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Pallas’s cat in the Altai Republic, Russia

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Anna Barashkova at Sibecocenter, Novosibirsk
Anna Barashkova
  • Sibecocenter, Novosibirsk
Ilya E. Smelansky at ACBK
Ilya E. Smelansky
  • ACBK
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Abstract and Figures

Pallas’s cat Otocolobus manul is a small wild cat occurring in Russia at the northern periphery of its global range. The results of Pallas’s cat surveys conducted in the Altai Mountain area are presented in this paper. Before the 2000s, there was no special research undertaken on Pallas’s cat population numbers and distribution in the Altai part of its range, except for the gathering of interview data in the late 1990s. This study carried out snow-tracking and obtained survey data on the species from 2006 to 2009 in the Altai Republic, one of the core habitats for Pallas’s cat in Russia. Pallas’s cat density reaches 1.20-2.18 individuals per 10 km2 in the main Pallas’s cat habitats. A total of 480-650 Pallas’s cats were estimated to live within the Altai Republic. The areas of high conservation value for Pallas’s cat are situated on the Sailughem and Kurai ridges. The main threats to the species are poaching and killing by dogs. It is necessary to estimate the threats from possible human activity, such as mining. It is presumed that educational work with local people will reduce deaths amongst Pallas’s cats. The creation of new protected areas within the key habitat of Pallas’s cat in the Altai Republic, including the enlargement of the recently created national park on Sailughem ridge, is very encouraging.
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ISSN 1027-2992
IUCN
The World Conservation Union
CAT
news
N° 54 | SPRING 2011
CATnews 54 Spring 2011
02
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CATnews 54 Spring 2011
ANNA BARASHKOVA1 AND ILYA SMELANSKY1
Pallas’s cat in the Altai
Republic, Russia
Pallas’s cat Otocolobus manul is a small wild cat occurring in Russia at the north-
ern periphery of its global range. The results of Pallas’s cat surveys conducted in
the Altai Mountain area are presented in this paper. Before the 2000s, there was no
special research undertaken on Pallas’s cat population numbers and distribution in
the Altai part of its range, except for the gathering of interview data in the late 1990s.
This study carried out snow-tracking and obtained survey data on the species from
2006 to 2009 in the Altai Republic, one of the core habitats for Pallas’s cat in Rus-
sia. Pallas’s cat density reaches 1.20-2.18 individuals per 10 km2 in the main Pallas’s
cat habitats. A total of 480-650 Pallas’s cats were estimated to live within the Altai
Republic. The areas of high conservation value for Pallas’s cat are situated on the
Sailughem and Kurai ridges. The main threats to the species are poaching and killing
by dogs. It is necessary to estimate the threats from possible human activity, such as
mining. It is presumed that educational work with local people will reduce deaths
amongst Pallas’s cats. The creation of new protected areas within the key habitat of
Pallas’s cat in the Altai Republic, including the enlargement of the recently created
national park on Sailughem ridge, is very encouraging.
The Pallas’s cat is a rare small wild cat pre-
sently listed in the IUCN Red Data List as
Near Threatened (Ross et al. 2008). Pallas’s
cat is listed as “a rare species on the peri-
phery of its range” in the Red Data Book of
the Russian Federation (Dronova 2001). On
the northern edge of its geographic range in
Russia, Pallas’s cat is found along the borders
with Mongolia and China mainly in the Altai,
Tyva and Buryatia Republics and in Zabaikals-
ky Region. The southeastern part of the Altai
Republic (Kosh-Agach District) is one of the
original contribution
important areas for Pallas’s cat in Russia as
its population density here is relatively high
(Heptner & Sludski 1992, Dronova 2001).
The Altai Mountains Ecoregion is included
in the WWF Global 200 and contains The
Golden Mountains of Altai UNESCO World
Natural Heritage Site. Pallas’s cat is listed in
the regional Red Data Book of the Altai Re-
public as a species with declining numbers
(Chassovskikh 2007). However, prior to 2000,
no work was done on Pallas’s cat in the Altai
Mountains. Before being listed in the natio-
nal Red Data Book of Russia, Pallas’s cat was
hunted for its skin. At that time, the local
game department was purported to conduct
regular snow-tracking surveys to evaluate the
cat’s resources, whereas, in fact, the surveys
were often on paper only and their results
were not published. Only in the late 1990s did
specialists from the Wildlife Agency (Mos-
cow) conduct interviews. They estimated that
the Pallas’s cat population numbered bet-
ween 200 and 300 animals (Dronova 2001).
The present study aimed to obtain up-to-date
data on Pallas’s cat population numbers and
distribution in the Altai Republic of Russia
and to identify threats to the species in the
area investigated.
Study area
The study sites are situated in the Kosh-
Agach District of the Altai Republic where
Pallas’s cat occurs in three relatively separate
areas. The largest area includes the Chuia
intermountain depression (Chuia Steppe) and
surrounding mountain slopes (of the Kurai,
Sailughem, South Chuisky, North Chuisky,
Chikhachev’s ridges and Talduair Massif).
