Description
The Sand Cat (Felis margarita) is a mammal indigenous to Jordan. It inhabits sandy and stony deserts, arid shrubland, and rocky plains.
Habitat
Extended Data
Taxonomy
Fun Facts
The sand cat is the only wild cat that lives primarily in true deserts — it can survive in temperatures ranging from -5°C to 58°C (23°F to 136°F)
They have fur-covered paw pads that act like natural snowshoes on hot sand and protect against extreme desert temperatures
Sand cats are remarkably skilled diggers — they dig burrows to escape the heat and can rapidly bury their prey in sand for later
In Jordan's Wadi Rum desert, sand cats are rarely seen due to their nocturnal and secretive nature — they are sometimes called 'ghost cats'
They are the smallest wild cat species in their range, weighing only 1.5–3.3 kg (3–7 lbs), roughly the size of a domestic cat