Mongolian Manuls: An Informative Twitter Thread About The Chonkiest Cat Ever

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Ellie Dunn
Sep 29, 2021 1:00 PM EDT

Chonky cats are the purrfect thing to brighten up a chilly fall morning. Cats with a little extra fluff are just so wholesome and cute, we love looking at their little chunky paws. They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and every cat is beautiful to somebody. Every once in a while, we stumble across and extraordinarily extra cat, the kind of cat who we know everybody would love to learn some more about, and that is exactly what happened when we found an incredibly interesting twitter thread about a very unique kind of cat. 

Mongolian Manuls, also known as Pallas Cats, also known as adorable chunky floof balls, are a very unique kind of cat that are known for being super awesome. In addition to being awesome, these cats are wild, and not house cats by any means. Yet, they manage to be so adorable and fluffy that it's hard to imagine they could be anything less than cuddly. Luckily, twitter is pretty knowledgable, and taught us a lot about this crazy kind of cat. 

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  • 01
    Vertebrate - Matt Reid @DrMReid @drphiliplee1 meet this absolute chonkster, the beautiful Mongolian Manul
    via @DrMReid

    All aboard the chonky cat train! It's time for every hooman to realize that chonksters are taking over the world, one floofy paw at a time. But seriously, these cute kitties are definitely true hunters. Read on to find out more:

  • 02
    Eye - John Carlos Baez @johncarlosbaez · Jun 20, 2020 ... How wonderful to live on a planet where there are many beautiful animals you've never yet seen. This is the "manul". It lives in the grasslands and high steppes of Central Asia: Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kashmir, and western China. (1/n) Pictures 111
    via @johncarlosbaez

    Wow! Sounds like its time for us to plan a wildcat-themed-trip to Central Asia! Who wouldn't want to see some Pallas Cats in the wilderness of Mongolia? Of course, as noted, clearly these cats have a much wider territory than just Mongolia. 

  • 03
    Head - John Carlos Baez @johncarlosbaez · Jun 20, 2020 The manul is also called "Pallas' cat". It's the size of a house cat, but its stocky build and long, dense fur makes it look stout and plush. It has a shorter jaw with fewer teeth than most cats. (2/n)
    via @johncarlosbaez
  • 04
    Organism - The Cougar Network @Cougar_Network OUGARNETWOR With such a perplexing anatomy how does one hunt effectively? Well, what's interesting is that they are actually terrible runners! Their legs are too short and their compact body makes it difficult make leaps and bounds gracefully.. so they AMBUSH INSTEAD! /4 #ScienceTwitter
    via @Cougar_Network
  • 05
    Cat - AUGARNETWOR The Cougar Network @Cougar_Network Although these stubby little cat pugs aren't fast they manage to catch plenty of food in the wild. They prey upon birds, rodents, insects, and carrion. They also share a distinct relation to predating pikas which are lagomorph relatives to rabbits and hares! /6 #ScienceTwitter
    via @Cougar_Network
  • 06
    Plant community - OUGARNETWOR The Cougar Network ... @Cougar_Network This original Mr. Grumpy cat has evolved to use their oblong body shape to hide in plain sight with their incredible camouflage making them disappear! Right between rocks and tucked within grasses waiting for their perfect chance to strike! HIYA!!! /5 #ScienceTwitter
    via @Cougar_Network
  • 07
    Cat - John Carlos Baez @johncarlosbaez · Jun 20, 2020 Manuls spend most of the day in caves, cracks in the rock, or marmot burrows. In the late afternoon they come out and hunt. They can't run fast, so they mainly hunt by ambush or stalking. They eat gerbils, pikas, voles, partridges, and sometimes young marmots. (3/n)
    via @johncarlosbaez
  • 08
    Vertebrate - John Carlos Baez @johncarlosbaez The manul's closest relative is the the leopard cat, a small cat of southeast Asia. The manul and the leopard cat seem to have diverged just 5 million years ago. It always amazes me how *new* many mammal species are. (4/n)
    via @johncarlosbaez
  • 09
    Map - OUGARNETWOR The Cougar Network @Cougar_Network ... The Manul cat has the densest fur out of any cat in the WORLD! They inhabit the high-altitude ranges of Asia and the Mongolian Steppe utilizing grasslands and semi-arid areas. They withstand temperatures up to -58 F (-50 C) which is colder than your freezer! #ScienceTwitter /3 Masan Federation Kazakan nenistan Irag Saudi Arabia India Myanmar
    via @Cougar_Network
  • 10
    Eye - John Carlos Baez @johncarlosbaez · Jun 20, 2020 Replying to @johncarlosbaez The manul is listed as 'near threatened'. They're hunted for fur in China, Mongolia, and Russia, though Mongolia is the only place where it's legal to kill them. They usually don't do well at low altitudes, but there are 48 in US zoos. They often look grumpy. (5/n) GRUMPY CAT
    via @johncarlosbaez
  • 11
    Cat - DB ayond DBRaymond @raymond_db A Mongolian manul, or Pallas's cat. Or known by its layman name, Big Baby. 7:33 PM · Sep 21, 2021 · Twitter for iPhone
    via @raymond_db
  • 12
    Cat - The Cougar Network @Cougar_Network · Aug 1, 2019 Replying to @Cougar_Network When it comes to breeding most cats usually average around 2-4 kittens but Pallas's cats can have up to 6 with a record of 8 being recorded! This trait comes from the evolutionary tradeoff of living in a highly variable prey abundance during seasonal changes. /7 #ScienceTwitter
    via @Cougar_Network
  • 13
    Cat - Danny Sweeney @Dann_Sw ... So I just discovered that the Mongolian Manul exists and oh god I need twenty
    via @Dann_Sw

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cat informative twitter Twitter Thread mongolian-manul interesting kitten cute Pallas big cats animals
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