Token Manul MMD

White Crane coin token. Manul

Series "5 chervonets. The Red Book of the USSR. MMD"

Artist: Ivanov MA
Sculptor: Parfenov A.I.

Manul (Pallas cat) is a living relict, a representative of the feline genus, a wild and lonely hunter from a distant past, as incomprehensible and unpredictable as it is not fully understood. The word "manul" is of Turkic origin and that is all that can be said on this topic. Who and why he called it so remains a mystery.
At the end of the 18th century, the German naturalist Peter Pallas, traveling through the Caspian steppes, first met this strange animal, described its appearance, habits, and way of life.
They live in the highlands of Transcaucasia, the steppes of Transbaikalia, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Iran, Kashmir, western China, on the elevated plains of Mongolia. The area of ​​distribution, due to human activity and illegal fishing, is constantly decreasing, splitting into isolated foci. As a result, at present, the population size is critically reduced. The animal manul is under state protection and is listed in the Red Book.
Appearance manula, thanks to a thick fur coat, is deceptive. Outside - he is fat and clumsy, and a rather frail creature the size of an ordinary domestic cat is hidden under a layer of wool, except perhaps somewhat wider in the bones, denser and more muscular in the body.
Manul does not often like to change his place of residence and is a staunch supporter of loneliness, consistently living within its own hunting grounds. With violators of private territory understands quickly, hard. Shows sentimentality and tenderness in the period of courtship for the female.
Under the lair manul chooses secluded places - crevices of rocks, shelters under stones, small caves, long abandoned burrows of other animals. Spends in it part of the night and most of the day. She uses the shelter all year round - in the summer she escapes from the heat and waits the cold in winter. In nature, almost no enemies. The most famous of them, the wolf, is also a danger of feathered predators (golden eagles, steppe eagles).
A secretive, cautious cat manul is in no hurry to get involved in a fight, prefers to wait out the danger in a shelter or climbs onto stones and rocks at lightning speed. In a state of anxiety, hoarsely snorts, rumbles, and he doesn’t know how to purr like a cat. Manul comes across a man rarely, immediately tries to run away, without showing the slightest curiosity.