I Can Haz Fone Call

By admin | December 28, 2007

I Getz Fone Call?

Manul (Pallas’ Cat)

The manul is commonly called the Pallas’ cat after German naturalist Peter Pallas (1741-1811) who first described the cat among his descriptions of much of the Russian fauna. Manul is the Russian as well as the Mongolian name. They are also called steppe cats and rock wildcats. They are well adapted to the various habitats they endure in central Asia and have been observed at altitudes in excess of 15,000 feet. Their short, thick legs and compact bodies enable them to climb rocky crevices and cliff faces easily.

The oldest living species of cat, the manul evolved some 10 million years ago. Its small broad head has large round eyes and blunt wide-set ears. The eyes, which are set high, contract to small circular pupils, rather than slitted pupils as in other small cats. They also have a well-developed nictating membrane that affords protection against wind and the regular dust storms that arise in parts of their range. The ears are small and set low on the sides, an adaptation to hunting in open country with little cover.

With an extremely thick and heavy coat, the manul has the longest and densest coat of any of the felid species. The underfur, the hair on the belly and tail, is nearly twice as long as on the top and sides. The thick fur insulates them, providing a good source of insulation against the frozen ground and snow. The tail can be wrapped around the feet or body like a thick muffler. The manul’s long coarse fur can be anywhere from sandy to grey to russet for the base coat with the tips of the guard hairs (the longer coarser hairs) being white, giving the cat an overall ‘frosted’ look. There are also some black spots on the forehead, and black stripes on each ruffed cheek as well as dark rings on the black-tipped tail. The lips, chin, and throat are all white.

This lolcat is from flickr user Edgar Thissen which is published under a Creative Common Attribution License..

If you can think of a better caption please post a comment.

Topics: Wild Cat |

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