Species Fact Profile: Sand Cat (Felis margarita)

                                                              Sand Cat

                                           Felis margarita (Loche, 1858)

Range: Northern Africa through the Arabian Peninsula into Central Asia

Habitat: Sandy, Sparsely-Vegetated Desert

Diet:  Small Mammals (mice, jerboas, gerbils, young hares), Reptiles (including venomous snakes), Birds, and Arthropods

Social Grouping:  Solitary

Reproduction:  Breeding season varies across range, believed to be based on local climate conditions.  Estrus 5-6 days.  Gestation period 59-67 days.  Litter may consist of 1-8 (usually 2-4) kittens, each weighing only 40 grams at birth.  Independent at 6-8 months old, sexually mature at 14 months.  Can give birth twice per year

Lifespan: 10-15 Years

      Conservation Status:  IUCN Least Concern, CITES Appendix II

• Among the smallest of wild cats, weighing 1.4-3.4 kilograms (males are larger than females).  Body length 45-57 centimeters, with an additional 28-35 centimeters of tail.  Short limbs with thickly furred feet as protection from hot sand.  Broad head with low-set, disproportionately large ears, the most recognizable trait of this species
• Coat color ranges from pale yellow to gray, with dark brown or black stripes on the tail and limb, eyes accentuated with reddish-orange fur from the cheeks.  Black fur on the pads on the feet.  Chest and chin are white.
• Characteristic way of moving, belly low to the ground, can run up to 40 kilometers per hours.  Not especially good climbers or jumpers, but excellent diggers.  Capable of digging shallow burrows (up to 1.5 meters deep) to escape the midday heat (avoid habitats with compacted soil, which may be too difficult to burrow in).  Will also use dens dug by other species, such as foxes and porcupines.  Burrows may be used by multiple cats, but not at the same time.  Primarily nocturnal to escape heat (some northern populations may be crepuscular during winter months)
• Males and females have overlapping territories, about 16 square kilometers.  Communicates with loud, raspy call and urine spraying.
• Opportunistic hunters. Obtain moisture from their prey.  Primarily hunt by hearing (ear canal is twice the size of a domestic cat, hearing range is 8 decibels greater).  Captured prey may be buried for later consumption.  Can also dig to unearth hidden prey
• Predators include jackals, wolves, caracals, and owls.  If encountering predators at night, the cat may close its eyes to prevent predators from seeing their eye-shine
• Four subspecies recognized: the nominate in North Africa, F. m. harrisoni in Arabia, F. m. thinobia in Turkmenistan (at one point recognized as a separate species), and F. m. scheffeli in Pakistan.  Subspecies are geographically separated, and have some differences in skull formation and coat patterning
•  Large geographic range, naturally occurs at low densities.  Poorly studied in wild.    Threats include habitat loss and degradation (mostly caused by livestock, fencing), which can overgraze vegetation needed to sustain their prey base
• Introduced feral dogs and cats pose predation risk, as well as disease transmission.  Sometimes killed in traps, poison baits set out for other carnivores, or captured for the pet trade