Felis margarita

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	CARNIVORA	FELIDAE

Scientific Name:

Felis margarita

Species Authority:

Loche, 1858

Common Name/s:

English	–	Sand Cat, Sand Dune Cat
French	–	Chat Des Sables
Spanish	–	Gato De Las Arenas, Gato Del Sahara

Taxonomic Notes:

Placed in the genus Felis according to genetic analysis (Johnson et al. 2006, O'Brien and Johnson 2007, Eizirk et al. 2008). Four subspecies have been classically described (Sliwa in press), but genetic analysis is needed to confirm subspecific partitioning, especially in light of possible large gaps in the species distribution.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Mallon, D.P., Sliwa, A. & Strauss, M.

Evaluator/s:

Nowell, K., Breitenmoser-Wursten, C., Breitenmoser, U. (Cat Red List Authority) & Hoffmann, M. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
The sand cat occurs at low densities and is often described as rare (Nowell and Jackson 1996, Sunquist and Sunquist 2002, Sliwa in press). Listed as Near Threatened due to concern over potential low population size and decline. The sand cat appears to have a markedly patchy and disjunct distribution. Unless its known range is expanded through additional confirmed records, it could potentially qualify as Vulnerable by having an effective population size <10,000, with no subpopulation having an effective size > 1,000. Degradation of desert ecosystems is widely acknowledged as an urgent conservation problem (Abahussain et al. 2002, Al-Sharhat et al. 2003), and could result in a decline of >30% in the sand cat population, caused by a declining small mammal prey base (criterion A4). There are few confirmed records (Hemmer et al. 1976, Sliwa in press) and the sand cat may have a broader distribution than presumed, qualifying for Least Concern. Further research is necessary to determine whether the precautionary listing of Near Threatened is warranted.

History:

2002	–	Near Threatened
1996	–	Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)
1994	–	Insufficiently Known (IUCN)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The Sand Cat is the only felid found primarily in true desert, and has a wide but apparently disjunct distribution through the deserts of northern Africa and southwest and central Asia. It is not clear whether the gaps in known range are due to a lack of records or truly reflect species absence (Hemmer et al. 1976, Nowell and Jackson 1996). For example, sightings have been reported in Libya and Egypt west of the Nile (Sliwa in press), but there are no historical records despite intensive collecting effort (Hemmer et al. 1976). In north Africa, Sliwa (in press) has summarized what is known of its distribution: the Sand Cat occurs marginally in western Morocco, including former Sahara Occidental, Algeria, and from the Sinai peninsula to the rocky deserts of eastern Egypt. Although there have been sightings, no specimens have been collected from Tunisia, Libya, or in Egypt, west of the Nile River. There are sight records from Mali and both specimens and sightings in Niger. In Mauritania, it is supposed to occur in the Adrar mountains and Majabat al Koubra. Thought to be present, but currently no specimens available, in Senegal and Chad, where spoor have been found, and also Sudan. In Asia, there is a recent new country distribution record for Syria, around the area of Palmyra (Serra et al. in press). It is not known if the small populations of Sand Cats in Pakistan’s Balochistan province are connected to the central Asian population via Afghanistan (Habibi 2004). It has been recorded from the desert regions west of the Caspian Sea (in northern Iran, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), but it is not known if the distribution is or was continous to the Arabian peninsula (Hemmer et al. 1976, Nowell and Jackson 1996, Sunquist and Sunquist 2002).
Countries:	Native: Algeria; Egypt; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Israel; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kuwait; Mauritania; Morocco; Niger; Oman; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; Syrian Arab Republic; Turkmenistan; United Arab Emirates; Uzbekistan; Western Sahara; Yemen Presence uncertain: Afghanistan; Chad; Iraq; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Mali; Qatar; Senegal; Sudan; Tunisia
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	There are relatively few records of sand cats and they are often reported as rare (Sliwa in press). The only available density estimates come from a telemetry study in southern Israel, where 11 cats were caught in the study area of 15 x 25 km (375 km²) (M. Abbadi, in Sliwa in press). In Saudi Arabia, a study is underway in the Mahazat As-Sayd and Saja/Umm Ar-rimth Protected Areas. In the former, sand cats appear to occur at far lower densities than Rüppell's fox (Strauss et al. 2007 and pers. comm. 2008). In low-quality habitat, such as shifting sand dunes, densities may be very low (Sliwa in press). Numbers may fluctuate in response to environmental conditions leading to prey declines and recoveries (Sunquist and Sunquist 2002).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Population:

