IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Mehrdadfar, F.; Swanson, B. | |
| Sand cat, one of the truly amazing cats | |
| 2010 Wildlife Middle East (4): 5-5 | |
One of the truly amazing cats that Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort has in its collection, is most at home in the vast deserts of the Middle East and Northern Africa - in a habitat with summer temperatures routinely exceeding 55 degrees Centigrade and the near total absence of standing water. This hardy felid - the sand cat (_Felis margarita_) - has adapted to this harsh environment by growing thick hair on the bottom of its feet to withstand the hot sand, by learning to survive without drinking water by extracting needed moisture from its food, and by using its large ears and ultra-low frequency hearing to pick up the faintest sounds of scampering rodents and other prey when hunting at night. Sand cats, however, are sensitive to human encroachment and, although there certainly is no shortage of desert, sand cat populations appear to be diminishing throughout their natural range. Unfortunately, very little field research has been directed to wild sand cats, making it difficult to accurately assess population trends or fully understand the species' ecological needs. |
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