RIYADH: A rare species of an endangered cat was recently spotted in the east of Arar in the Northern Borders region.
The sand cat is a small-sized nocturnal animal that only comes out after dark in search of food.
The cat, which became almost extinct due to poaching and natural habitat destruction, is now reappearing in nature due to the spread of natural reserves and the establishment of ecosystems that preserve it and contribute to its reproduction.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the cat stays in burrows during the day to avoid high temperatures, and to stay hydrated and satiated.
It lives in sandy and stony desert areas, away from people, in rugged terrain that abounds with plants.
Nasser Al-Majlad, president of the Aman Environmental Association in the Northern Borders region, said that the area was abundant with many wild animals of different categories, species and types, due to the different surrounding conditions, such as the diversity of the terrain; mountains, plateaus, plains, valleys and reefs, in addition to the spread of different kinds of annual and seasonal plants.
He said that the sand cat feeds on small rodents, lizards and snakes, hunts its prey at night when it has the ability to see fully in the dark, and can survive without water as it receives all hydration from its prey.
The female gives birth in burrows or among rocks, once and sometimes twice a year after a gestation period of between 59 to 68 days. It gives birth to a litter of three to four kittens, which are unable to see for ten days, but begin to be self-reliant in hunting prey after three or four months.
Al-Majlad said that the sand cat has a sandy to pale yellow-orange coat, with light-colored markings on the top of its body. Its front legs had two black rings and its tail feature two to five black rings with buff bands.
It has a white belly, a broad flattened head and large, black-tipped and triangular ears, and sharp hearing. The thick hair spread between its fingers and feet protects its paws from the heat of the earth in the summer, and provides the stability to walk on sand dunes.
Al-Majlad said that currently the sand cat only faced threat from hunting by humans. As for its natural enemies, it could protect itself well by quickly running away or hiding in burrows that it dug under perennial trees.