There are relatively few records of sand cats and they are often reported as rare (Sliwa in press). The only available density estimates come from a telemetry study in southern Israel, where 11 cats were caught in the study area of 15 x 25 km (375 km²) (M. Abbadi, in Sliwa in press). In Saudi Arabia, a study is underway in the Mahazat As-Sayd and Saja/Umm Ar-rimth Protected Areas. In the former, sand cats appear to occur at far lower densities than Rüppell's fox (Strauss et al. 2007 and pers. comm. 2008). In low-quality habitat, such as shifting sand dunes, densities may be very low (Sliwa in press). Numbers may fluctuate in response to environmental conditions leading to prey declines and recoveries (Sunquist and Sunquist 2002).

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Sand Cats are specialists of sandy desert, where they are unevenly distributed, localized around sparse vegetation which can support small rodent prey. They are also found in stony desert (Nowell and Jackson 1996). With thickly furred feet, the Sand Cat is well adapted to the extremes of a desert environment, living in areas far from water, and tolerant of extremes of hot and cold temperatures (Nowell and Jackson 1996, Sunquist and Sunquist 2002, Sliwa in press), largely because of their fossorial (burrowing) behavior (M. Strauss pers. comm. 2008). They are absent from areas where the soil is compacted (Heptner and Sludskii 1972). Small rodents are their primary prey, with records from Africa including including Spiny Mice (Acomys spp), Jirds (Meriones spp), Gerbils (Gerbillus spp), and Jerboas (Jaculus spp. and Allactaga tetradactyla), but also young of Cape Hare, Lepus capensis. They have also been observed to hunt small birds like Greater Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes, Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti, and consume reptiles such as Desert Monitor Varanus griseus, Fringe-toed lizards, Acanthodactylus spp., Sandfish Scincus scincus., Short-fingered Gecko Stenodactylus spp., and Horned and Sand vipers of the genus Cerastes, and insects (De Smet 1988, Abbadi 1993, Dragesco-Joffé 1993, Sliwa in press). Sand-dwelling rodents made up the majority (65-88%) of stomach contents from carcasses collected in Turkmenistan and Uzebekistan in the 1960s (Schaenberg 1974). In Arabia the sand cat's distribution coincides with that of sand skinks and Arabian toad-head lizards; both reptiles are thought to be an important source of food for the cat (Sunquist and Sunquist 2002). They are capable of rapid digging to extract the latter prey items (Schauenberg 1974). Sand Cats may cover kills with sand and return later to feed. Independent of drinking water they are capable of satisfying their moisture requirements from their prey, but drink readily if it is available (Sliwa in press). They appear to be primarily nocturnal (Abbadi 1993, Nowell and Jackson 1996). Sand cats have been recorded to move long distances in a single night (5-10 km), and a radio telemetry study in Israel suggests large home ranges, with one male using an area of 16 km² (Abbadi 1993). Annual ranges from the ongoing study in Saudi Arabia are larger, up to 40 km² (M. Strauss pers. comm. 2008).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Sand Cats are specialists of sandy desert, where they are unevenly distributed, localized around sparse vegetation which can support small rodent prey. They are also found in stony desert (Nowell and Jackson 1996). With thickly furred feet, the Sand Cat is well adapted to the extremes of a desert environment, living in areas far from water, and tolerant of extremes of hot and cold temperatures (Nowell and Jackson 1996, Sunquist and Sunquist 2002, Sliwa in press), largely because of their fossorial (burrowing) behavior (M. Strauss pers. comm. 2008). They are absent from areas where the soil is compacted (Heptner and Sludskii 1972).

Small rodents are their primary prey, with records from Africa including including Spiny Mice (Acomys spp), Jirds (Meriones spp), Gerbils (Gerbillus spp), and Jerboas (Jaculus spp. and Allactaga tetradactyla), but also young of Cape Hare, Lepus capensis. They have also been observed to hunt small birds like Greater Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes, Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti, and consume reptiles such as Desert Monitor Varanus griseus, Fringe-toed lizards, Acanthodactylus spp., Sandfish Scincus scincus., Short-fingered Gecko Stenodactylus spp., and Horned and Sand vipers of the genus Cerastes, and insects (De Smet 1988, Abbadi 1993, Dragesco-Joffé 1993, Sliwa in press). Sand-dwelling rodents made up the majority (65-88%) of stomach contents from carcasses collected in Turkmenistan and Uzebekistan in the 1960s (Schaenberg 1974). In Arabia the sand cat's distribution coincides with that of sand skinks and Arabian toad-head lizards; both reptiles are thought to be an important source of food for the cat (Sunquist and Sunquist 2002).

