13 Fascinating Facts About Pallas’s Cats

Neatorama regulars know we love the opportunity to post videos of Pallas's cats, because they look so awesome. You might want to learn more about these small wild cats of the Asian highlands. Like stuff about their ears.

2. Its scientific name means "ugly-eared."

Later on, the cat's scientific name was changed from Felis manul to Otocolobus manul—not exactly the most flattering moniker, since Otocolobus is Greek for “ugly-eared.”

3. Its unusual ears come in handy.

Some may consider the Pallas’s cat’s ears to be ugly, while others might think they’re adorable. Arguments aside, the cat’s round ears—which sit flat on the sides of its head—are one of the feline's most distinguishing features. As Crystal DiMiceli, a former wild animal keeper at Brooklyn's Prospect Park Zoo, explains in the above video, having low-positioned ears helps the cat conceal itself—they don’t poke up to reveal the animal's position while it's hiding or hunting.

Read about the rest of the Pallas's cat at Mental Floss.

(Image credit: Albinfo)


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