Two smaller and more remote areas are the
Kurai intermountain depression (Kurai Step-
pe) and the Ukok Plateau (Fig. 1). The distri-
bution of the Pallas’s cat is clearly limited by
snow depth as well as by prey density and
availability. The main prey items are different
species of pika (Ochotona sp.) (Heptner &
Sludski 1992, Kiriliuk 1999).
The sites we investigated are the main are-
as where Pallas’s cat is known in the Altai
Mountains. All the sites are located at ele-
vations between 1,800 m and 2,500 m. The
slopes of the Kurai ridge differ from the site
on the Sailughem ridge by having steeper slo-
pes and deeper snow cover. On average, the
Kurai ridge has less arid steppe vegetation
than Sailughem ridge.
Methods
Information on Pallas’s cat numbers and dis-
tribution was collected by snow-tracking and
conducting interviews from 2006 to 2009.
The snow-tracking we used is the standard
method adopted by the State Wildlife Agency
in Russia. Density estimation was calculated
according to Formozov (1932) with correction
factor by Malyshev & Pereleshin (Glushkov et
al. 2007):
S=n/(L x d)
where: S = density (individuals per 1 km2),
n = number of tracks crossed,
L = length (km) of route surveyed,Fig. 1. Study site and survey results in the Russian Altai Republic.
04
CATnews 54 Spring 2011
Pallas’s cat in the Altai Republic, Russia
d = average distance (km) covered by indivi-
dual per day.
As a rule, the value of d is specific for every
species and habitat composition. It is taken
from direct tracking of daily movement and
for most game mammals in Russia was de-
termined several decades ago. Only a few
investigations have been made more recently
for Pallas’s cat (Kiriliuk 1988; our own data).
According to these studies, we assume that
Pallas’s cat daily movement is approximately
1.5-2 km. This value was used for estimating
the population density.
The total length of routes surveyed was ap-
proximately 210 km, this being travelled by
2-3 groups of fieldworkers. Two survey plots
were identified in December 2006 and 2009:
(1) the Sailughem ridge (Ulandryk River valley
with tributaries and the Buraty River valley
– total route length is 105.7 km); and (2) the
Kurai ridge (southern slopes from Yanterek to
Kokorya valley – total route length is 62.3 km).
Other survey routes were put on the Chuia
Steppe (32.3 km), and along the foot of the
Talduair Massif (9.7 km) – a separate moun-
tain massif to the southeast from the Kurai
ridge. The survey routes traversed typical ha-
bitat of Pallas’s cat (ie. screes, rocks, ravines
and pika colonies at the foot of mountains),
as well as less appropriate areas, in order to
fully represent the habitat range. All Pallas’s
cat tracks encountered on the survey route
were counted and their number was used for
the calculation according to Formozov’s for-
mula (see above).
The interview data were obtained from 48
winter and summer livestock-herding camps
during snow-tracking research and also dur-
ing field trips in April and July 2009. Addi-
tional data on Pallas’s cat occurrence was
taken from our data base compiled from
2004 (results of interviewing hunters, ran-
gers, tourists, students and other people who
visited or worked in the area; a total of 17
respondents and 40 reports on Pallas’s cat).
Interview data were used for determining the
boundaries of Pallas’s cat distribution and for
understanding actual threats to the species.
The total area that Pallas’s cat inhabits
within the Altai Mountains was estimated
using spatial analyses of remote sensing
data (Landsat TM, ETM), a digital elevation
model and a landscape map of the Altai re-
gion. Three main types of habitat were di-
stinguished, namely: well-suited to Pallas’s
cat, moderately-suited and unsuited habitats.
This habitat assessment was conducted ba-
sed on the following assumptions: (1) snow
cover is a limiting factor – in suitable habitat
the snow should not be deeper than 20 cm,
or some patches should be free of snow all
winter; (2) the spatial distribution of Pallas’s
cat in the area has an altitudinal limit of 2,600
m, probably because the permafrost line and
steppe/tundra border occur at this height; (3)
the landscape types under investigation are
representative of the whole of the Pallas’s
cat’s range in the Altai Republic. Data were
treated using GIS methods (ie. Spatial Ana-
lyst, ArcView 3.2, ArcGIS 9.3, ESRI, USA).
Results and discussion
Pallas’s cat numbers and distribution
No Pallas’s cat tracks were crossed on the
Chuia Steppe and on the basis of survey data
we assumed that Pallas’s cats only occasio-
nally disperse into this area. Thus we estima-
ted Pallas’s cat number only on two survey
sites: (1) Sailughem ridge site and (2) Kurai
ridge site united with the closely situated
and similar Talduair Massif. On average, the
density of Pallas’s cat tracks was 1.86 tracks
per 10 km. The figure for the Sailughem site
was 1.4 times higher than for the Kurai site
(2.08 and 1.53 tracks per 10 km, respectively).
Taking into account that the daily distance
moved by Pallas’s cat is approximately 1.5-2
km (see above), the Pallas’s cat population
density in the Sailughem ridge was estima-
ted as 1.63-2.18 individuals per 10 km2 and
in the Kurai ridge as 1.20-1.60 individuals
per 10 km2 (Table 1). Considering the pro-
Fig. 2. Pallas’s cat habitats in the main part of the species’ range in the Altai Republic.
