Endangered sand cats; only cats living in the desert

CAIRO - 3 August 2017: Margarita or the Sand Cat, also known as the sand dunes cat lives in the deserts of North Africa, Middle East and Asia. The sand cat inhabits the sandy or stony desert, in areas where there is no water; it can live for months without water, as the water it absorbs from its prey is just enough.

The sand cat is a relatively small, full-bodied, short-legged, long-tailed, 39-75 cm long; its weight is ranging from 1.4 to 3.4 kg, it is wide-headed and broad-eared.


Felis Margarita- via Wikimedia Commons

Its color ranges between the yellow and light brown with lines of gray to black on the feet and sides of the body and tail, with pale yellow greenish eyes, that may not be able to see at all.

The Margrita cat lives in the desert and the dry areas with the light vegetation scattered and can live at temperatures between 5 to 52 degrees Celsius and in hot weather it hides in burrows.

It is an endangered species and hunting is prohibited.