Sand cats live in places where ordinary cats wouldn’t even dare to be born
Have you ever heard a cat bark? If not, then you simply aren’t familiar with the sand cat (Felis margarita). While its relatives purr and meow, this desert extremist has chosen an unusual way of communicating — it barks like a real dog. Imagine a tiny predator that sounds like a fierce dog in order to survive where other cats wouldn’t even be born.
The sand cat, which is also called the dune cat, is unique in the animal world. It is the only representative of the feline family that can bark like a dog.
What Does the Sand Cat Look Like
The sand cat is a very compact predator. Its body length is only 45-57 centimeters, and its weight ranges from 1 to 3 kilograms. About the same as a domestic cat!
Its tail is almost as long as its body, adding another 28-35 centimeters.
Sand cat. Image source: wikimedia.org
A Cat That Barks Like a Dog
But the main feature isn’t the size, it’s the vocal cords: during mating season, these cats produce sounds that resemble the barking of a dog or seal more than the familiar cat meowing. Such loud barking helps solitary hunters find each other across the desert expanses, where ears are the main survival tool.
Cats Living in Deserts
Sand cats are the only felines that live exclusively in deserts. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle and rely on keen hearing to track prey under cover of darkness.
This cute face isn’t afraid of even snakes. Image source: wikipedia.org
Their menu consists mainly of small rodents: gerbils, jerboas, and mice. But these tiny cats are brave hunters: in the Sahara Desert, they aren’t afraid to attack even venomous sand vipers. Sometimes they bury leftover food to return to the meal later.
Cats That Dig Burrows
The habitat range of these animals is scattered, but it’s known for certain that they prefer sandy deserts. They can be found in Morocco, on the Arabian Peninsula, as well as in Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Syria. Due to their secretive lifestyle, it’s difficult for scientists to accurately assess the population size, but it’s known that these cats are natural diggers. They dig their own burrows and easily excavate prey from the sand.
Sand cats know how to hide in burrows. Image source: wikipedia.org
Nature has endowed them with unique protection from the heat: the pads of their paws are covered with dense, long fur. This not only saves them from burns on the scorching sand, but also makes the cats practically invisible, because they leave no tracks.
Scientists who try to study these secretive animals have a particularly hard time: sand cats seem to dissolve like ghosts in the endless sands.
