Why is this animal unusual?
It’s no bigger than a house cat. It just looks twice the size because it has the thickest, densest fur of any cat in the world.
Why does it look like that?
The ears sit low on the sides of its head, so it can peek over a rock without being seen. And its pupils are round, like a lion’s, instead of the vertical slits of other small cats.
Strangest biological feature
That fur coat. It’s almost twice as long on the belly and tail as on the back, for lying on frozen ground.
Why is it strange?
Its long, bushy tail doubles as a blanket – it wraps it around its body and paws to stay warm on frozen ground.
Interesting behavioral facts
It’s a slow runner, so it hunts by ambush: creeping, freezing and waiting outside rodent burrows.
Records held
The densest fur of any cat.
