Context: A snow leopard population census in Himachal Pradesh, has led to an unexpected find: the presence of the Pallas’s cat in the state. Researchers were going over data from a camera-trap survey conducted, when it produced the first-ever photographic evidence of the cat in the state.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Pallas’s Cat.
About Pallas’s Cat:
- The Pallas’ cat is one of the smallest wildcats in the world. It is dubbed the world’s grumpiest cat and is an elusive creature.
- Physiological characteristics:
- The Pallas’s cat has a distinct appearance. Its face is flatter compared with other wildcats, big and small.
- Its eyes are green with a black rim around them and its cheeks have black stripes.
- It has long, dense and white fur, which changes to a light brown in summer.
- Distribution: It is distributed in the grasslands and montane steppe of Central Asia, in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia (Siberia), Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India (Sikkim and Ladakh), Mongolia and China (including Tibet). Its territory overlaps that of the equally elusive snow leopard.
- Habitat & Ecology:
- It is distributed in landscapes with extreme continental climates - little rainfall, low humidity, and a wide range of temperatures.
- Prey: Their prey are birds, reptiles, pikas (a small rodent-like mammal) and rodents.
- Predators: Large raptors, wolves and red foxes are their predators. Due to predation pressure Pallas’s Cat strongly selects habitats providing hiding cover and avoids open habitats.
- IUCN Status: Least Concern.