Fig. 3. Pallas’s cat in the Bar-Burgazy valley (Photo I. Rozhkov).
05
CATnews 54 Spring 2011
portion of similar habitats in the main part
of the Pallas’s cat range (Fig. 2) in the Altai
Mountains (Chuia Steppe and surrounding
mountain slopes), it is estimated that the to-
tal population in this area of about 3,000 km2
is 420-560 individuals. It is considered that
no more than 10-20 Pallas’s cats occur in
the Kurai Steppe, while no more than 50-70
Pallas’s cats are found on the Ukok Plateau.
In total, therefore, the Pallas’s cat population
in the Russian part of Altai is estimated to be
around 480-650 individuals.
Some differences in habitat use were found
within the Sailughem ridge. Pallas’s cat was
found to occur here almost three times more
often in valleys/ravines with steep slopes
(ie. greater than 40 degrees) than in those
valleys with gentle slopes (ie. from 5 to 30
degrees). Pallas’s cat was never found in flat
steppe habitats (Naidenko et al. 2007). This
finding, however, did not apply to the Kurai
ridge. Most likely, this is because of the very
deep snow experienced during 2009-2010
(up to 30-40 cm) when Pallas’s cats probab-
ly moved to almost snowless, steep-sloped
areas featuring outcrops, rocks and stones.
Pallas’s cat tracks were not recorded in re-
latively flat and snowy places, even if pika
colonies were present.
Information from the interviews
Only four herders interviewed were com-
pletely unfamiliar with Pallas’s cat. 35 out of
48 respondents reported that they had perso-
nally encountered Pallas’s cats or their tracks.
Usually, the area in which the encounter
took place was the grazing area around the
livestock-breeding camp that livestock can
reach during their daily grazing. This can be
up to 100 km2, but is more often 50-80 km2.
In 11 (22.9%) of the interviews, Pallas’s cats
were not reported to occur in the vicinity of
the camps, but in most cases these respon-
dents explained that Pallas’s cat can be found
in other places nearby.
Our surveys show that the Pallas’s cat is
very rare in the Kurai Steppe. This is perhaps
because the Kurai Steppe represents the ex-
treme northern edge of the species’ range.
The study suggests that Pallas’s cat is not
abundant here because of the deep snow co-
ver and a lack of available prey. Snow depth
was 20-30 cm in December 2009, and pika
colonies in the area were few and small in
size. The winter of 2009-2010, however, was
definitely very snowy, so we cannot make a
general conclusion. There is some evidence
that Pallas’s cats occur sporadically north of
the Kurai Steppe, namely in the Lower Chuia
valley near Chibit village and in the Ineghen
valley. It is suggested that Pallas’s cats only
rarely disperse into this area and it is doubtful
that a breeding population exists there. Addi-
tional data are necessary for a more accurate
assertion.
Results from this study differ by a factor
of almost 2 from the estimations of Dro-
nova (2001) made for the Altai Republic
from interview data obtained at the end of
the 1990s. She estimated about 200-300
Pallas’s cats in the Altai Republic. This dif-
ference probably comes from the methods
used. The interview method is not accura-
te and cannot replace surveys in the field.
At the same time, the study of so rare and
secretive a carnivore as Pallas’s cat should
include additional methods, such as home
range determination, etc. The authors are of
the opinion that the Pallas’s cat population
size has been underestimated and that ad-
ditional investigations are therefore needed
to clarify its status.
Threats to Pallas’s cat
In spite of a relatively high Pallas’s cat den-
sity within the Altai Mountains, the species
is still threatened in the area. About 25%
of 52 respondents who gave instances of
Pallas’s cat deaths reported cats being kil-
led by herders’ dogs. Seven respondents
reported that Pallas’s cats were killed in
traps set for hares Lepus tolai, marmots
Marmota baibacina, red foxes Vulpes vul-
pes and corsacs V. corsac. Four respondents
reported that they had killed the cats with
their own hands. We know of one case of
a Pallas’s cat being killed by a vehicle. In
two instances Pallas’s cats were killed by
dogs, and we once came across a carcass
without skin lying close to a herder’s camp;
it may have been poached. Local residents
have noted incidences of Pallas’s cats being
killed by steppe polecats Mustela evers-
manni. We have not recorded any case of
Pallas’s cat being killed by either carnivore
Fig. 5. The Sailughem ridge (Photo I. Smelansky).
Table 1. Density estimation for Pallas’s cat based on snow-tracking data
Surveyed site Area
km2
Transect
length km
Tracks
/10 km
# individuals
/10 km2
Sailughem ridge 450 105.7 2.08 1.63-2.18
Kurai ridge and Talduair Massif 385 72.0 1.53 1.20-1.60
Fig. 4. Pallas’s cat (Photo A. Barashkova).
06
Barashkova & Smelansky
CATnews 54 Spring 2011
or raptor species in the Altai, although the-
re is evidence that this is happening. Mal-
kov (1979) reported a golden eagle Aquila
chrysaetos attacking a Pallas’s cat and, in
1999, the remains of Pallas’s cats were
found in eagle owl Bubo bubo and golden
eagle nests in the Sayan Mountains (Tyva
Republic; Karyakin, pers. comm.).
