Manul — Felis (Otocolobus) manul Pall.
Externally, the manul is very similar to a large domestic cat, with a body length of 52 to 65 cm, a tail length of 23 to 31 cm, and a weight ranging from 2 to 5 kilograms.
It differs from the domestic cat by its denser, more massive build, short thick legs, and very thick fur (there are 9,000 hairs per square centimeter, which can reach a length of 7 cm).
Due to such thick fur, the manul appears larger than ordinary domestic cats.
There are other differences as well – a shortened tail and short widely spaced ears, which are almost invisible due to the thick fur.
The manul has a small, wide, and flattened head with small round ears that are widely spaced. Its eyes are yellow, and unlike the pupils of domestic cats, which become slit-like in bright light, the pupils of the manul's eyes remain round.
There are tufts of longer hair on its cheeks, resembling whiskers. The tail is long and thick, with a rounded tip.
The coloration of the manul is reddish-gray, with the back marked by barely noticeable transverse stripes; these stripes are well visible on the cheeks and tail, while small dark spots are located on the crown of the head, and the tip of the tail is black.
This coloration provides the manul with exceptional camouflage properties that aid in hunting.
Sexual dimorphism is not pronounced; males are only slightly larger than females.
Among domestic cats, the manul most resembles the Persian cat, being equally fluffy, with rounded shapes and a similar head shape.
The lifestyle of the manul remains unknown due to the extreme rarity of the species. It mainly inhabits the syrts – unique cold high-altitude deserts. Tracks of manuls have been found on the Pokrovsky syrts, where they mainly circled around small high-altitude lakes. It prefers rocky highlands and treeless slopes, sometimes ascending to altitudes of up to 3,500 m above sea level. It settles in burrows of marmots, badgers, or in crevices of rocks, under large stones.
The mountain manul differs from the desert manul in coloration. While the latter has a yellowish-clay or grayish color like most desert animals, the mountain manul is grayer and appears more soot-like. It mainly hunts voles, birds, hares, and occasionally marmots. Offspring are born in May.
Distribution: Inner Tian Shan. Listed in the Red Book.
Red Book