Sand Cat Habitat Needs

Sand cats have a long history of living in North American zoos but have been poorly managed.

Sand cat habitat needs. Sand cats live in temperatures that sometimes rise to more than 40C 104F. The Sand cat hides leftover food in the sand. Two populations exist one that is hybridized and another derived from an Israeli population.

Prey provide the sand cat with the fluids they need to live in places where there is little water. Masters of evasion with coats the same color as the desert sands. Sand cat is the only species of cat that inhabits deserts exclusively.

They are found near the patches of sparse vegetation that can support their prey species and the cats have special adaptations to survive in the extreme desert conditions. They inhabit dry plains and rocky valleys where surface temperatures can reach 124 degrees Fahrenheit during the daytime dropping to as low as 31 degrees Fahrenheit at night. The main factor to the increased extinction is habitat destruction due to industrialization Townsend et al.

The smallest cat species in Arabia the sand cat Felis margarita is well adapted to its arid desert habitat obtaining all the water it needs from its food. The sand cat is one of many endangered species that are being breed in captivity. Number of sand cats decreased drastically in the past couple of decades due to habitat loss poaching.

Sand cats live in three distinct regions of the world. This animals sand colored coat is hard to see against dry bushes and sand and acts as protection for it. The sand cat is mainly nocturnal and strictly hunts in the night.

However some diurnal activity in Arabia was recorded especially in winter when conditions were cooler. The smallest cat species in Arabia the sand cat Felis margarita is well adapted to its arid desert habitat obtaining all the water it needs from its food. Sand cats live exclusively in desert regions.