Desert Sand Cat Facts

The sand cat is the only true desert living cat.

Desert sand cat facts. Despite their minuteness they can run up to 16 miles per hour making them quite challenging to catch. According to records male Sand Cats can travel great distances as long as 31 miles to 62 miles 5 km to 10 km in just one night. Sand cats live exclusively in desert regions.

Sand cats are somewhat challenging to maintain in captivity. It has a stocky build with short legs. Instead they live in dry sandy plains and rocky valleys.

Sand cat is small animal that can reach 16 to 18 inches in length and 4 to 8 pounds in weight. The sand cat does not need to drink often as it gets enough moisture from its prey. It has a dense soft fur that is a pale sand or gray color above and paler underneath.

Coat patterns vary markedly in this species with some having numerous spots and stripes and others having none. Large ears radiate heat. It still needs to take in water of course like all living things but it is able to extract enough from its foods to sufficed for its needs.

Ears are black on the tops. They are found in very arid habitats with little to no vegetation. A layer of thick fur on the sand cats paws provides protection from the hot desert sand.

The sand cat is a rarely-seen desert cat found in northern Africa and the Middle East. The name caracal was proposed by Georges Buffon in 1761 who referred to its Turkish name Karrah-kulak or Kara-coulac meaning cat with black ears. Like most other desert animals they can survive for long periods of time without drinking.