Ecology and Behavior
Manuls spend daylight hours in burrows, crevices or caves and come out in the late afternoon to hunt. As their small ears (and flat forehead) are adapted for the open terrain (i.e. small) this cat hunts mainly by sight. It creeps up on prey and ambushes it as running is not one of their strengths. Its fur is also well adapted to the terrain in which it hunts, camouflaging this cat very effectively. The pallas cat merges beautifully into the background.
Its prey includes:
- gerbils
- pikas (a mouse hare) – weighing 100 – 400 grams – found in 82% of scats (droppings) so this is a popular choice of prey. Pikas are active in the daytime so the manul is considered to be “diurnal”. This means active in the daytime. See the photograph of this animal below.
- voles
- chukar partridge
- tolai hares
- marmots (young)
Pika – mouse hare – photo by wildxplorer
The manul is a successful hunter and likes a full belly. One had 16 voles in its stomach!
This cat has some of its own vocalisations. These include:
- a short, sharp spit!
- A bark/hoot (sexual call)
- a lip quiver (threat display?)
- See Cat Sounds WAV WMA MP3
- Update: hear some Pallas cat sounds.
Manul or Pallas’s cat — photo by muzina_shanghai
Reproduction and Development
The climate in the pallas cat range can be harsh. This dictates to a certain extent breeding practice. The information is based on captive animal observations and the information is presented in tabular form for ease of reference:
| Event | Duration – information etc. |
| Estrus (period of sexual receptiveness) | 26 – 42 hours (very short) |
| Gestation (pregnancy) | Two research programs, two findings: (1) 66 – 67 days or (2) 74 – 75 days. |
| Litter size | 2 – 4 kittens (large due to the seasonality of breeding) |
| Den | This is usually in rock crevices and fissures and can contain dried vegetation and bits of prey |
| Kitten size at birth | 89 grams (male) – this is one sample of course. They are born blind. |
| 2 months of age | Kitten weighs 500 – 600 grams |
| Kittens begin hunting | About 5 months of age |
| About adult size | 7 months of age |
| Average lifespan | 8 -10 years in the wild and about the same as the domestic cat in captivity (15 years should be about the non-purebred average domestic cat lifespan). |
From Pallas Cat to Wild Cat Species
Sources:
- Wild Cats Of The World – most profound source
- Red List – most up to date source
- Wikipedia – a general source
Did you even read the article?? Wtf!!
Great comment. Enjoyed reading it. I totally agree with you. There is a pet shop near me where they sell kittens. I like the people and the products but hate the fact they sell animals. Horrible. They just don’t think about the consequences.
You have done really well taking on these cats but…too much really. It is the same old story, people like you and me mop up the mess that others create. The irresponsible lean on the responsible. It was ever thus.
People who care about animals can’t say no to saving an animal.
Hi Anette. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Running a website about cats, I have to mention the cat breeds which leads to getting to know some breeders, who become friends, so I do have a problem criticising cat breeding. However, at heart, I am in harmony with you on this because there are too many unwanted cats.