Asian Sand Cat
Felis margarita thinobia
English
The sand cat (Felis margarita) is a small wild cat that inhabits sandy and stony deserts far from water sources. With its sandy to light grey fur, it is well camouflaged in a desert environment. Its head-and-body length ranges from 39–52 cm (15–20 in) with a 23–31 cm (9.1–12.2 in) long tail. Its 5–7 cm (2.0–2.8 in) short ears are set low on the sides of the head, aiding detection of prey moving underground. The long hair covering the soles of its paws insulates its pads against the extreme temperatures found in deserts. The first sand cat known to scientists was discovered in the Algerian Sahara and described in 1858. To date, it has been recorded in several disjunct locations in Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Niger, Chad, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. In Central Asia, it was first recorded in the Karakum Desert in 1925. The large gap between these two regions of its global range was partially closed in 1948, when a sand cat skin was found in an oasis of the Rub' al Khali in Oman. It is discontinuously distributed in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. In the early 1970s, sand cats were caught in southwestern Pakistan and exported to zoos worldwide. Due to its wide distribution and large population, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The sand cat usually rests in underground dens during the day and hunts at night. It moves 5.4 km (3.4 mi) on average at night in search of small rodents and birds. It also kills and consumes venomous snakes. In spring, the female gives birth to two to three kittens, which become sexually mature around the age of one year. The sand cat's ecological requirements are still poorly understood, as only a few in-depth studies targeting wild sand cat populations have been conducted.
Français · Felis margarita thinobia
Le chat des sables, appelé aussi chat du désert, chat du général Margueritte ou chat de Margueritte, est un félin qui vit dans les régions désertiques d'Algérie, de Tunisie, du Maroc, de Libye, d'Égypte, du Soudan, du Niger, d'Arabie saoudite, du Qatar, d'Oman, du Yémen, d'Iran, du Pakistan, du Turkménistan, d’Israël, de Syrie et d'Ouzbékistan.
Español · Gato de las Arenas Asiático
El gato de las arenas, gato del desierto o gato del Sahara es una especie de mamífero carnívoro de la familia Felidae. Es el miembro más pequeño del género Felis junto con el gato patinegro. Apenas alcanza los 50 cm de longitud en cabeza y cuerpo, a los que hay que sumar otros 30 de cola. Los machos más grandes no llegan a los 3,5 kg de peso.
Русский · Felis margarita thinobia
Барханный кот, или барханная кошка — вид семейства кошачьих.
العربية · قط الرمال الآسيوي
قط الرمال أو هِر الرمال من الحيوانات الثديية اللاحمة والتي تتبع عائلة السنوريات (القططيات). ولا زال قط الرمال يعيش في الصحاري الأفريقية والآسيوية.
中文 · Felis margarita thinobia
沙漠猫 是种小型猫科动物，生活在非洲和亚洲的沙漠中。在饲养的情况下可生活13年。
Photo: boyahia · CC-BY-NC · View on iNaturalist · Wikipedia
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