Sand Cat: The King of the Desert | #Animallovers

Wildlife scientists have known the sand cat since its discovery in the Algerian Sahara in 1858. They named the kitty after the French Expedition leader, General Margueritte. The other common name is the sand-dune cat.

Today the kitty is seen in Morocco, Algeria, Niger, Chad, & Egypt. It is a small wild cat in the Felinae subfamily.
The kitty weighs about 2.7 kg. The length of the cat’s body is about 50 cm & its ringed tail is around 30 cm long.
The cat has sand-colored fur and a broad head with ears that point up & out. Fur covers its paws to protect its pads from the hot sand.
Habitat:
Sand cats live in the Sahara & Arabian deserts, but they are also present in Iran & Pakistan. They live in sandy & rocky desert areas, primarily flat terrain with small bushes & little grass.
The sand cat hides in underground burrows, out of the hot sun during the day.
Humans, wolves, snakes, and large birds are the predators of the sand cat.

Wildlife studies find that this kitty is not a territorial fighter. Instead, it takes turns sharing its burrow with its mates & sand cat mothers raising their young.
By Payman sazesh — camera trap, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24849743
So what does the cat eat?
The night hunter, kitty kills & eats rodents, lizards, insects & some snakes.

Wildlife experts reveal that the cat does not drink water. Instead, it gets fluids by eating raw fresh, killed prey.
The researchers observed sand cats hunting young cape hare, hoopoe lark, desert monitor, sandfish, & venomous vipers.
On the IUCN Red List of endangered animals, they classify the sand cat as the least concerned species.