Sand Cat
Felis margarita harrisoni
WILD STATUS
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
DISTRIBUTION
Arabia and Jordan. Due to strict habitat requirements, all populations are sparse.
SIZE
Weighs 2-3 kg (4-8 lbs), but look much bigger due to long thick coat.
HABITAT
Rolling sand dunes and rocky desert.
REPRODUCTION
1-5 kittens after a 54-66 day gestation period.
DIET
Gerbils, jerboas, sand voles, hares, birds, reptiles, large spiders and insects. Saharan nomadic people report Sand Cats are excellent snake hunters, particularly of horned and sand vipers, which they stun with rapid blows to the head before finishing off with a neck bite. These animals live in a waterless region so most of their moisture requirements are met through their food.
1-5 kittens after a 54-66 day gestation period.
DIET
Gerbils, jerboas, sand voles, hares, birds, reptiles, large spiders and insects. Saharan nomadic people report Sand Cats are excellent snake hunters, particularly of horned and sand vipers, which they stun with rapid blows to the head before finishing off with a neck bite. These animals live in a waterless region so most of their moisture requirements are met through their food.
INTERESTING TIDBITS
- There are four sub-species of this cat.
- The first Sand Cat was discovered in 1855/56 when the northern Sahara was being discovered by Europeans.
- Sand Cats have long, dense hair between their toes to insulate their feet from the extremely hot desert sand. This makes their tracks indistinct and difficult to follow. When tracks can be seen, they are easily confused with the Fennec Fox.
- They have specialized internal ear structures and large ear pinnae are used to amplify the sounds and vibrations made by small animals and insects in soft sand.
- Sand Cats have a distinctive way of moving with their belly low to the ground.
- They have the ability to cope with tremendous temperature variation from greater than 40º C. (where the sand is 80º C.) to winter temperatures as low as -25º C. These extremes are handled by the animal retreating into a burrow in the sand.
HABITAT RANGE
ANIMAL FACT SHEET
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