HERE, KITTY, KITTY!
by J.E. Rogers
I know a lot of cat people. They own cats like a Siamese, or a Burmese,
or a Tonkinese, or some other of the ‘eses.’ This week we’ll take a look at a very
unusual and little known wild cat. A video of this cat in captivity prompted me
to write this week’s post. I have spoken about this cat before, but it’s one of
my favorites so let’s get to it.
The Pallas cat is named for Peter Pallas, a German naturalist
(1741-1811), who first described it. However, Pallas incorrectly believed that
this cat was an ancestor to the Persian breeds. It is not.
Meet the Pallas Cat:
Photo
credit: arkinspace.com
Although it is about the same size as a domestic cat, it appears larger
due to its stocky build and bulky fur coat. Don’t let that coat fool you. This
is not a big cat, and he’s not fat, just fluffy. Pallas cats weigh between five
and nine pounds with a body length of approximately nineteen to twenty-five
inches.
Photo
credit: arkinspace.com
Its head has dark streaks along the side, and its tail has four rings.
The coat is very long and dense, which serves the animal well given that it
lives in a cold climate and spends a lot of time on frozen ground and snow. It lives
in a wide area from the Caspian Sea into parts of China and Mongolia.
Below is a video about the Pallas cat. A lovely young lady from the
Prospect Park Zoo (NY), talks about this unusual animal. I have also provided
Prospect Zoo’s web site in the resources list at the bottom of this post.
Pallas cats live in caves and burrows, which they cleverly annex from
other animals. It was once believed that they are nocturnal animals, but it has
been discovered that they are crepuscular,
which means twilight, so this cat is out hunting during the twilight hours and
at dawn. They hunt for small rodents, birds, and insects and have been known to
wait outside the dens of small animals to ambush them. Yes, indeed, he’s a very
clever cat!
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pallas_Cat.jpg
The Pallas Cat is a precursor to our modern domestic cat. It has been
around for about twelve million years, and we hope it continues to survive. Note
that the pupils of the Pallas cat are round, unlike domestic cats.
So why is the Pallas Cat endangered? People have hunted it heavily for
its fur coat. Also, the Pica, which is a small rodent-like mammal, is being
poisoned because it is believe to carry the plague. The Pallas cat eats the
Pica and is therefore dying by their poisoned meal. Also, as usual, its habitat
is being diminished due to human encroachment.
The Pica
Photo taken by "sevenstar" and posted to
Wikimedia Commons:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ochotona_princeps_rockies.JPG
The Pallas Cat is difficult to study because their
populations are spread over a great area which is tough to traverse. Nevertheless,
there is an effort underway to save the species. The International Species
Information Service lists the population at 117 worldwide, with 48 being in the
U.S. A species survival plan has been put into place to help. Let’s hope
the efforts to save this beautiful creature are successful.
The following PBS video about the Pallas Cat is
very informative. Take a few minutes to watch and listen.
If you would like to learn more about this
marvelous cat, visit the following web sites:
Thanks
for stopping by and visiting. I hope you’ll be by again.
Enjoy!
Jeanne E. Rogers, Award
Winning Author
The Sword of Demelza, The
Gift of Sunderland and
One Hot Mess, A Child’s
Environmental Fable
Where Endangered Animal Heroes
Roam the Pages!
