Sand Cat

Sand cats feed on a variety of desert-dwelling creatures, including rodents, hares, birds, reptiles and some arthropods (5). As there is very little standing water available in the sand cat's habitat, they must obtain all their water from their prey, in a similar way to the black-footed cat of South Africa (4). Hunting is done at night and alone; the cat becomes active at dusk after spending the day in a burrow or sheltering under shrubbery or rock (4). Three kittens are typical of sand cats, born after a gestation period of around 66 days. The new born, blind and helpless kittens weigh between 39 and 80 grams at birth but grow rapidly, and may reach sexual maturity by fourteen months of age (4).

Hunting of the sand cat is prohibited in several countries: Algeria, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan and Tunisia (1). Listing of the sand cat on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) means that all trade in sand cat products should be strictly regulated (3).

The sand cat is well adapted to the arid deserts of Africa and Asia which it inhabits, obtaining all the water it needs from the rodents, birds, reptiles and arthropods which it eats (4). Catching prey such as these is no problem for the sand cat as its highly sensitive ears are well adapted for hearing suitable animals both above and below the surface of the desert, with an enlarged auditory bulla and ear flaps which give the sand cat's ears their characteristic triangular shape as well as enhanced hearing (4). Its foot pads are covered with thick hair, enabling it to move easily over quickly moving sands in its desert environment, and insulates them from the hot sands (4). The fur of the sand cat ranges from yellowish-brown to dull grey, with vague lines on its limbs and several black rings near the black tip of its tail (5). A dark, reddish streak runs from the corner of the eye down the cheek (4). The patterns on the sand cat's fur vary between the six subspecies (5).

The sand cat mainly lives in arid stony and sandy deserts, especially among sparse vegetation (4) (5).

Sand cats range from North Africa to South West Asia, but due to its specific habitat requirements, it has a patchy distribution within this range (4).

Classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List 2007 (1) and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3). Subspecies: Pakistan sand cat (F. m. scheffeli) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List 2006 (1).

The primary threats to sand cats include the destruction of their habitats by humans and decline of the population of prey (1). Sand cats have also been hunted for sport, as they enjoy sunning themselves on rocks during the day and are not aggressive which makes them easy targets (5). This reputed docility was also a reason why many sand cats were collected for use in the pet trade during the 1960s, which resulted in many cats dying in captivity (5). Due to the uncontrolled nature of this commerce, this caused a drastic decline in populations (4).