Mammals · Carnivora · Felidae

Sand Cat

Felis margarita

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The sand cat is the only cat that lives exclusively in the desert. With a broad, flattened head, large, low-set ears and sandy fur, it is built to go unnoticed in a landscape with no cover. It spends the day in burrows it digs or inherits from foxes and rodents, and hunts gerbils, jerboas, lizards and birds at night. Its range is enormous but highly fragmented, and because it is hard to detect, little is known about the real state of its populations.

Weight

1.5 kg – 3.4 kg

Size

39 cm – 52 cm

Lifespan

13 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Feline Desert Mammal

16countries 6parks39same family

Fun facts

The soles of its feet are covered in dense fur that insulates it from the burning sand and almost completely erases its tracks, which makes it very hard to follow.
It can live without drinking: it gets all the water it needs from the prey it hunts, which also lets it occupy areas with no water at all for tens of kilometres.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Sandy and stony deserts with sparse vegetation of the Sahara, Arabia and Central Asia
Size at birth: Born blind and with an already spotted coat; it opens its eyes at around two weeks
Sexual maturity: 9 months
Gestation / incubation: 2.2 months
Litter / clutch size: 4.5 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felis_margarita

Where to find it

See its range on the interactive map

Best time: All year round in the deserts of North Africa, Arabia and Central Asia, at night; it leaves hardly any tracks, because the soles of its feet are covered in fur.