Felis Margarita “Sand Cat” Brandon Obregon Environmental Systems Status: Near Threatened

Taxonomy Kingdom: Anamalia Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrata) Class: Mammalia Order: Felidae Genus: Felinae (Felis) Species: Margarita

Habitat Sandy and Stony Deserts around sparse vegetation which can support small rodent prey. Generally, they live in Northern Africa and Southwest Asia.

Diet Eats- Rodents, birds, reptiles, hares and insects. They store the moisture from their food and are able to survive with very little or no additional water for a few days

Fun Story… In Religious views, the Sand Cat is believed to have been a companion of the Muslim prophet Mohamed. Because of this, the Sand Cat is not threatened by Livestock raiders when they kill their chickens. How could you hate this face?... There are approximately 116 Sand Cats…

Gestation Period days, approximately two months. Clutch Size- 2-4, and have 2 litters per year.

How they are affected… Sand Cats are being hunted as a sport and are even objected to pet trade. They are prey to Large Snakes, Birds of prey, and Wild Dogs.

Where do they fit in?... As a hunter and hunted, the Sand Cat plays a very important role in the food chain. If there are too little, prey population can increase making the food chain unbalanced. As a religious trademark, this cat holds a stronger position than just an animal; it is a symbol of companionship and loyalty. Without these cats, desert’s history and future would lose an important character.

Work Cited Eichaker, Xavier. Young Sand Cats. Photograph. Arkive. Eichaker, Xavier. Young Sand Cat. Photograph. Arkive. Yossi, Eshbol. Sand Cat pair. Photograph. Arkive. G. and H. Denzou. Sand Cat. Photograph. Arkive. Alain Dragesco-Joffe. Sand Cat feeding on Viper. Photograph. Arkive. Terry Whittaker. Sand Cat grooming. Photograph. Arkive. Ken Lucas. Sand Cat portrait. Photograph. Arkive. Eichaker, Xavier. Sand Cat Hunting. Photograph. Arkive. "Felis margarita (Sand Cat, Sand Dune Cat)." The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Web. 03 Feb "Sand Cat." Big Cat Rescue. Web. 03 Feb