The steppe and forest wild cats, representatives of reed inhabitants have a relative - the Pallas. This breed was discovered by Pallas, by the name of which Manul and got its second name - Pallas cat.
Appearance
This cat is always dressed in a kind of fur coat, whose long hair gives the impression of a compact and large weight of the animal. In fact, a cat weighs from 2 to 5 kg with a height of 65 cm. He can’t boast of Manul's tail, he has a short tail, his ears are also short, hidden in wool.
Manul wears whiskers because his hair is long on his cheeks. The fur coat of the manula is sandy with a small pattern in the form of stripes on the back, tail and cheeks. On the head, the stripes are turned into spots; on the tip of the tail, the hair is black.
The area - where the manul lives
Manul lives in Transcaucasia, Iran and Central Asia, as well as in Mongolia. And in some places in China. Pallasovy cats - residents of a treeless land, semi-desert, steppe. They hide in low bushes and grass. Cats love rocky places, small rocks. Pallas hold on to one place where there is shelter. These are night hunters spending the day in their hole.
Character
Animals are very careful, but not evil. They avoid people because of their caution. They are not attracted to human settlements; they choose manula hunting places away from human habitation. Manul is a silent cat, rarely snorts, and if angry, he rumbles. Manul can both growl and snort.
Hunting
Manul is a patient and secretive hunter, we can say that leisurelyness is his main feature. He does not like to run and does not know how, because he quickly gets tired, and he does not matter jumping.
Rodents, small birds become prey for manul and insects become a prey for lack of food. Manul is able to get a groundhog or a hare. In winter, the cat has a little worse than in the other season due to the fact that he gets stuck in the snow. To prevent this from happening, the manul finds clean and open places where a free wind walks.
Breeding
In February and March, like many types of cats, the manul begins a period of mating games. Two months later, kittens appear in the female in the nest, up to 5 individuals. Kittens are woolen balls. They are born blind. Manul kittens do not squeak, keep silence in the name of safety, go out with their mother. In a relaxed atmosphere, they pass the wisdom of hunting in games, which are sent at the age of 4 months.
Enemies of Pallas
The life expectancy of manuls is 12 years. Manul in nature has many enemies: golden eagles and eagle owls, wolves and wild dogs, eagles. In addition to these enemies, snowy winter brings misfortune. At present, unfortunately, man has become the enemy of manul.
The animal's caution helped him maintain his strength. As soon as this type of cat was discovered, a man stubbornly began to influence his life. Manul does not tolerate bondage, does not trust anyone, and hides, trying not to show himself. Hunters who place traps on foxes and hares are also harmful to the Pallas. Now an acute question arose about the preservation of the numbers of this beautiful and harmless animal.