Future conservation work
This study’s results suggest that Pallas’s cat
populations should be monitored in the Altai
Republic on a regular basis. We recommend
that conservation efforts be undertaken to
reduce threats to Pallas’s cats, such as
trapping and direct killing. Other potential
threats to Pallas’s cats, such as habitat loss
resulting from increased economic activity
in the form of mining, recreation and the
construction of hydropower plants, should
be evaluated. Educational work with local
people is a crucial activity for the success
of Pallas’s cat conservation (Fig. 7). We urge
the creation of new protected areas in the
key habitats of the Pallas’s cat in the Altai
Republic, including the enlargement of the
recently-proclaimed national park in the
Sailughem ridge.
Acknowledgements
This study was kindly supported by the Panthera
Foundation and the People‘s Trust for Endangered
Species. The authors are also grateful to Svetla-
na Goryunova, Alexey Gribkov, Aldar Dambain,
Alexander Kapin, Sergey Naidenko, Ekaterina
Shichkova, Salavat Tadyshev, Andrey Tomilenko
and Maria Ushakova, all of whom accompanied
us in the tasks and hardships involved in the field
work.
References
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of Altai Republic: Animals. Gorno-Altaisk, pp.
363-366.
Dronova N.A. 2001. Manul. In Red Data Book of
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Formozov A.N. 1932. The formula for quantitative
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Kiriliuk V.E. 1988. Rare mammals of southeastern
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1778) nutrition and behaviour in the southeas-
tern Transbaikal region. In Moscow Bulletin
of Naturalists. Moscow. Vol.104, Part. 6, pp.
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Malkov N.P. 1979. Notes on birds of central and
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Barnaul, pp. 143-145.
Naidenko S. V., Smelansky I. E. & Barashkova A. N.
2007. Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul) status in
the southeast of Altai Republic. In Theriofauna
of Russia and contiguous territories (YIII Con-
ference of Theriological Society). Materials of
international workshop. Moscow, p. 322.
Ross S., Murdoch J., Mallon D., Sanderson J. &
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1 NGO Siberian Environmental Center, P.O. Box
547, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
<manul-project@yandex.ru>
Fig. 6. The south slopes of Kurai ridge (Photo A.Barashkova).
Fig. 7. Pallas’s cat: children’s art. Picture by Vladislav Turlunov (Grade 4 schoolboy, Kurai
village, Altai Republic)
07
Pallas’s cat in the Altai Republic, Russia
... The observed large-scale habitat associations of Pallas's Cat, which all contain some form of disruptive or hiding cover, can be explained by Pallas's Cat being under constant risk of predation by sympatric aerial and terrestrial carnivores (Ross 2009). We have evidence of predation by numerous large raptors, and carnivores such as the grey wolf (Canis lupus), herding dogs, and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), they are also hunted by humans (Ross 2009, Barashkova andSmelansky 2011;Ross et al. 2012Ross et al. , 2019b, other large carnivores, such as snow leopard, may also opportunistically predate Pallas's Cat where they coexist. The Pallas's Cat is not a fast runner and when threatened by other predators its best line of defence is hiding out of sight, relying on their excellent camouflage and taking cover in burrows (of marmots or sympatric carnivores) or in rock crevices. ...
... In Mongolia, for example, livestock numbers have increased from 26 million in 1991 to 66 million in 2018 (FAO 1998, National Statistical Office of Mongolia 2018. Increasing livestock numbers result in heavy grazing and habitat degradation, but also in displacement of Pallas's Cats and increasing number of herding dogs which are known to kill the species (Ross 2009, Barashkova and Smelansky 2011, Ross et al. 2012, Joolaee et al. 2014, Ruta 2018. In Kazakhstan there is also a threat from farming, as large areas of secondary steppe grassland are being converted into arable pastures endangering local Pallas's Cat subpopulations by increasing isolation and fragmentation of habitat (A. ...
... 2019). Predation by herding dogs, feral dogs, accidental capture when trapping or snaring other animals, and illegal and legal hunting are the main recorded causes of direct anthropogenic mortality of Pallas's Cats (Ross 2009, Barashkova and Smelansky 2011, Ross et al. 2016, Ruta 2018, Barashkova et al. 2019, Ross et al. 2019. New emerging threats are also of concern. ...
