Where do Pallas's cats live? Country, elevation, temperature, and record in Everest

The Pallas's cat's habitat is in the highlands of Central Asia

The Pallas's cat's habitat spans from Iran in the west to Mongolia in the east, spreading across the interior of Asia. According to the IUCN Red List (2020), the following countries are habitats for the Pallas's cat.

The key point is that the largest populations are in Mongolia, southern Russia (southern Siberia), and China. As you move west, the distribution becomes fragmented, and it is sparse around the Caspian Sea, in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India, where it is isolated.

The elevation of the Pallas's cat's habitat

The Pallas's cat's habitat ranges from 440m to 5,593m in elevation. Most of it is highland grasslands and rocky areas.

The highest recorded elevation is in Nepal. According to researchers' records, the Pallas's cat was confirmed in an area exceeding 5,500m in elevation in the Dolpa region of western Nepal, where feces were analyzed for DNA. This is the highest record among the Pallas's cat's habitats.

The Pallas's cat's habitat included Mount Everest

In January 2023, the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, became a news story as a habitat of the Pallas's cat.

According to a report by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in the United States, the survey was conducted in April and May 2019. The survey team from National Geographic and Rolex's "Enduring Earth" Everest expedition collected feces in Sagarmatha National Park on the southern side of Mount Everest. The collected feces were from two locations at elevations of 5,110m and 5,190m, about 6km apart.

DNA analysis of the feces revealed that at least two Pallas's cats were present. DNA of the pika and the small weasel-like animal (mountain weasel) that live in mountains was also found in the feces. These are the Pallas's cat's prey.

This result was published in the 76th issue of CATnews, the newsletter of the cat specialist group (2022). There are no photographs, and the feces are the only evidence. Nevertheless, it means that the Pallas's cat was living undetected in a mountain that people have climbed for decades.

The temperature of the Pallas's cat's habitat

The Pallas's cat's habitat is a cold and dry "continental climate." According to researchers' records, in the Dauria region of Russia, the temperature difference in a year can exceed 100℃. In the northern side of the Himalayas in India, temperatures can drop to -30℃ in winter.

The Pallas's cat can withstand this cold thanks to the densest fur among all cats. For more information about fur, see Why is the Pallas's cat round?.

However, the Pallas's cat is weak against snow. It does not live in areas where snow accumulates more than 15 to 20cm. In the Zabaykalsky region of Russia, the line of maximum snowfall of 16 to 17cm marks the northern-eastern end of the distribution.

The environment of the Pallas's cat's habitat

The common feature of the Pallas's cat's habitat is "grassland" and "rock."

• High-altitude grasslands or steppe (dry grassland) with low shrubs
• Exposed rock areas, valleys, and scree slopes (slopes covered with rock fragments)
• Rock crevices used for resting or raising young, and burrows of animals like marmots

According to researchers' records, the Pallas's cat is rarely found in open areas with only short grass or in lowland deserts. It may use these areas temporarily only when there is an abundance of prey. It hides in the shade of rocks and hunts pikas and mice along the edges of grasslands. This is the way of life of the Pallas's cat. For more information about its diet, see What does the Pallas's cat eat?.

How many Pallas's cats live in their habitat?

The Pallas's cat is sparsely distributed even within its habitat. According to researchers' records, in good habitats in Mongolia, there are 4 to 8 individuals per 100 square kilometers. This is a very low density compared to other carnivores in the same region.

On the other hand, in the Dauria region of Russia, a survey found 16 individuals in 16 square kilometers, and the population is much denser in some areas. It is considered that the difference is due to the abundance of prey and the number of predators.

The range (territory) used by one individual is wide. In Mongolia, females have an average territory of 23 square kilometers, and males have an average of 99 square kilometers. The size varies depending on how scattered the rocky areas are. In the Dauria region, females have a territory of 10 square kilometers and males 27 square kilometers, which is much smaller.

Japan is not part of the Pallas's cat's habitat

Japan is not included in the Pallas's cat's habitat. Wild Pallas's cats live only in the interior of Asia. In Japan, the Pallas's cat can be seen only in zoos. According to a statement from Nagoya City, there are 22 individuals in 9 facilities in Japan as of the end of 2025.

In Japanese zoos, some have created exhibits that resemble the rocky habitats of the Pallas's cat. Places where you can see the Pallas's cat in Japan are listed in Zoos in Japan where you can see the Pallas's cat, and places around the world are listed in Places around the world where you can see the Pallas's cat.

What is the current status of the Pallas's cat's habitat?

The Pallas's cat's habitat is gradually fragmented due to the conversion of grasslands and farmland into pasture and farmland, and the development of mines and roads. When rodents and pikas are eliminated with poison, the Pallas's cat loses its food source.

According to the IUCN Red List, the Pallas's cat was classified as "Least Concern (LC)" in the 2020 assessment, but the number of mature individuals is estimated to be around 58,000, and it is said to be decreasing. For more information, see Is the Pallas's cat an endangered species?.

Sources

• IUCN Red List: Otocolobus manul (2020 assessment)
• CATnews Special Issue 13 "Current Status and Conservation Strategies of the Pallas's Cat" (2019, PICA and IUCN Cat Specialist Group)
• IUCN Cat Specialist Group: Species Description of the Pallas's Cat
• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): First report of rare cat discovered on Mt. Everest (January 2023)
• Mongabay India: Manul, the grumpiest cat, confirmed on the world's highest mountain (March 2023)
• Nagoya City: About the relocation of the Pallas's cat at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens (May 2026)