They are capable of rapid digging to extract the latter prey items (Schauenberg 1974). Sand Cats may cover kills with sand and return later to feed. Independent of drinking water they are capable of satisfying their moisture requirements from their prey, but drink readily if it is available (Sliwa in press). They appear to be primarily nocturnal (Abbadi 1993, Nowell and Jackson 1996).

Sand cats have been recorded to move long distances in a single night (5-10 km), and a radio telemetry study in Israel suggests large home ranges, with one male using an area of 16 km² (Abbadi 1993). Annual ranges from the ongoing study in Saudi Arabia are larger, up to 40 km² (M. Strauss pers. comm. 2008).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Habitat degradation is the major threat to the sand cat. Vulnerable arid ecosystems are being rapidly degraded by human settlement and activity, especially livestock grazing (Allan and Warren 1993, Al-Sharhan et al. 2003). The sand cat's small mammal prey base depends on having adequate vegetation, and may experience large fluctuations due to drought (Sunquist and Sunquist 2002), or declines due to desertification and loss of natural vegetation. Other localized threats include the introduction of feral and domestic dogs and cats, creating direct competition and through predation and disease transmission (Nowell and Jackson 1996). They also may be killed in traps laid out by inhabitants of oases targeting foxes and jackals or in retaliation for killing their chickens (De Smet 1989; Dragesco-Joffé 1993). There are occasional reports of animals shot in south-east Arabia (M. Strauss pers. comm.).

Major Threat(s):

Habitat degradation is the major threat to the sand cat. Vulnerable arid ecosystems are being rapidly degraded by human settlement and activity, especially livestock grazing (Allan and Warren 1993, Al-Sharhan et al. 2003). The sand cat's small mammal prey base depends on having adequate vegetation, and may experience large fluctuations due to drought (Sunquist and Sunquist 2002), or declines due to desertification and loss of natural vegetation.

Other localized threats include the introduction of feral and domestic dogs and cats, creating direct competition and through predation and disease transmission (Nowell and Jackson 1996). They also may be killed in traps laid out by inhabitants of oases targeting foxes and jackals or in retaliation for killing their chickens (De Smet 1989; Dragesco-Joffé 1993). There are occasional reports of animals shot in south-east Arabia (M. Strauss pers. comm.).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Included on CITES Appendix II. Hunting of this species is prohibited in Algeria, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan and Tunisia (Nowell and Jackson 1996). On the African continent, Sand Cats are recorded from several protected areas, including Tassili n’ Ajjer and Ahaggar National Parks (Algeria), Aïr and Tenere National Reserve (Niger), and Djebel Bou-Hedma Biosphere Reserve (Tunisia) (Sliwa in press). In Saudi Arabia, a study is underway in the Mahazat As-Sayd and Saja/Umm Ar-rimth Protected Areas (Strauss et al. 2007), while records also exist from the ‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid Protected Area (Strauss pers. obs.) In Iran it has been reported from the Moteh and Touran protected areas (Nowell and Jackson 1996). There is a need for more fine-scale distribution studies and estimates of home range and density.

Conservation Actions:

Included on CITES Appendix II. Hunting of this species is prohibited in Algeria, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan and Tunisia (Nowell and Jackson 1996). On the African continent, Sand Cats are recorded from several protected areas, including Tassili n’ Ajjer and Ahaggar National Parks (Algeria), Aïr and Tenere National Reserve (Niger), and Djebel Bou-Hedma Biosphere Reserve (Tunisia) (Sliwa in press). In Saudi Arabia, a study is underway in the Mahazat As-Sayd and Saja/Umm Ar-rimth Protected Areas (Strauss et al. 2007), while records also exist from the ‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid Protected Area (Strauss pers. obs.) In Iran it has been reported from the Moteh and Touran protected areas (Nowell and Jackson 1996).

There is a need for more fine-scale distribution studies and estimates of home range and density.

Citation:	Mallon, D.P., Sliwa, A. & Strauss, M. 2008. Felis margarita. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 November 2009.
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