Otocolobus manul (errata version published in 2020). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Technical Report
Full-text available
  • Jul 2020
Pallas’s Cat has a wide but fragmented distribution across the grasslands and montane steppes of Central Asia. Pallas’s Cats are generally found at low densities, though in small rich patches in Russia they have been found at much higher density (Kirilyuk and Barashkova 2011). Their low density is believed to be a result of interspecific predation and the resulting habitat specialisation leading to a small percentage of the landscape being suitable for their needs. Due to their general low density and patchy distribution, relatively large areas are required to conserve viable populations (Ross et al. 2019a). Pallas’s Cats are also highly dependent on cavities to provide dens for daily use and rearing young, which further restricts habitat availability (Ross et al. 2010a). Predation by sympatric carnivores, herding dogs, and human offtake are the main known causes of mortality, but habitat disturbance and fragmentation is believed to be their main threat (Ross et al. 2019b). Mineral exploitation and infrastructure developments have increased throughout the species range. Pallas’s Cat also continues to be at risk from a declining prey base due to pika (Ochotona spp.) and rodent control programmes leading to prey depletion and secondary poisoning (Ross et al. 2019b). Due to the difficulty of observing the species, data generally consist of individual records, and there are no current monitoring programmes that would allow empirical estimates of population size or population trend. However, recent reviews have highlighted that the global population size is unlikely to be low enough to qualify as Near Threatened (Barashkova et al. 2019). In addition, we used the methods of Santini et al. (2019) to quantify habitat loss and disturbance across Pallas’s Cats range between 1994 and 2015 (or three generations). The analyses indicated that between these years the change in suitable habitat and level of habitat fragmentation was low, suggesting suitable habitat is likely to be disappearing at a lower rate than previously assumed, and indicating the population may be more stable than thought. Though caution is needed as information on the Pallas’s Cat is incomplete, and threats may be acting at a different scale than our analyses. We also have no information describing the species population dynamics and how the population may track prey availability. Nevertheless, based on distributional data, the Pallas’s Cat population as a whole appears more stable than previously thought leading to its inclusion in the Least Concern category.
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... Pallas's cats may also have been extirpated from parts of their historical range due to a myriad of threats, including habitat loss (Brown et al. 2003, Ross et al. 2010a, disease (Naidenko et al. 2014), conflict with people and domesticated animals (Barashkova and Smelansky 2011;Chalani et al. 2008), unsustainable hunting (Murdoch et al. 2006;Wingard and Zahler 2006), and prey depletion (Shilova and Tchabovsky 2009;Winters 2006). Threats, such as mineral extraction, overgrazing, and infrastructure development, have all recently increased and are further fragmenting suitable habitat across their Central Asian stronghold (Selles 2013;World Bank 2006). ...
... Habitats that are otherwise suitable, including those with high prey population densities and extensive talus and scree slopes, may still remain unoccupied if they lack adequate cover (Barashkova and Smelansky 2011;Ross et al. 2010aRoss et al. , 2012. Although we were unable to directly incorporate a layer for talus, we did account for potentially important local habitat indicators within our high probability areas, i.e., steeper slopes, ruggedness, and exposed bedrock, all of which are often indicative of rocky outcrops and talus slopes (Hengl et al. 2014;Shangguan et al. 2017) and thus suitable proxies. ...
A rangewide distribution model for the Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul): identifying potential new survey regions for an understudied small cat
Article
  • Jun 2021
Knowledge about the current distribution of threatened and/or understudied species is a fundamental component of conservation biology. Mapping species distributions based on recent known occurrences is particularly important for those that are rare or declining. Too often, cryptic species go undetected throughout parts of their range, whereas others just receive less research attention. We used contemporary presence data for the Pallas’s cat ( Otocolobus manul ), a small cryptic felid, to characterize potential rangewide and regional habitat for the species and identify those abiotic and biotic variables most influencing its distribution. Several regions lacking contemporary occurrence records contain potential habitat for Pallas’s cats, including the Koh-i-Baba Mountains of Afghanistan, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, steppes of Inner Mongolia, Kunlun Mountains of China, and Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and China. Some of these areas have not been included in prior rangewide distribution assessments. The distribution of pikas ( Ochotona spp.), small mammals that likely represent a critical prey species everywhere they are sympatric, was the most important factor affecting the Pallas’s cat’s distribution. This suggests Pallas’s cats may be prey specialists, and that pika presence and habitat are critical considerations for future Pallas’s cat surveys and in the development of regional conservation actions.
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... Manul's distri�ution in Russia is pro�a�ly the �est studied and descri�ed in detail among the range countries (Heptner & Sludskii 1972, Kirilyuk & Puzansky 2000, Barashkova 2005, Barashkova & Smelansky 2011, 2016, Istomov et al. 2016, 2016a, �, Kuksin et al. 2016, Naidenko et al. 2007). Recently, reviewed status, dis� tri�ution and ha�itat use of the manul and its presence in Russian protected areas. ...
... Based on our o�servations and pu�lished data (Heptner & Sludskii 1972 distribution and status in Central Asia & adjacent areas Kirilyuk & Puzansky 2000, Munkhtsog et al. 2004, Ross et al. 2010a, Istomov et al. 2016 we identified two main ha�itat types: (1) Low erosion hills with rock outcrops and scree on slopes and crests, frequently granite, covered with petrophytic dry steppe or semi�desert vegetation. This ha�itat type is found throughout the range in Russia and Central Asia, on hilly plains, foot� hills, elevated plateaus and intermountain valleys in many mountain systems (Heptner & Sludskii 1972, Kirilyuk & Ba� rashkova 2011, 2016; (2) Ravines, rocks, and scree, covered with petrophytic dry steppe or semi�desert vegetation along slopes and pe� diments of mountainous ridges at higher alti� tudes of Inner Asia, Southern Si�eria, and the Tien Shan Range (Kirilyuk & Puzansky 2000, Barashkova & Smelansky 2011, Istomov et al. 2016). Accordingly to our o�servations (240 C1 and C2 locations) the vegetation cover in �oth types is typically semi�arid petrophy� tic grassland -dry steppe, desert steppe, or semi�desert (northern desert) dominated with low xerophytic and petrophytic grasses and low shru�s, particularly species of the genera Stipa, Artemisia, Salsola, Nanophython, and Ephedra. ...
