Pallas’s Cat

04.01.2025

Pallas’s Cat

Why in the news?   

The first photographic proof of Pallas's cat in Himachal Pradesh, India, during a snow leopard survey recently, highlights the urgent need for conservation of lesser-known species in the Indian Himalayas.

About Pallas’s Cat:

• The Pallas’s cat, or manul (Otocolobus manul), is a small, long-haired cat(family Felidae).
• It was named Pallas’s cat after Peter Simon Pallas, who first described it in 1776 based on specimens collected near Lake Baikal, Russia.

Distribution of the Pallas’s Cat :

• It is primarily found in Central Asia, with the range extending to western Iran, Mongolia, China, Russia (on the border of Mongolia and China), Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
• In these regions, it inhabits mountainous plains and semi-desert foothills.

Features of the Pallas’s Cat :

• It is a soft-furred animal about the size of a house cat and is pale silvery gray or light brown in colour.
• Head and body length ranges from 45 to 60 centimetres (18 to 24 inches) with an additional 23–30 cm for the tail; weight ranges from 2.5 to 3.5 kilograms (5.5 to 7.7 pounds).
• It is distinguished by a broad head with high-set eyes and low-set ears.
• The end of its tail is ringed and tipped with black, and some individuals have vague, dark markings on the body.
• The fur of the underparts is about twice as long as that of the upperparts and possibly represents an adaptation to the cat’s habitual lying and crouching on cold ground.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Least Concern
• CITES: Appendix II

                                                                  Source: The Times of India

Consider the following statements regarding Pallas’s Cat, recently seen in the news:

1. It is a small, long-haired cat, native to North America.

2. It is classified as ‘Endangered’ under the IUCN Red List.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A.1 only

B.2 only

C.Both 1 and 2

D.Neither 1 nor 2

Answer D