Sand Cat: The Ghost of the Desert

The camera watches silently as the small feline digs under a lone bush. Satisfied with its work it curls up in the small trench it has made, pulling in its tail. The sand cat has managed to squeeze its entire body into the only sliver of shade in these unforgiving surroundings. Wildlife photographer Mohammed Almuntasir sits behind the camera, unaware that he is filming the proof that will retrace this species' geographic range and confirm its presence in Libya.  

The sand cat is a desert dweller. Found across North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Central Asia, it is the only wild cat (big or small) that resides predominantly in true desert. Although it exists across a wide range, it is sparsely distributed, often located closer to vegetation. To this day, it is unclear whether this patchy distribution is due to a genuine absence of the species or a lack of records. As Mohammed Almuntasir proved, gaps in our knowledge are present to this day.

As its name suggests, the sand cat is an expert in sandy habitats, although it can also rock rockier desert habitats. It is masterfully adapted to these harsh environments. Capable of tolerating extreme temperatures, from –25°C up to over 80°C, the thick fur around its paws protects it from the surface temperatures. Not only useful against extreme surface temperatures, the sand cat's paws are designed to leave indistinct tracks, as though it was never there. Truly a ghost.

The sand cat is one of the smallest felines. Only growing to approximately 50 cm, with a tail longer than half its body - reaching up to 30 cm - the sand cat is about as big as the average laptop! And barely any heavier, weighing in around 1.5 kg to 3.5 kg. In addition to its small size, its pale, sandy coloured coat is perfectly adapted to camouflage it in the desert. No wonder it's so hard to spot! From its size to its broad flat face, the sand cat has evolved to be a skilful desert predator... and undeniably cute!

Do not be fooled by the sand cat's adorably wide face and fluffiness, it is a formidable hunter. The sand cat will mostly hunt rodents in areas of thicker vegetation, but has also been known to eat insects, birds and reptiles. Even venomous snakes do not stand a chance against the sand cat. Like some sort of video game character, the sand cat uses a paw strike to stun the snake before finishing it with a neck bite. The sand cat needs to be a successful hunter, as its prey not only provides it with food but also water. By absorbing the moisture from its prey, the sand cat is capable of surviving without drinking water, although it will if water is readily available. Now that is a neat trick!

Beyond their resilience and striking power, the sand cat's paws also make it a prolific digger. It is able to dig quickly to reach prey and can dig itself a shelter, although it will use burrows abandoned by other animals, such as red foxes. The strength of the sand cat does not stop there. Its impressive force also translates to an impressive speed. Capable of running up to 30-40 km/h, the sand cat could easily keep up with, and perhaps even outrun, Usain Bolt. These kitty's paws are powerful!  

The sand cat is a solitary animal, roaming the desert in search of food or a mate. Individuals have been observed crossing long stretches of land, up to 10 km, in a night. This could all be within their territory though, as sand cats have been known to adopt ranges up to 30 km wide. They are not territorial however and have been known to have overlapping areas with other sand cats, male or female. Solitary or not, the sand cat cares enough to share.  

As with many creatures in the desert, the sand cat is primarily nocturnal. This allows it to avoid the hottest times of the day, instead moving and hunting when the temperatures have dropped. However, it will sometimes be active at twilight or even during the day during colder months.  

With such a wide and quiet desert to live in, the sand cat has developed highly sensitive hearing. Scientists theorise that their enlarged auditory bones allow them to locate prey and communicate with other sand cats more easily. This is particularly important when mating, as the closest female could be over a dozen kilometres away. The sand cat will mew loudly, a sound that resembles the barking of a small dog, to call to potential mates. Should they successfully pair up, sand cats will produce 2-4 kittens after a gestation period of approximately two months. Within three to four months, the kittens will be able to go out into the world on their own, reaching sexual maturity eight to nine months later.  

Given how hard they are to spot and monitor in the wild, you might imagine that information on the sand cat would be limited. However, sand cats have had a long-running presence in zoos. In 2013, 174 individual sand cats were recorded across 44 facilities, which has allowed the species to be studied. However, we should remember that wild animals are not pets, and their presence in zoos should serve a clear conservation or animal welfare purpose. An animal's primary habitat is nature, and we should strive to ensure that it can thrive in the wild.  

Historically, sand cats have been involved in a couple of harmful trades: the fur trade and the illegal pet trade. Today the trade of sand cat products is strictly regulated under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), and hunting is prohibited in several countries. Local sentiment towards the sand cat varies, with certain local communities considering it a threat to poultry farming whilst others don't. In certain areas, local traditions protect the sand cat. Whereas in different areas, steps taken to control other predators accidentally impact the sand cat too.  

Being present across such a wide range means that the sand cat is confronted with a multitude of threats, varying across regions and cultures. Moreover, it is difficult to accurately define which are the greatest threats to the sand cat and to what degree, due to the elusiveness of the species in the wild. However, it is generally agreed upon that desertification and drought, human activity such as trapping or the unintentional crossbreeding with domestic cats, and habitat degradation are the main threats to the sand cat.

Due to the lack of knowledge on wild sand cat populations, IUCN has been unable to determine the population trend of this species. It is, however, assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. And with the recent discovery that the species is present in Libya, it may very well be that the species has a stronger presence than previously thought.  

The sand cat is a curious mystery to uncover. Extensively understood at the individual level due to years of observation in captivity, but surprisingly poorly understood at a larger scale. If there is one thing you take with you from this Species of the Month, let it be this. Sand cats are wanderers of the desert. As elusive as ghosts and mythically powerful. But they are unmistakably very real.

Until next month!

With my eyes peeled and an ear to the ground,  

Talia, from the IUCN Med communications team  

Sources:

• IUCN Red List

• Big Cat Rescue

• Firas Hayder, et al. Rediscovering desert ghosts: new records and range extensions of the sand cat and Saharan striped polecat in Libya, Journal of Arid Environments, Volume 232, 2026, 105485, ISSN 0140-1963, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105485.  

• Cole, F. & Wilson, Don. (2015). Felis margarita (Carnivora: Felidae). Mammalian Species. 47. 63-77. 10.1093/mspecies/sev007.