The sand cat, Felis margarita, is superbly designed to live in the dry desert habitats of northern Africa and the Middle East. To deal with temperatures ranging from less than -10°F in the winter to more than 100°F in the summer, the sand cat takes shelter in a burrow during extreme conditions. Its thick coat of fur provides insulation and large ears radiate excess heat. Hairy footpads protect its paws from scorching as it walks across the sun-baked sand. As water is scarce in the desert, the sand cat is able to survive without having to drink often. It gets enough moisture from its prey.

The sand cat hunts small animals such as gerbils, lizards and sand grouse at night. Rather than sitting and waiting for animals to pass by, it actively searches for prey. The cat covers several miles of terrain each night, listening for sounds of prey with its large, satellite ears. The ears are set low on its head, allowing the cat to flatten itself to the ground and sneak up on prey. It often goes after subterranean rodents and its digging skills come in handy with the excavation.

Living a nocturnal lifestyle in such a harsh environment, the sand cat is difficult to study in the wild and little is known about its current status. The World Conservation Union (IUCN), however, suggests that sand cat populations are declining due to habitat loss. As the human population increases, more and more of its desert habitat is cultivated and over-grazed by livestock. Illegal hunting for the pet trade may also affect sand cat populations.

Visitors From the East
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Cat House maintains and breeds some of the most genetically-valuable small cats in the world, including founders for the Brazilian ocelot, Pallas’ cat, black-footed cat and fishing cat SSP populations. Sand cats can now be added to the list as well with the addition of captive-bred sand cats from the Middle East. In 2004, the Living Desert zoo in California, where the Sand Cat SSP is based, arranged for the importation of eight sand cats (four males and four females) born in captivity at a privately-owned conservation facility in Qatar. One young breeding pair was sent to the Cincinnati Zoo and currently is on exhibit in the Cat House. Our priority is to breed these cats for the SSP while we also begin characterizing the basic reproductive biology of this little-studied species. A two-year grant to CREW from the Morris Animal Foundation will fund studies in sand cats investigating the use of fecal hormone analysis, semen collection and evaluation, and sperm freezing. Through this research, we hope to ensure that all of these little visitors from the East are able to reproduce and make their contribution to sand cat conservation.