As I said at the beginning, sand cats are endangered. If you can, please try to find some way to help. (By making fliers, telling people about them, a poster, even a blog like me, or any other ways to help.)
Sincerely, Megane.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Random Facts
*The sand cat was discovered as a species in 1858 by Victor Loche on a European expedition.
*Sand cats have large ears so they can move them into many different positions to aid hunting and are very sensitive to vibrations and sounds.
*Sand cats have hairs between their toes to protect their footpads from the hot sand in the desert.
*They have very insulated fur that protects them from the extremely cold night.
*Sand cats have large ears so they can move them into many different positions to aid hunting and are very sensitive to vibrations and sounds.
*Sand cats have hairs between their toes to protect their footpads from the hot sand in the desert.
*They have very insulated fur that protects them from the extremely cold night.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The Sand Cat's Behavior
Sand cats make sounds similar to the sounds of domestic cats, but when seeking a mate, they make high-pitched, rasping barks.
Sand cats run with belly to the ground and include occasional leaps as they run. They can break into sudden bursts of speed going 19-25 mph.
In the winter, sand cats stay above ground most of the day, but in the summer, sand cats are active mostly during the night; hunting and travelling. Before going back underground to their burrows before dawn, the same lookout takes place at the mouth of the burrow.
Sand cats run with belly to the ground and include occasional leaps as they run. They can break into sudden bursts of speed going 19-25 mph.
In the winter, sand cats stay above ground most of the day, but in the summer, sand cats are active mostly during the night; hunting and travelling. Before going back underground to their burrows before dawn, the same lookout takes place at the mouth of the burrow.
Sand Cat Kittens
An average litter of 1-8 kittens is born after 59-66 days. They give birth usually around April or May, although, in some areas, sand cats have a litter of kittens two times a year.
When sand cats are kittens, they are spotted with pale yellow or have reddish fur. They reach adult size by five months and are released from their mothers after the first year of life. After they leave, they mature more over the years, living on their own until they mate and have their own litter of kittens.
Sand cats live for about thirteen years in captivity, for the lifespan of the sand cat in the wild has not yet been documented.
There is around 230 sand cats living today, but there is probably still many more in the wild we have not counted yet since the sand cats live in such vast desert locations. Many people are working hard for the sand cats population to grow, and it would be great if you could help, too.
When sand cats are kittens, they are spotted with pale yellow or have reddish fur. They reach adult size by five months and are released from their mothers after the first year of life. After they leave, they mature more over the years, living on their own until they mate and have their own litter of kittens.
Sand cats live for about thirteen years in captivity, for the lifespan of the sand cat in the wild has not yet been documented.
There is around 230 sand cats living today, but there is probably still many more in the wild we have not counted yet since the sand cats live in such vast desert locations. Many people are working hard for the sand cats population to grow, and it would be great if you could help, too.
The Sand Cat's Diet, Enemies, Threats, and Dangers
The sand cat's diet is three species of gerbils, birds, and various reptiles; to get most of their prey, they hunt by digging. The sand cat's own enemies are venomous snakes, jackals, owls, and definitely humans.
Sand cat threats from humans are habitat degradation, human settlement in sand cats' habitats, crops planted by humans, and they may be killed in traps made for foxes and jackals. Some natural dangers of the sand cats are droughts, domestic dogs or cats, loss of natural vegetation, and disease.
Sand cat threats from humans are habitat degradation, human settlement in sand cats' habitats, crops planted by humans, and they may be killed in traps made for foxes and jackals. Some natural dangers of the sand cats are droughts, domestic dogs or cats, loss of natural vegetation, and disease.
Where the Sand Cat Calls Home
Next, I'll tell you about the sand cats' habitat. Sand cats live in sandy and stony deserts in the range of Northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and through central and southwest Asia; but the range is quite patchy since the population of the sand cat is so small and their areas of living are very specific.
They live in abandoned fox or porcupine burrows, or enlarge a burrow abandoned by gerbils or other small rodents. The burrows are usually 4.9 ft. deep and are dug in slightly slanting ground so they can get in and out of their burrows. Most sand cats live in zoos, so zoo keepers can breed sand cats to increase their population.
They live in abandoned fox or porcupine burrows, or enlarge a burrow abandoned by gerbils or other small rodents. The burrows are usually 4.9 ft. deep and are dug in slightly slanting ground so they can get in and out of their burrows. Most sand cats live in zoos, so zoo keepers can breed sand cats to increase their population.
What the Sand Cat Looks Like
I'll begin with what the sand cat looks like. The sand cat looks exactly like a cat, except they're wild, so you can't have them as a pet. They weigh about 4-8 pounds, and are 10-12 inches tall. Sand cats have soft fur that is the color of pale sand, they have large ears that are a red-brown color with black at the tips, and they also have a reddish streak that runs from each of their eyes and slides down their cheeks. Sand cats have faint black stripes on their backs, black bands that ring around the top of their legs, and black bands circle around their tails, until the black bands on the tail end at the black tip.
Now that you know what they look like, you can picture one as I tell you more information.
Now that you know what they look like, you can picture one as I tell you more information.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)