Sand Cat Endangered Facts
Though the Sand Cat conservation status is presently stated as the Least Concern on the IUCN Red List though the Sand Cat population is likely to be endangered.
Sand cat endangered facts. The litter usually consists of 2 4 kittens with numbers up to 8 occurring as well. Vulnerable arid ecosystems are being rapidly degraded by human settlement and activity especially livestock grazing Allan and Warren 1993 Al-Sharhan et al. Sand cats are threatened by habitat loss hunting and collection for the pet trade.
Some are killed by humans who consider them a threat to their livestock. A cat-sized exercise wheel. Desertification loss of vegetation and habitat degradation along with persecution in retaliation for killing chicks have put them at risk.
Habitat degradation is the major threat to the sand cat. Extinct in Wild EW Critically Endangered CR Endangered EN Vulnerable VU Near Threatened NT Least Concern LC Not Evaluated NE Care and Wellness. Sand Cats are the most difficult to study cat breeds in the wild.
Humans feral domestic dogs lions jackals wild dogs venomous snakes and birds of prey hunt the sand cat. Populations of sand cats in different locations will breed at different times of year. Why are sand cats endangered.
The sand cat is endangered because they are hunted by humanscollected and sold. They occupy areas in the desert that has small shrubs and receive rainfall less than 20mm a year. The sand cat is the only wild cat that is not threatened with loss of habitat since it is found in the desert.
Desert ecosystems are being degraded by people. Sand cats leave almost no footprint as they walk across the sand. Zookeepers at the North Carolina Zoo found a unique way to provide exercise for the sand cats.