Distribution and status of the manul in Central Asia and adjacent areas
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Jun 2019
A significant portion of the manul’s Otocolobus manul global range is situated in the Central Asian countries Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, and several adjacent provinces of Russia. We estimated the manul cur¬rent Extent of Occurrence EOO in the region at 1,225,313 km2, which is about 84% of the predicted area of suitability calculated from the MaxEnt distribution model. Based on a conservative assessment of manul population density (4–8 cats/100 km2), we roughly estimated the regional population size at 49,000–98,000 manuls. Mongolia holds almost 60% of the estimated potential area of suitability in the region and over 50% of the estimated regional population. Kazakhstan and Russia both have relatively abundant manul populations while in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan the manul presence remains questionable. Killing by herding dogs, wildfires, and rodents poisoning are at present the main threats to the manul in this region. Manul is listed in the Red Data Books of Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Hunting ban or regulation, respectively, and protected areas are currently the main conservation instruments for the species. Protected areas cover approximately 15% of the manul habitats in Mongolia, 12% in Russia, 7% in Kazakhstan, and 6% in Kyrgyzstan. We recognise a lack of knowledge regarding manul ecology and biology in the region, its geographical distribution, and a lack of correct assessment of its population size. These gaps should be filled to raise conservation efficiency. Conservation efforts should include securing manul and its habitats in key areas, minimising dog attacks and poaching, and establishing a broad, long-term monitoring.
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... Avoid using very long sample codes and combinations than can be mis-read during data entry Snow tracking is the process of studying the ecology and behaviour of animals by following their tracks in the snow. Snow tracking has been used for studying the manul across its northern range in Russia and Central Asia, where the technique is also known as "winter transect census" or "snowtracking census" (Kirilyuk & Puzansky 2000;Barashkova et al. 2008, Barashkova & Smelansky 2011, Barashkova 2012, Kirilyuk & Barashkova 2011. However, in this guide we refrain from using "census" (as in, total counts), because no data collection method can successfully detect all individuals from a population (see Chapter 1 for a discussion on imperfect detection -i.e., when detection probability is less than one). ...
Monitoring the manul: guidelines for practitioners
Book
Full-text available
  • Dec 2022
● Chapter 1: Background concepts and challenges of surveying and monitoring the manul (E. Moqanaki & G. Samelius) ● Chapter 2: Manul signs and sampling locations (E. Moqanaki, A. Barashkova, S. Ross, C. Augugliaro, I. Smelansky, V. Kirilyuk & G. Samelius) ● Chapter 3: Camera trapping (E. Moqanaki, A. Barashkova, C. Augugliaro, I. Smelansky & G. Samelius) ● Chapter 4: Faecal-DNA sampling (E. Moqanaki, B. Weckworth & H.V. Senn) ● Chapter 5: Snow-tracking surveys (A. Barashkova, I. Smelansky, V. Kirilyuk, S. Ross, G. Samelius & E. Moqanaki) ● Chapter 6: Interview surveys (E. Moqanaki, J.S. Alexander & G. Samelius)
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... There have been few comprehensive studies of Pallas's cat in the wild, restricting our ability to assess and conserve the species, currently listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN, and by CITES Appendix II (Ross et al. 2015). Previous research has been limited to ecological studies in Mongolia (Ross 2009;Ross et al. 2010aRoss et al. , 2010bRoss, Munktsog, and Harris 2012), and Kazakhstan and Russia (Barashkova and Smelansky 2011;Barashkova and Kirilyuk 2011;Kirilyuk and Barashkova 2011). As a result, we do not have a full appreciation of the type of habitat conditions that can support Pallas's cat populations across its range. ...
Maternal habitat use of Juniperus excelsa woodland by Pallas’s cat Otocolobus manul in Iran
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2018
Pallas’s cat is a rare felid that has a wide but patchy distribution across Eurasia’s cold steppes. The species is known to prefer rocky, mountain and shrub steppe habitats, and strongly selects habitats with good cover from sympatric predators, particularly when raising young. This is the first report of the species using Juniperus excelsa woodland habitat for foraging and breeding in Iran. We observed the use of two aged juniper tree cavities as breeding dens for a litter of four kittens. The record extends our capacity to assess the range of habitats that are used and suitable for Pallas’s cat populations.
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... The Pallas's cat's distribution is mostly studied in the foothills of mountain ranges bordering the Chuya hollow. Special studies (winter track transects and interview surveys) were conducted on the Sailugem and Kuraisky ridges in 2006and 2009(Naidenko et al., 2007Barashkova et al., 2010;Barashkova & Smelansky, 2011). The Sailugem ridge was recognised as a population hotspot for the Pallas's cat, where the maximum population density of this species has been registered (up to 1.96 individuals per 10 km 2 ). ...
