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BINOMIAL NAME
Felis Margarita
ANATOMICAL PROPORTIONS:
2.5-3.5 ft. long (tip-to-tail)/ 10-12 in. tall/ 4-8 lbs.
POPULATION:
Insufficient Data
RED LIST CONSERVATION STATUS:
DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT:
Primarily deserts, but also sparsely vegetated plains of Algeria, Niger, Morocco, Turkmenistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan
DIET:
Small mammals (jerboa and rabbit), reptiles (lizards and snakes), birds, and insects
SPECIES THREATS:
Very little is actually known about wild sand cats, which makes surveying their presence within their ecosystem difficult, and inaccurate/ incomplete. However, experts believe that the sand cat faces a very real threat from human encroachment, especially as it effects the cat's local prey species.
Because they are so small and unaggressive, sand cats make easy targets for the fur trade, and sport hunting. Their physical appearance (undeniably cute), and genial temperament, at one time made them popular as an exotic pet (especially during the mid-20th century). But it turns out that the species does not do well in captivity, and today only a few of them live in zoos and sanctuaries, worldwide.
Other threats to the sand cat include local populations of feral and domestic cats and dogs, which experts suspect are competing for prey, are preying upon them, or else transmitting diseases to them.
UNIQUE FACTS:
The sand cat has highly specialized feet and ears, perfectly designed for life in the desert. Its feet are so furry, and the cat is so light-weight, that it leaves no tracks in the sand. The cat's ears are shaped much like the bat-eared fox's---they stand erectly atop the cat's head, acting like radar dishes, and readily listen for any potential prey, scurrying across the desert sands.
In many countries it has been illegal to hunt the sand cat, for quite some time---now it is a globally protected species, but the cat has possibly remained more well-protected by its religious significance. Muslims believe (according to the Koran) that sand cats were once the companions of the Prophet Mohammed and his daughter, as they traveled by foot across the desert.
DEVOTED ORGANIZATION:
SHIBweb on YouTube: Sand Cats Hang in the Balance
