| Sand cat is a beautiful desert cat ranging from | | | | the map: |
| Sahara in North Africa to the arid regions of Iran and | | | | Felix Margarita Margarita (North Africa) |
| Pakistan in West and South Asia. A little cat, it | | | | Felix Margarita Harrisoni (Arabia) |
| weighs nearly six pounds and is around one and a half | | | | Felix Margarita Thinobia (Iran) |
| to two feet long, excluding its one foot long tail. | | | | Felix Margarita Scheffeli (Pakistan) |
| Living in some of the hottest places of the planet, | | | | An elusive animal, the sand cat is difficult to track in |
| Felix Margarita, the Sand Cat is adapted to its | | | | the wild. It does not necessarily visit water holes |
| lifestyle. Its thick fur protects it from cold desert | | | | since it fulfills all water requirements from the |
| nights whereas the mesh of hair on the | | | | consumption of prey. It leaves no tracks in sand and |
| under-surface of paws shield it from the scorching | | | | remains hidden for most of the day. Males and |
| sand in day time. Color is sandy yellow with irregular | | | | females only come together in mating season. The |
| black bars on torso, legs and tail. Face is broad and | | | | cat produces a somewhat loud barking sound that |
| ears are long and pointed - enabling it to hear over | | | | enables communication over long distances in the |
| long distances in the vast expanses of deserts. | | | | desert. Usually two litter are born every year after a |
| Reddish markings run along the side of eyes and | | | | pregnancy lasting nearly two months, with four to |
| back of ears. Chin and throat are white. Claws are | | | | five kittens being the average on each occasion. The |
| usually blunt owing to dearth of places in the desert | | | | young mature fast, being weaned off at a month |
| for their sharpening. | | | | and a half and gaining independence at around four |
| A solitary feline, the Sand Cat is primarily a nocturnal | | | | months. |
| hunter. It spends the day hiding in burrows, beneath | | | | Owing to its reclusive lifestyle and certain religious |
| rocks and bush. At night it uses its sensitive ears and | | | | beliefs that make the sand cat revered in many |
| great digging skills to take down a variety of prey | | | | areas of its habitat, it is not extensively persecuted - |
| from above and beneath the ground - including gerbil, | | | | allowing it to remain in healthy numbers in the wild - |
| jerboas, insects, birds and even venomous desert | | | | though it is still collected for pet trade and hunted for |
| snakes. It frequently hides the prey beneath sand to | | | | sport! |
| return and feed later. | | | | The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on |
| Sand Cat is divided into a number of subspecies | | | | sand cat. |
| according to its geographical distribution as shown by | | | | |