IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Ross, S. | |
| Providing an ecological basis for the conservation of the Pallas's cat | |
| 2009 Full Book | |
Pallas's cat is a 3-5kg species endemic to Central Asia. It is Near Threatened and thought to be at risk from habitat fragmentation, a declining prey base and consumptive hunting. Moreover, it is distributed within the temperate grasslands biome, the least protected of all biomes in the world and increasingly under pressure from economic development and population growth. While the current status of Pallas's cat highlights its need for protection, its ecology has not been studied, impairing the development of conservation strategies. In this thesis I address the need for an ecological framework to support the species conservation. I conducted fieldwork for 30 months from 2005 to 2007. Pallas's cats were found to maintain large home range areas and live at very low densities. They are polygamous but appear to be non-territorial. Sex and the distribution of preferred habitats were the main factors causing variation in home range size. Pallas's cats are highly selective feeders, preferring pika over other available prey species. As pikas are 2-3 times larger than other prey species, they appear to be an optimal food item which reduces foraging costs per unit energy gain. Pika eradication programmes in China and Mongolia therefore pose a serious threat to Pallas's cats' prey base. Pallas's cat is also a habitat specialist. They largely confine activities in or near to rocky and ravine habitats. Both habitats were found to provide superior hiding and escape cover, indicating specialisation is an antipredator strategy as used habitats had comparatively low prey availability. Marmot burrows and rock crevices were used as dens on a daily basis for most aspects of Pallas's cats' life; similar habitats were selected for denning as for foraging. Overall, the dominant influence on Pallas's cats' ecology was its susceptibility to predation. Anti-predator behaviour shaped all aspects of Pallas's cat's ecology including its habitat use, spatial behaviour, activity and where it rested, reproduced and fed. Pallas's cats apear to have several ecological traits commonly associated with extinction vulnerability, painting a bleak picture for their future conservation. Considering the diverse changes that are currently sweeping through the steppe ecosystem, significant disturbance of Pallas's cat habitat will continue to be an issue. The highest conservation priority for Pallas's cat is protection of their habitat. |
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