Saharan sand cat
Felis margarita margarita, sometimes called the Saharan sand cat, is a subspecies of the sand cat native to the Sahara.
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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starts withThe Saharan sand cat is the smallest of all the four subspecies. It has a bright fur colour, pronounced markings and 2–6 rings on the tail.
The Saharan sand cat is patchily distributed in desert areas of Morocco, Algeria, Niger and Egypt.
Sand cats prey on small rodents, birds and reptiles. They drink water if available, but satisfy most of their moisture need from prey, which they can dig out of the sand quickly. They have also been observed to hunt and consume horned and sand vipers.
In the Sahara, sand cats mate in the cold season between November and February. Young are born between January and April.
A noise similar to a bark of a dog is thought to be a mating call. Captive sand cats normally have three kittens in a litter and have more than one litter per year.
The sand cat is threatened by expanding human settlements, and is killed in traps set up by herders. Domestic dogs and cats are direct competitors for prey, and possibly transmit diseases.
