Details
Felis margarita
Sand cat is a small desert cat with fur-covered soles for moving over hot sand. Despite its appealing appearance, it is a wide-ranging desert predator rather than a pet animal.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It inhabits sandy and stony deserts of North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Main habitat types in this guide are desert.
Typical length 39-52 cm, weight 1.3 kg-3.4 kg. Pale sandy fur, broad ears, and short legs help it blend into dry terrain.
It is nocturnal and usually solitary. It rests in burrows by day and ranges widely at night.
It is carnivorous. Rodents, small birds, reptiles, and insects provide both food and moisture.
Females raise kittens in burrows before the young begin following and learning to hunt.
Although still widespread in places, it remains sensitive to habitat change. Despite its appealing appearance, it is a wide-ranging desert predator rather than a pet animal.