Significance of Protected Areas for the Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul: Felidae) Conservation in Russia
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2017
The Pallas's cat, or Manul, Otocolobus manul, belongs to the small felines. In Russia this species is located at the northern periphery of its range. Potential habitats of this species within its Russian range's part have been highlighted on the base of remote sensing data, topographic maps and digital cartographic models. Maps of the Pallas's cat's records in Russia have been compiled using literature data, authors' own data and information provided by contributors of the online database «Small Wild Сats of Eurasia». We have shown the representation of potential habitats of the Pallas's cat and its actual registrations within Protected Areas of Russia. The total area of potential habitats for this species in Russia is assessed as 145,150 km2. The presence of Manul is confirmed for five regions of Russia: Republic of Altai, Republic of Tyva, Republic of Buryatia, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Trans-Baikal Krai. The registration of the species' records mainly corresponds to the location of its potential habitats. The main categories of both federal and regional Russian Protected Areas cover 10.8% (13.5% taken with the buffer zones) of the total area of potential habitats for the Pallas's cat. The significance of each Protected Area for Manul conservation has been considered in detail. We have discussed whether the representativeness of the existing Protected Areas is sufficient for conservation of this species. We have identified the main territorial gaps that reduce the Pallas's cat protection in some parts of the Russian range.
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... In Mongolia livestock numbers have increased from 33 million in 1999 to 45 million in 2013, with a forecast annual increase of 10.2% (National Statistical Office of Mongolia 2013). As well as habitat degradation, with livestock come domestic herding dogs which are known to be an important predator of Pallas's Cat (Barashkova and Smelansky 2011, Farhadinia et al. 2012, Ross et al. 2012, Joolaee et al. 2014. Across the region other sources of habitat fragmentation include infrastructural developments, development of the mining industry (Awehali 2011, Paltsyn et al. 2012, Selles 2013, and the petrochemical industry in China (Abdukadir 1997). ...
Otocolobus manul. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.
Technical Report
Full-text available
  • Oct 2015
Pallas’s Cat has a wide but fragmented distribution in the grasslands and montane steppe of Central Asia. Even in optimal steppe habitat in Mongolia Pallas’s Cats occur at a very low density of two to six Pallas’s Cats/100 km2 (Ross in prep.). Their low density is believed to be a result of interspecific predation which restricts their use of habitats to those with good cover from predators, whilst maintaining access to prey. A consequence of habitat specialization is that a low percentage of the landscape is suitable for their needs, and their low density means that relatively large areas are required for conservation of viable populations (Ross et al. 2012). Pallas’s Cats are dependent on marmot burrows or other available cavities to provide dens for daily use and rearing young, which further restricts habitat availability (Ross et al. 2010a). Using the Pallas’s Cat studbook data (Barclay 2013) generation length has been estimated at 3.61 years. However, most populations now experience disturbances resulting in reduced lifespan and lower reproductive output (e.g. Ross 2009). Predation by sympatric carnivores, domestic dogs and human offtake are the main causes of mortality (Ross 2009). While recent records have resulted in small expansions of the species known range, increases in the number and extent of livestock, herders and herding dogs is resulting in increased habitat degradation, displacement and mortalities (Damdinsuren et al. 2008, Barashkova and Smelansky 2011, Ross et al. 2012). Mineral exploitation and infrastructure developments have also increased substantially in Central Asia increasing fragmentation throughout its core range (Selles 2013). Pallas’s Cat continues to be at serious risk from a declining prey base due to pika and rodent control programmes and secondary poisoning. A lack of range-wide data means there is little empirical bases on which to estimate population size and status of Pallas’s Cat. However, based on low detection rates, increases in habitat degradation and the species biological susceptibility to disturbance, populations are suspected to be fragmented and to have declined by 10–15% over the past 11 years (three generations). The species is listed as Near Threatened as it may qualify as Vulnerable under criterion C1 in the future when the population size drops below 10,000 mature individuals (it is currently about 15,000).
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... Evidence of killing by dogs comes from almost everywhere they have been studied, and the list of mammalian carnivore species that are killed by dogs is long. The list includes taxa with a wide range of body sizes from dhole ( Cuon alpinus ) ~18 kg; ( Williams, 1935 ), to civets ~1-6 kg ( Ashraf et al., 1993 ;Dahmer, 2002 ), small cats ~5 kg ( Barashkova and Smelansky, 2011 ) and mustelids ~1-2 kg ( Butler and du Toit, 2002 ;Maran et al., 2009 ;Ross et al., 2008 ). In many cases intraguild killing (and not predation) can be deduced because the carcasses of even small carnivore species are recovered relatively intact. ...
Top-dogs and under-dogs: Competition between dogs and sympatric carnivores
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Oct 2013
This chapter examines the interaction of dogs with other predators. It studies the competitive dynamic existing between dogs and other carnivores. It also assesses the implications of these reactions to the conservation of native carnivore species.
