The sand cat (Felis margarita), also known as the sand dune cat, is the only cat living

foremost
in true deserts. This small cat is widely distributed in the deserts of North
Africa and Southwest and Central Asia. Since 2002, it has been listed as near
threatened by IUCN because the population is considered fragmented and small with a declining
trend.[2]
Sand cats are found in both sandy and stony desert, living in areas far from water. Having thickly
furred feet, they are well adapted to the extremes of a desert environment and tolerant of
extremely hot and cold temperatures

Taxonomy[edit]
The sand cat is a member of the genus Felis, that consists of small cats, and the family Felidae.
[1]

The French soldier and naturalist Victor Loche first described the sand cat from a specimen

found in the area of "Ngona" in the Sahara, and proposed to name the cat in recognition of
French General Jean Auguste Margueritte, who headed the expedition.[4] The holotype specimen
appears to have been lost.[5]

Characteristics
The sand cat is a small cat characterised by a flat, wide head, short legs and a relatively long (23
to 31 cm (9.1 to 12.2 in)) tail. It reaches 2436 centimetres (9.414.2 in) at the shoulder and
weighs 1.53.4 kilograms (3.37.5 lb). The head-and-body length ranges from 39 to 52 cm (15 to
20 in).[16] The ears, 57 centimetres (2.02.8 in) long, are tawny at the base and tipped with black,
and more pointed than those of Pallas's cat. The pinnae of the ears are triangular, and the ear
canal is very wide, giving the cat an enhanced sense of hearing. The auditory bullae and the
passages from the external ears to the ear drums are greatly enlarged relative to other small
felids; the inner parts of the ears are protected from foreign objects by long, closely spaced white
hairs.[17][15] The large, greenish yellow eyes are ringed with white, and the nose is blackish. The
head is sandy brown, whereas the lower and upper lips, chin, throat and belly are white (the
throat may have a hint of buff). The lower part of the face is whitish, and a faint reddish line runs
from the outer corner of each eye across the cheeks.[18] The whiskers are white and up to 8
centimetres (3.1 in) long.[5]
The fur is of a pale sandy ocherous color. Markings vary between individuals: some have neither
spots nor stripes, some are faintly spotted, some have both spots and stripes. There are blackish
bars on the limbs, and the tail has a black tip with two or three dark rings alternating with buff
bands.[19] In northern regions, the sand cat's winter coat is very long and thick, with hairs reaching
up to 2 in (5.1 cm) in length.[20] The undersides of the paws are protected from extreme
temperatures by a thick covering of fur. They are set low, giving a broad flat appearance to the
head.[15] The sand cats claws on the forelimbs are short and very sharp, the ones on the hind feet
are small and blunt.[20] The long hairs growing between its toes create a cushion of fur over the

foot pads, helping to insulate them while moving over hot sand. This feature makes the cat's
tracks obscure and difficult to identify and follow.[18] The sand cat has a bite force quotient of
133.1, which is the highest of all cats.[21]

Distribution and habitat

Sand cats are found primarily in both sandy and stony desert and have a wide but apparently
disjunct distribution through the deserts of northern Africa and southwest and central Asia.[11] They
prefer flat or undulating terrain with sparse vegetation, avoiding bare sand dunes, where there is
relatively little food. They can survive in temperatures ranging from 5 C (23 F) to 52 C
(126 F), retreating into burrows during extreme conditions. Although they will drink when water
is available, they are able to survive for months on the water in their food. [18]
In North Africa, sand cats occur marginally in western Morocco, including former Sahara
Occidental, in Algeria, and from the rocky deserts of eastern Egypt to the Sinai peninsula.
Sightings have been reported from Tunisia, Libya, Mali andNiger. In Mauritania, they probably
occur in the Adrar mountains and the Majabat al Koubra. Spoor have been found
inSenegal, Chad, and Sudan.[2]
In the early 1990s, several sand cats were radio-collared in southern Israel.[22] In the late 1990s,
they were also recorded in Jordan.[23] Sand cats were sighted and camera trapped in a protected
area near Palmyra in Syria in 2000 and 2001.[24] In 2012, sand cats were recorded for the first
time in Iraq, in the Al Najaf desert.[25]
In central Asia, sand cats occur east of the Caspian sea throughout the Karakum Desert from
the Ustyurt Plateau in the northwest to the Kopet Dag Mountains in the south extending through
the Kyzylkum Desert to the Syr Darya River and the northern border to Afghanistan.

