Diet

What does the Sand Cat eat?

Most of the sand cats diet consists of small rodents. These may include young cape hare, jerboas, gerbils, jirds and spiny mice. They may also prey upon small reptiles and birds along with insects. On occasion they have been seen killing snakes using a rapid blow to the head and then a bite to the neck.

Following a hunt they bury their food in the sand and return later to feed. All of their water requirements are fulfilled by the moisture in their prey. They will drink if they come across water though.

Range

Where do you find the Sand Cat?

Sand Cats make their home in Africa and Asia. Here they can be found throughout Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Tunisia, Libya, Mali, Niger, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Nigeria, Uzbekistan and Iraq. Some evidence also exists that there are populations in Senegal, Chad and Sudan.

Habitat

Where can the Sand Cat survive?

They are found in areas of sandy and stony desert. They like to inhabit flat terrain and keep away from dunes which provide little food. Their home range may be to up to 16km2 (6.2mi2). When it gets too hot or cold they retreat into a burrow.

Credit: Under license from Jumpstory

Reproduction

How does the Sand Cat produce its young?

Litters are born in March-April and October in the wild. When a female comes into season she begins calling and increases her scent marking. This period lasts for between five and six days.

59 to 66 days later an average of three kittens is born. The birth takes place in a den which they either dig or they may find an abandoned one. Kittens have a spotted yellow or reddish coat. At 14 days old their eyes will open with their first walk taking place at day 21. They take their first taste of solid food after 5 weeks. By five months old they are ¾ of their adult size. By the end of their first year they are fully grown.

In captivity infant mortality is high with 61% of the cats born before 2007 not living past day 30.

Sexual maturity is achieved at 14 months old.

Behavior

What does the Sand Cat do during its day?

Outside of the breeding season sand cats live a solitary lifestyle. They make their home in a burrow generally seeking out those abandoned by foxes and porcupines. During winter they are active by day but over summer they swap to being nocturnal and crepuscular.

They communicate using scenting and claw marking objects in their surroundings. They can make vocalizations like those of a domestic cat along with high pitched barking sounds.

Speeds of 30-40km/h (19-25mph) can be attained by the sand cat.

Predators and Threats

What stops the Sand Cat from surviving and thriving?

Humans, feral & domestic dogs, lions, jackals, wild dogs, venomous snakes and birds of prey hunt the sand cat.

Desertification, loss of vegetation and habitat degradation along with persecution in retaliation for killing chicks have put them at risk.

Quick facts

Sand cats leave almost no footprint as they walk across the sand.

They bury any feaces making them impossible to find.

Credit: Under license from Jumpstory