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Spatio‐temporal occurrence and sensitivity to livestock husbandry of Pallas's cat in the Mongolian Altai
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2021
Biased research and conservation efforts result in some faunal groups (e.g., small felids) being understudied, and hence these groups are often declining without adequate knowledge to manage for threat reduction. The Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul) occurs across central and western Asia with declining populations and the largest population is likely in Mongolia. A potential threat to this felid is livestock encroachment across its range, including within protected areas, yet we lack a clear understanding of the impact of livestock husbandry on this cat. We used motion-sensitive camera data from 216 sites in 4 study areas in western Mongolia to study the occurrence probability of Pallas's cat in relation to habitat characteristics and occurrence of livestock, and conducted a local assessment within a strictly protected area where we obtained the highest number of detections. We estimated a relatively low occupancy (0.33 ± 0.10), which is associated with sites with natural vegetation, steeper slopes, and greater prey abundance. Occupancy also increased with increasing livestock occurrence, particularly large herds of sheep and goats. Such co-occurrence was partially adjusted by diel activity segregation, presumably to limit direct encounters. Our results suggest that the preferred habitat by Pallas's cat in the study region coincides with areas encroached by livestock. The Pallas's cat's habitat is specialized and its dependence on areas that are increasingly used for grazing may eventually threaten the cat with habitat degradation, prey depletion, predation by dogs, and poisoning from pest control. Relevant conservation actions should regulate livestock encroachment within protected areas and improve grazing regimes. The Pallas's cat is an indicator species of mountainous and steppe ecosystems in central Asia; hence, further research towards the preservation of its populations would also benefit other key species across its range.
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Vertebrate prey composition analysis of the Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul) in the Gongga Mountain Nature Reserve, based on fecal DNA
Article
  • Feb 2020
Diet analysis is essential to fully understanding the biology of a species and its function within the ecosystem, and is also key in identifying food web interactions and the population dynamics of predators and prey. There is currently little information on the diet of small to mid-sized carnivores due to their elusive behavior. We used a DNA-based method to analyze the vertebrate prey of the Pallas’s cat ( Otocolobus manul ) in the Gongga Mountain Nature Reserve of southwestern China, a global biodiversity hotspot region. We confirmed 14 scat samples containing the Pallas’s cat DNA from 100 small carnivore scats collected at altitudes between 3200 and 4900 m, and then performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications using primers targeting the vertebrate mitochondrial 12 S rRNA gene with a blocking oligonucleotide specific to the predator sequence. We identified a total of 18 prey taxa, including nine mammals, eight birds and one fish. Our results show that pikas (in 79% of the scats) and birds (in 50% of the scats) are the predominant prey consumed by the Pallas’s cat in our investigation area. The most important finding in our study is that Cypriniformes species were found in the Pallas’s cat’s diet, exhibiting dietary diversification consistent with the accessible fauna of the surrounding environment. In order to increase the detectability of both typical and rare vertebrate prey items, we constructed a blocking primer to inhibit the amplification of the Pallas’s cat DNA.
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Chassovskih V.A. 2007. Manul. In Red Data Book of Altai Republic: Animals. Gorno-Altaisk, pp. 363-366.
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Dronova N.A. 2001. Manul. In Red Data Book of Russian Federation. Moscow, pp. 647-648.
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Glushkov V. M., Grakov N. N., Grevtsev V. I., Zarubin B. E., Karpukhin V. I., Kozlovsky I. S., Kolesnikov V. V., Kulpin A. A., Larionova M. A., Makarov V. A., Mashkin V. I., Pankratov A. P., Piminov V. N., Sinitsyn A. A., Shilyaeva L. M., & Chesnokov A. D. 2007. Census and resources of game animals in Russia. Edited by V. I. Mashkin. -the 2nd edition, revised. VNIIOZ, RAAS, VSAA. Kirov, p. 40.
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Kiriliuk V.E. 1988. Rare mammals of southeastern Zabaikalie (biological bases for conservation). Abstract of a thesis.
On Pallas's cat (Felis manul Pall., 1778) nutrition and behaviour in the southeastern Transbaikal region
  • Jan 1999
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  • V E Kiriliuk
Kiriliuk V.E. 1999. On Pallas's cat (Felis manul Pall., 1778) nutrition and behaviour in the southeastern Transbaikal region. In Moscow Bulletin of Naturalists. Moscow. Vol.104, Part. 6, pp. 41-44.
Notes on birds of central and transboundary parts of southeastern Altai
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Malkov N.P. 1979. Notes on birds of central and transboundary parts of southeastern Altai. In Biological resources of Altai Krai and the ways of its efficient use: Conference Proceedings. Barnaul, pp. 143-145.
Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul) status in the southeast of Altai Republic
  • Jan 2007
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Naidenko S. V., Smelansky I. E. & Barashkova A. N. 2007. Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul) status in the southeast of Altai Republic. In Theriofauna of Russia and contiguous territories (YIII Conference of Theriological Society). Materials of international workshop. Moscow, p. 322.
Box 547, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia <manul-project@yandex.ru> Fig. 6. The south slopes of Kurai ridge
  • Siberian Environmental
  • P O Center
Siberian Environmental Center, P.O. Box 547, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia <manul-project@yandex.ru> Fig. 6. The south slopes of Kurai ridge (Photo A.Barashkova).
Pallas's cat: children's art. Picture by Vladislav Turlunov (Grade 4 schoolboy, Kurai village
  • Fig
Fig. 7. Pallas's cat: children's art. Picture by Vladislav Turlunov (Grade 4 schoolboy, Kurai village, Altai Republic)