Ecology and behavior[edit]

Sand cats live solitary lives outside of the mating season. They communicate using scent and
claw marks on objects in their range and by urine spraying. They do not leave their feces in
exposed locations as many other felids do. They make vocalizations similar to domestic cats but
also make loud, high-pitched barking sounds, especially when seeking a mate. [18] Hearing plays
an important role in intraspecific communication; sand cats make a short, rasping bark in
connection with mating activity.[10]
They inhabit burrows and use either abandoned fox or porcupine burrows or enlarge those dug
by gerbils or otherrodents. The burrow is about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) deep and dug in slightly slanting
ground with usually only a single entrance, though burrows with two or three entrances have also

been observed. In winter, they stay in the sun during the day, but during the hot season, they
are crepuscular and nocturnal.[19]
Their way of moving is distinct: with belly to the ground, they move at a fast run punctuated with
occasional leaps. They are capable of sudden bursts of speed and can sprint at speeds of 30 to
40 km (19 to 25 mi) per hour.[26] During a radio telemetry study in Israel, sand cats were found to
have large home ranges, with one male using an area of 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi). They have been
recorded to move long distances of 510 km (3.16.2 mi) in a single night and were generally
active throughout the night, hunting and travelling an average of 5.4 km (3.4 mi). Before retiring
below ground at dawn, the observed cats adopted the same lookout position at the mouth of the
burrow. Different cats used burrows interchangeably and did not change burrows during the day.
[22]

Small rodents are their primary prey, with records from Africa including spiny mice, jirds,
gerbils, jerboas, and young of cape hare. They have also been observed to hunt small birds
like greater hoopoe lark, desert lark, and consume reptiles such as small desert monitors, fringetoed lizards, sandfish, short-fingered gecko, horned and sand vipers, and insects. They are
capable of satisfying their moisture requirements from their prey but drink readily if water is
available.[2] They can dig rapidly to extract their prey from the ground and bury prey remains in
the sand for later consumption

Reproduction

Oestrus in sand cats lasts from five to six days and is accompanied by calling and increased
scent marking. An average litter of three kittens is born after 59 to 66 days, typically around April
or May, although in some areas, sand cats may give birth to two litters per year. The kittens
weigh 39 to 80 grams (1.4 to 2.8 oz) at birth, with spotted pale yellow or reddish fur. They grow
relatively rapidly, reaching three quarters of the adult size within five months of birth. Sand cats
are fully independent by the end of their first year and reach sexual maturity not long after.[27]
Of 228 sand cats born in zoos globally to the year 2007, only 61% lived to day 30. They died
primarily due to maternal neglect by first-time mothers. They can live up to 13 years in captivity.
[28]

The life expectancy of sand cats in the wild has not been documented

Threats[edit]
Habitat degradation is the major threat to the sand cat. Vulnerable arid ecosystems are being
rapidly degraded by human settlement and activity, especially livestock grazing. The sand cat's
small-mammal prey-base depends on having adequate vegetation, which may experience large

fluctuations due to droughtor declines due to desertification and loss of natural vegetation. They
also may be killed in traps laid out by inhabitants of oases targeting foxes and jackals or in
retaliation for killing their chickens. There are occasional reports of animals shot in southeast
Arabia.[2]
In Israel, sand cats were thought to be endangered by predation of larger carnivores such
as caracals, wolves and, of those who venture close to human settlements, dogs

Conservation[edit]
Felis margarita is listed on CITES Appendix II. Hunting is prohibited in
Algeria, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan and Tunisia. No legal protection
exists in Egypt, Mali, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.[3]
The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo started a sand cat reintroduction project in Israel's Arava Desert.
Several captive-born individuals from the zoo's population were kept in an acclimatization
enclosure but did not survive subsequent release into the wild.[30]

In captivity
Captive sand cats are highly sensitive to respiratory diseases and infection of the upper
respiratory tract. This is the main cause of death in adults. The most common disease is
infectious rhinotracheitis. With sand cats being very susceptible to respiratory infections, they
have to be kept in very arid enclosures where humidity and temperature do not fluctuate. [28]
As of July 2009, the global captive population comprised 200 individuals in 45 institutions. As of
May 2010, 29 sand cats were kept in 12 Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited
institutions participating in the Species Survival Plan.[31] In January 2010, the Al Ain
Zoo announced the first success of an in vitro fertilisation and embryo transferprocedure on sand
cats, resulting in the birth of two kittens at its facilities. [32] In July 2012, four sand cat kittens were
born at the Ramat Gan Zoo as part of the European Endangered Species Programme.