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    Sand cat

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    During mating, they use bark-like vocalizations as a mating call that sounds like chihuahuas

    Charles Barilleaux

    The only cat (family Felidae) species that lives primarily in the desert. Therefore, their feet are thickly furred to help them insulate the heat from the sand to cope with the scorching heat.

    Furthermore, their footprints will not remain in the sand due to their furry paws. They have a coat that is generally a pale sandy color, usually with a white belly.

    They do not require much water as they get all the moisture from their prey and go for weeks without a single sip. They are also excellent diggers, digging shallow burrows to avoid high temperatures during the day. Interestingly, they share their scientific name with an alcoholic drink!

    Distribution

    Country
    Population est.
    Status
    Year
    Comments
    Algeria
    2014
    Chad
    2014
    Egypt
    2014
    Iran
    2014
    Iraq
    2014
    Israel
    2014
    Last seen 2000
    Jordan
    2014
    Kazakhstan
    2014
    Kuwait
    2014
    Mali
    2014
    Mauritania
    2014
    Morocco
    2014
    Presence Uncertain
    Niger
    2014
    Oman
    2014
    Pakistan
    2014
    Possibly Extinct
    Qatar
    2014
    Presence Uncertain
    Saudi Arabia
    2014
    Sudan
    2014
    Syria
    2014
    Turkmenistan
    2014
    UAE
    2014
    Uzbekistan
    2014
    Yemen
    2014
    Possibly Extinct

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    Terrestrial / Aquatic

    Altricial / Precocial

    Polygamous / Monogamous

    Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

    Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

    Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd

    Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

    Migratory: Yes / No

    Domesticated: Yes / No

    Dangerous: Yes / No

    EXEWCRENVUNTLCDDNE
    Least Concern(IUCN)
    World Population 27,200
    Added by BioDB
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    Threats

    Habitat destruction / Climate change / Freshwater pollution / Marine pollution / Deforestation / Farming / Fishing practices / Poaching & wildlife trade / Invasive species / Parasites & diseases / Noise pollution / Light pollution

    My ID

    Scientific name: Felis margarita Number of subspecies: 6 Name of subspecies:

    F. m. airensis
    F. m. harrisoni
    F. m. margarita
    F. m. meinertzhageni
    F. m. scheffeli
    F. m. thinobia

    Physical traits

    Height: 24 – 36 cm (9 – 14 in) Length: 39 – 52 cm (15 – 20 in) Weight: 1.5 – 3.4 kg (3 – 8 pounds) Lifespan: 13 years Speed: 40 km/h (89 mph) When species evolved: Pliocene (Neogene) Species evolved years ago: 4.44 – 2.16 mya Gestation: 59 – 66 days Offspring: 2 – 3 kittens
    Habitats: Desert
    Regions: Africa Asia
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