This is a Pallas’s cat. It’s also called a manul.
They live wild in Central Asia, in the grasslands and montane steppes. They prefer cold arid elevations up to 15,000 feet.
Why is it called a Pallas’s cat?
It was named after a German naturalist, Peter Simon Pallas. Pallas was the first to describe the cat, in 1776. However, Pallas was mistaken when he suggested that the species was the ancestor of Persian breeds of domestic cats. Pallas based his assumption on the cats long fur, stocky build and flattened face.
Are they bigger than domestic cats?
They look bigger, because they have so much fluffy hair, but they are around the same size.
Actually, they have the longest, densest fur of any cat.
Are they different in other ways from cats?
Yes. Their pupils contract into small circles. Most cats have pupils that contract into vertical slits.
The species is classified as Near Threatened by IUCN.
How many are there?
The ISIS lists 117 worldwide–48 in America.
Pallas's Cats, the Longest, Densest Haired Cat
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