The sand cat (Felis margarita) is one of the most adept and least known of the nearly 40 species of wild cats on earth today. Tiny sand cats weigh in at around 5 pounds but are fierce and versatile predators.
They are not well known to science according to the International Society for Endanged Cats (ISEC) of Canada.
ISEC says there are several reasons for this.
“The first radio telemetry study on these little cats (1993) was in Israel, where biologists discovered they were extremely difficult to track. The fur on the soles of their feet that prevents them from sinking in soft sand also makes their tracks almost invisible. When a light is trained on them, they crouch low, closing their eyes so that no reflection is visible. This behaviour, along with their excellent protective colouring, compounds the problem. The cats also buried all their feces, making it impossible to gather data about their diet.
Home range sizes likely vary according to ecological conditions and vegetation cover available for prey animals. In a study along a dirt road in southern Morocco, initial home ranges of two males and one female followed during four to six days were 35.3 km², 21.8 km² and 13.4 km², respectively. A radio telemetry study in Israel suggests large home ranges, with one male using an area of 16 km². Seven annual ranges in Saudi Arabia, were estimated at 19.6-50.7 km² .””
They have been video photographed at night, however, making them something of a YouTube sensation.
“Sand Cats have been recorded to move long distances in a single night. In Morocco, one male travelled more than 14 km in a straight line in less than 30 hours.” According to ISEC
The information about them is sketchy and their numbers are unknown. They are the only cat to live entirely in the desert. They may be few in number, or not. But there are conservation issues according to the ISEC.
“Habitat degradation and loss are considered to be the major threats to the Sand Cat. Vulnerable arid ecosystems are being rapidly converted by human settlement and activity, especially degraded through livestock grazing. Additional threats are the introduction of feral and domestic dogs and cats, creating direct competition for prey, predation and disease transmission. This applies particularly along roads through suitable habitat.
In Iran, Sand Cats are killed by shepherd dogs and trapped in snares set for other species. They also get stuck in fences and are vulnerable to indiscriminate trapping and poisoning of predators.
In the Arabian Peninsula, sand dune habitat continues to decline. Several of the areas have been affected by political strife, and war-like conditions that have accelerated habitat destruction i.e. Syria.
Locally, Sand Cats may be threatened by the pet trade. There are occasional reports of Sand Cats being shot in Saudi Arabia.
In Algeria, they are not considered a threat to poultry, or trapped to sell as pets. Toubou nomads living northwest of Lake Chad consider Sand Cats frequent chicken thieves which readily enter their camp in the evenings. They do not generally retaliate, due to traditional religious respect for these small cats as tradition holds that they were the companions of the Prophet Mohammed and his daughter.
The development of reliable survey methods is urgently needed to assess the population. Furthermore, studies on the behaviour and ecology of the Sand Cat are crucial to apply appropriate conservation measures.”
A recent inquiry suggested the tiny sand cats extensive range could be a problem. The big range could mean fewer individuals and thus more extinction risk. The study also showed, however, that the cats fought rarely. Their more cooperative nature may help protect them. Cooperation could be a survival adaptation.
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