A desert cat with pale sandy fur, large ears, and fur-covered foot pads.
Its pale sandy coat has fine speckling, and its large ears sit on a broad, flattened head. Dense fur on the soles helps protect its feet from heat and cold.
From 2022 to 2025, researchers placed 85 motion-triggered cameras at four sites in Qatar. Across 9,444 camera nights, sand cats appeared only in Al-Ureiq Reserve: cameras recorded 106 separate events at 16 locations. This systematic survey provided confirmed records of the species in Qatar and mapped where the cats appeared within the surveyed sites.
Vegetation measures were associated with site use in the reserve, and cameras recorded cats by day and night. Detection rates were higher in summer than autumn, with activity peaking around midnight. One camera also photographed a female with two cubs. The records connect sand cats in this dry landscape with vegetated patches and show activity across the full year.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The authors identify Al-Ureiq Reserve as Qatar’s main stronghold for sand cats and recommend making its management a priority. Cameras recorded stray dogs at 11 locations; the authors call for action to reduce potential impacts and for surveys beyond the reserve.