Sand Cat

Sand cats are small wild cats that are hard to find in their habitats across the Sahara Desert. Rare, nocturnal and elusive, they keep to themselves and are active mostly at night, using burrows in sand dunes or in the shade of shrubs for sleeping or resting in the heat of the day. They are adapted for life in the desert: they have wiry, dense fur on their feet for walking on sand and digging burrows, large ears for hearing prey at night, and the ability to roam several miles hunting for small animals. They get all the water they need from their prey.

Baby sand cats are called kittens, just like housecats. Females give birth to about 4 kittens after 2 months, usually in a burrow or among rocks as shelter. Kittens nurse from their mom for about 4 months as they learn to hunt on their own.