Sand Cats are one of the species of cats, but they are not the cats you will see in somebody’s household as a pet. Because sand cats are wild, and they live in the deserts of North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Today we decided to share with you the 10 most interesting facts about sand cats.
1. Sand Cats usually live in the sandy and rocky deserts. They easily adapt to the cold and hot desert environment because of the thick fur on their feet.
2. Sand cats can survive −5 °C (23 °F) to 52 °C (126 °F) temperature.
3. They usually live far from water. They can survive months with the water from their food.
4. Sand Cats communicate with each other using claw marks, scent and urine spraying. They make sounds similar to domesticated cats, but they also make a barking sound when they are searching for a mate.
5. They stay in the burrows, but they do little digging. Usually, sand cats use burrows abandoned by porcupine and fox. In some cases, they put an extra effort enlarging holes once occupied by rodents.
6. Sand cats are fast sprinters. When they run, their speed reaches 19-25 miles per hour (30-40 km per hour). They can also travel long distances searching for food. Scientists estimated that they can travel between 3.1 and 6.2 miles per night. They are usually active during the night.
7. Their main prey is rodents. They also hunt birds, lizards, and insects. After they get enough food from their prey, they dig the ground and bury the leftovers for the later consumption.
8. Unfortunately, a scientific community cannot tell how long sand cats live in the wilderness, but in the captivity, they live about 13 years.
9. Countries such as Tunisia, Kazakhstan, Niger, Mauritania, Israel, and Iran prohibited hunting of sand cats due to their near threatened status.
10. The Scientific name of the sand cats is Felis Margarita.
Watch the short video about sand cats below
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