Sand Cat
Sand Cat

Sand Cat

Sand dune cat, Sahara cat

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Subphylum
Vertebrata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Suborder
Feliformia
Family
Felidae
Genus
Felis
SPECIES
Felis margarita
Population size
27,264
Life Span
13 yrs
TOP SPEED
40 km/h
WEIGHT
1.5-3.4 kg
HEIGHT
24-36 cm
LENGTH
39-52 cm

The desert is where one of the world’s most interesting and formidable cats lives, the Sand cat. It looks a bit like a domestic cat, though with the addition of furry paws, giant ears, and a very curious personality. These cats are small and stocky, with short legs and a tail that is relatively long. Their fur is generally a pale sandy color, usually with a white belly. Their feet are very thickly furred, which is thought to help them cope with the desert’s extreme temperatures-like wearing shoes to walk on hot asphalt.

No

Nocturnal

Ca

Carnivore

Te

Terrestrial

Al

Altricial

Pr

Predator

Bu

Burrowing

Po

Polygyny

So

Solitary

Se

Sedentary

S

starts with

Photos with Sand Cat

Sand Cat photo
Sand Cats are cuuuute
Sand Cat
Sand Cat
Sand Cat

Distribution

The Sand cat lives in northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and central and south-west Asia. It occurs in arid sandy and stony deserts, particularly among sparse vegetation.

Sand Cat habitat map

Geography

Continents
Africa, Asia
Subcontinents
North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Asia, Central Asia, South Asia
Countries
Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Mali, Mauritania, Show More Niger, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Western Sahara, Israel, Pakistan, Yemen Show Less

Biome

Desert and Xeric Shrublands

Climate zones

Arid
Sand Cat

Habits and Lifestyle

Sand cats are solitary except for during the mating season. They communicate by means of claw and scent marks on objects within their range. Sand cats are not good jumpers or climbers, but are excellent diggers, and dig shallow burrows in which to avoid desert temperatures during the day. They sometimes lie outside their burrows on their backs to release internal heat. They share their burrows with other individuals, but not at the same time. Sand cats are usually nocturnal, hunting at night during the cooler times. When it gets dark they start to hunt, continuing until dawn. In one night they will sometimes travel about 10 km (over 6 miles). These cats communicate with vocalizations that sound like those of domestic cats but they also make high-pitched loud barking sounds, particularly when looking for a mate.

Group name
destruction (wild cats), clowder, clutter, pounce
Lifestyle
Terrestrial, Altricial, Predator, Burrowing
Seasonal behavior
Sedentary

Diet and Nutrition

Sand cats eat rodents, birds, hares, reptiles, and insects. They use the moisture from their food to enable them to survive with no additional water, or very little.

Diet Carnivore

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
Polygyny
REPRODUCTION SEASON
January-April (Sahara), April (Turkmenistan), September-October (Pakistan)
PREGNANCY DURATION
59-63 days
BABY CARRYING
2-4 kittens
INDEPENDENT AGE
6-8 months
FEMALE NAME
queen
MALE NAME
tomcat
BABY NAME
kitten

Sand cats are very shy and rare, so not much is known about their mating system. Living solitary lives except during the breeding season may mean that these cats are polygynous. It seems that their hearing is important for communication during the breeding season, the timing of which depends on the location: January-April (Sahara), September- October (Pakistan), and April (Turkmenistan). After gestation of 59 - 63 days, females produce 2 - 4 kittens, although they may bear two litters in the same year in some areas. Kittens grow fast and are nearly fully grown at five months old. They become completely independent at six to eight months of age, when they already are eating some solid food. They are sexually mature at 9 - 14 months old.

Mom and Baby Sand Cat
POPULATION STATUS
Least concern (LC)
ne dd lc nt vu en cr ew ex

Population

Population threats

The primary threats to this species include destruction of habitat by humans and the decline of their prey populations. They are also hunted for sport, and are easy targets, as they are not aggressive, and they like to sun themselves during the day on rocks. Another threat is the introduction of domestic and feral cats and dogs, which may prey upon, compete with, or transmit diseases to the Sand cat.

Population number

According to the IUCN Red List, there are relatively few records of Sand cat and the species is often reported as rare. The total population size of the Sand cat is conservatively estimated at 27,264 mature individuals. It is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the list of threatened species.

Fun Facts for Kids

  • Sand cats have been observed at night to close their eyes when humans approach so that it is difficult to spot them because they blend into the environment.
  • Sand cats’ footprints don’t remain in the sand, due to their furry paws.
  • The Sand cat hides leftover food in the sand.
  • Sand cats live in temperatures that sometimes rise to more than 40°C (104°F).
  • This animal’s sand colored coat is hard to see against dry bushes and sand, and acts as protection for it.
  • The cat’s large ears help to provide it with excellent hearing. Their “pinnae” or “ear flaps” allow it to hear so well it can detect the vibrations of prey on the ground.
  • When walking, the Sand cat keeps close to the ground. Probably it feels safer moving low down because there are not many objects to hide behind. Despite moving in this strange way, the sand cat can run very quickly when it needs to.

References

1. Sand Cat Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_cat
2. Sand Cat on The IUCN Red List site - http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/8541/0

Related Animals

Wildcat
Felis silvestris
African Golden Cat
Caracal aurata
Black-Footed Cat
Felis nigripes
Caracal
Caracal caracal
Geoffroy's Cat
Leopardus geoffroyi
Jungle Cat
Felis chaus
Pampas Cat
Leopardus pajeros
Chinese Mountain Cat
Felis bieti

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About

Asian Elephant
Elephas maximus
Nile Crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus
Proboscis Monkey
Nasalis larvatus
Western Gorilla
Gorilla gorilla
Arctic Fox
Vulpes lagopus
African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Scarlet Macaw
Ara macao
Giant Panda
Ailuropoda melanoleuca