxoplasmosis, and nobody knew why the species was so susceptible. | Recent efforts by North American zoos to establish a genetically viable captive population of Pallas' cats (Otocolobus manul) have been compromised by high newborn mortality (approximately 60%), primarily because of toxoplasmosis. The basis for this extreme susceptibility to toxoplasmosis is unknown. |

## Flack et al. (2023). Chromosome-level, nanopore-only genome and allele-specific DNA methylation of Pallas's cat, Otocolobus manul. NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics.

https://doi.org/10.1093/nargab/lqad033

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| a BBC documentary's verdict as the grumpiest cat in the world | Deemed the ‘the grumpiest cat in the world’ by the BBC documentary series Frozen Planet II |
| Tibetan Plateau | O. manul's wide geographic range spans varied climatic regions including the Caucuses Mountains, Mongolia and the Tibetan Plateau (note: stats.habitat; the 2023 paper, not ADW 2013, so the range statement is current) |
| is a small wild cat native to the mountain grasslands and shrubby steppes of Central Asia | Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul), or the manul cat, is a small-bodied carnivore native to the montane grassland and shrubland steppe habitats of Central Asia |
| A 2023 genome study also counts the Caucasus Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau within its wide range. | O. manul's wide geographic range spans varied climatic regions including the Caucuses Mountains, Mongolia and the Tibetan Plateau (note: final pass: the paper spells it Caucuses) |
| The manul is the only living species in its genus, Otocolobus. | The manul cat is the sole extant species in the monotypic genus Otocolobus |
| Where it sits on the cat family tree was still an open question in 2023: one genetic study placed it beside the group that includes the leopard cat and fishing cat, while another put it nearer the genus Felis, which includes the house cat. | phylogenetic analyses surrounding the relationship of this genus to other small-bodied cats are ongoing. A phylogenetic study using select nuclear genes across the felid radiation placed Otocolobus as a sister lineage to the genus Prionailurus, a taxonomic group that includes the fishing cat (P. viverrinus) and leopard cat (P. bengalensis) among others (14). In contrast, a whole-mitogenome phylogeny placed Otocolobus closer to Felis, which includes the domestic house cat (note: 2023 is the paper's own date; replaces Felidae Fund's unattributed 'oldest living cat species' line) |
| the BBC documentary series Frozen Planet II called it "the grumpiest cat in the world." | Deemed the ‘the grumpiest cat in the world’ by the BBC documentary series Frozen Planet II (note: the page states only that the BBC said it, which the paper cites; no claim that the cat is grumpy in temperament) |
| By 2023, a genome study reported that a successful captive breeding program had made manuls widespread in zoos around the world. | A successful captive breeding program has led to O. manul being widespread in zoo collections around the world (note: 2023 is the paper's own date) |
| Each cat roams a wide home range and populations are thin, though, so its conservation status varies from place to place. | Because of its wide home range and low population density, the conservation status of O. manul varies geographically. |

## Ross et al. (2020). Otocolobus manul. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T15640A180145377.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2020-2.rlts.t15640a180145377.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). |
| The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern. | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). |