Felis margarita margarita

Felis margarita margarita
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Felis
Species: F. margarita
Subspecies: F. m. margarita
Trinomial name
Felis margarita margarita
Loche, 1858

Felis margarita margarita is a subspecies of the sand cat, inhabiting the Sahara.[1] The species is listed Near Threatened by IUCN.[2]

Jill D. Mellen observed two sand cats , one male and one female, in captivity and noted that ‘males tend to spray (mark their territory) more than females do.

Characteristics

The Saharan sand cat is the smallest of all the four subspecies, has a brighter fur colour and two to six rings on the tail.[3][4]

Distribution and habitat

The Sahara sand cat is patchily distributed in desert areas of Morocco, Algeria, Niger and Egypt.[2]

Ecology and behaviour

Sand cats, like all cats, are obligate carnivores. They prey on small rodents, small birds and reptiles.[5] They have also been observed to hunt and consume horned and sand vipers.[6] They drink water if available, but satisfy most of their moisture need from prey, which they can dig out of the sand quickly.[5]

Being nocturnal, Saharan sand cat avoids direct sun to reduce the wear caused by the extreme temperatures that are found in deserts. Living in desert like habitats forces the inhabitants to improvise in finding relief from the relentless sun, which causes the African sand cat to dig burrows under the sand to escape the devastating temperatures above. Staying in these burrows ensure the Saharan sand cat can safely sleep until night and not worry about overheating. Many burrows are found throughout the desert and shared among the population of Saharan sand cat but never with more than one cat at a time barring mother and kittens. In the wild, male and female sand cats' territories often overlap.

Reproduction

In the Sahara, sand cats mate in the cold season between November and February. Young are born between January and April.[6]

It is believed that a noise similar to a bark of a dog is used as a mating call. Sand cats can have up to eight kittens in a litter but three is normal. Captive sand cats have more than one litter per year but it is not as common in the wild.[7]

Threats

Sand cats are threatened by expanding human settlements, and are killed in traps set up by herders. Domestic dogs and cats are direct competitors for prey, and may also transmit diseases.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Wozencraft, W.C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 536. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  2. 1 2 Mallon, D. P., Sliwa, A., Strauss, M. (2011). "Felis margarita". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature.
  3. ↑ Hemmer, H. (1974). Studien zur Systematik und Biologie der Sandkatze (Felis margarita Loche, 1858). Zeitschrift des Kölner Zoo 17: 1–20.
  4. ↑ Sliwa, A. (2009). Sand Cat Felis margarita. In: D. E. Wilson, R. A. Mittermeier (eds.) Handbook of the Mammals of the World, Volume 1: Order Carnivora. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
  5. 1 2 3 Sliwa, A. (2013). Felis margarita Sand Cat. In: J. Kingdon, D. Happold (eds.) Mammals of Africa, Volume V: Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhinoceroses. Bloomsbury Publishing, London. Pp. 199–202.
  6. 1 2 Dragesco-Joffé, A. (1993). Le Chat des sables, une redoutable chasseur de serpents. In: La Vie sauvage au Sahara. Delachaux & Niestlé, Lausanne, Paris.
  7. ↑ Wheeler, S. (2004)."Felis margarita." Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan and National Science Foundation. 11 October 2012.

Further reading

External links

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