Sand Cat Felis margarita

Sand Cat
Sand Cat
Sand Cat
The Sand Cat, also called Sand Dune Cat, as expected, is mainly a sandy colour with some darker stripes or spots, providing good camouflage in its desert habitat. It is the only cat living primarily in deserts and its fragmented populations are native to North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asian deserts.
Sand Cat
Sand Cat
Sand Cat
The fragmented populations result in different subspecies -- those shown being from the Middle East. Sand Cats are mainly crepuscular/nocturnal in summer and mainly diurnal in winter and generally solitary. Prey is mostly rodents and lizards.
Sand Cat
Sand Cat
Sand Cat
The ears are wide and low on the head, giving better hearing of underground prey. They dig well, both for prey and to excavate their own burrows to avoid extreme heat. They can survive for extended periods without water, on just the moisture from their prey.