Characteristics
Pallas's cat is about the size of a domestic cat, with a 46 to 65 centimetres (18 to 26 in) long body and a 21 to 31 centimetres (8.3 to 12 in) long tail. It weighs 2.5 to 4.5 kilograms (5.5 to 9.9 lb). The combination of its stocky posture and long, dense fur makes it appear stout and plushy. Its fur is ochre with dark vertical bars on the torso and forelegs. The winter coat is greyer and less patterned than the summer coat. There are clear black rings on the tail and dark spots on the forehead. The cheeks are white with narrow black stripes running from the corners of the eyes. The chin and throat are also white, merging into the greyish silky fur of the underparts. Concentric white and black rims around the eyes accentuate their rounded shape. The legs are proportionately shorter than those of other cats, the ears are set very low and wide apart, and it has unusually short claws. The face is shortened compared with other cats, giving it a flattened face. The shorter jaw has fewer teeth than is usual among felids, with the first pair of upper premolars being absent.[4]
Distribution and habitat
Pallas's cat is native to the steppe regions of Central Asia, at elevations up to 5,050 metres (16,570 ft).[5] They are found in the Transcaucasus and Transbaikal regions of Russia, and, less frequently, in the Altai, Tyva, and Buryatia Republics. They also inhabit Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Kashmir in India, and across much of western China, especiallt in the Tibetan Plateau.[6] In 1997, they were reported for the first time as being present in the eastern Sayan Mountains.[7]
Populations in the Caspian Sea region, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, are declining, and increasingly isolated.[8][9] In 2008, an individual was camera-trapped in Iran's Khojir National Park for the first time.
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