CATS
Sand cat: the sweetest feline living in extreme climatic conditions
Welcome to the photo gallery "Sand cat: the sweetest feline living in extreme climatic conditions."
This feline is an extraordinary animal that has adapted to the harsh climatic conditions of the deserts where he lives.
Its sand-colored coat, large ears and hair-covered paws enable it to survive high temperatures and long periods without water. But despite its endurance, the sand cat is also a sweet and affectionate animal, often approaching humans with curiosity and giving unique moments of contemplation with its beauty and grace.
In this photo gallery, we invite you to discover the beauty of this feline through a series of breathtaking shots that capture its desert life and affectionate nature.
By Ranjith-chemmad - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6469974
Sand cat: the sweetest feline living in extreme climatic conditions
The sand cat (Felis margarita Loche, 1858) is a small-sized feline capable of living in quite inhospitable territories. This species is widespread in arid African and Asian deserts, such as the Sahara, the Arabian Desert, and the deserts of Iran and Pakistan.
By Malene Thyssen - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10119855
It lives in extreme climatic conditions!
This species fears neither high temperatures, which in the desert can reach peaks of more than 50 °C, nor cold temperatures, which plummet to - 5 °C at night. Despite the presence of few shelters, this species fears nothing, thanks mainly to its distinctly hardy ears and legs.
By Payman sazesh - camera trap, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=248497
Features
The sand cat is the size of a normal domestic cat, but has unique characteristics that allow it to survive in inhospitable environments. The paws have hair between the toes that serves to cover the palm of the paw, so as to insulate and protect it from the scorching sand. The fur on the paws allows this animal to go unnoticed, due to the difficulty of locating its footprints. This species also has pointed ears and exceptional hearing, which allows this feline to locate prey hidden under the sand.
By Ltshears - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11573950
Camouflage
Among the many unique features this animal has, there is a very special one: sand cats manage to blend in almost completely with their environment. In fact, their fur is desert-colored, light sand-yellow with dark stripes. Moreover, when they close their eyes to sleep they become very difficult to spot! They do this on purpose!
By TimVickers - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8153430
Can go a long time without drinking
Can you go for a long time without drinking? This species has found the solution. In fact, the sand cat gets its water from captured prey, typically rodents but also hares, birds, lizards and venomous snakes such as vipers.
By Charles Barilleaux from Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America - Curious Arabian Sand Kitten,
Skilled digger
In the arid deserts where this species lives, it is difficult to find shelter. For this reason, the sand cat possesses the digger's skill, which allows it to create shelter in the ground to survive.
By Adrian Pingstone (Arpingstone) - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.p
A solitary life
The sand cat rarely defends a single den; in fact, this species is used to sharing a den with other individuals, but never occupying it at the same time because it prefers to lead a solitary life. This changes during the breeding season.
Ferocious animals
28/04/2024
Anyone who is used to wandering in the woods and mountains knows that encountering a wild bear is a very unlikely experience. Bears are often frightened of humans and do not approach them, but if this should happen, what should one do?
Recently, in Italy, a boy unfortunately died as a result of a wild bear attack, but this is a rather rare and dramatic event. In any case, one can never be too careful, and it could be very helpful to know what to do in the event of an encounter with a bear, especially if you are out and about alone.
The US government has long since issued general guidelines on how to behave and how to react in the event of a close encounter with this huge animal, which is often just curious, but sometimes also very dangerous if certain rules are not followed.