Felis margarita | UAE National Red List of Mammals: Marine and Terrestrial

Taxa
Felis margarita | Loche, 1858
Publication
UAE National Red List of Mammals: Marine and Terrestrial
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Mammals
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxonomic Notes
Taxonomy is currently under review by the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group (2014). Placed in the genus Felis according to genetic analysis (Johnson et al. 2006, O'Brien and Johnson 2007). Four subspecies have been classically described: F. m. margarita in North Africa, F. m. harrisoni in Arabia, F. m. thinobia in Central Asia and F. m. scheffeli in Pakistan (Sliwa 2013, Banfield et al. 2014), but genetic analysis is needed to confirm subspecific partitioning, especially in light of possible large gaps in the species distribution.
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
There are a few confirmed records and some additional anecdotal reports of this species in the UAE. Carcasses were obtained from south of Wutayd in 1987 and Ghayathi in western Abu Dhabi Emirate (Cunningham 2002). A dead but largely intact specimen was photographed and collected near a Little Owl perch on a calcrete terrace in the western desert of Abu Dhabi, 3 km W of the track to Mukhayriz prison, in April 1997 (G. Feulner, pers. comm. 2018). The specimen was deposited with M. Jongbloed, then Director of Sharjah Desert Park, but was subsequently misplaced. The first live sighting was in 2001 about 35 km northwest of Al Ain, when an animal was found near a den with tracks and prey remains (Cunningham 2002). One individual was found for sale in a pet shop in 2002, having been caught south of Al Ain; one was seen in the Sweihan area in autumn 2004 and more recently in 2017, and a further individual was observed in the Baynoonah area of western Abu Dhabi in 2005 (Drew and Tourenq 2005). Between 1995 and 2005 there were only four confirmed records despite intensive surveys in areas of suitable habitat (Drew and Tourenq 2005). All records and reports to date were summarised in Banfield et al. (2014). Presence in Baynoonah was confirmed in 2015 when 46 photographs of Sand Cat were obtained during a camera trap survey (Ahmed et al. 2016), and surveys in protected areas of Abu Dhabi in 2017-2018 have recorded Sand Cat at 12 new localities, in addition to Baynoonah. These new records may indicate that the species is more widely distributed than previously suspected. There are no recent records from the Dubai or Sharjah deserts. It is assumed that formerly it was sparsely and patchily distributed across the UAE, except for the mountains. Globally, the Sand Cat has an extensive but very patchy distribution in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Pakistan and Central Asia (Sliwa et al. 2016). In the Arabian Peninsula records are widely but sparsely distributed in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia north to Iraq, Jordan and Syria (Banfield et al. 2014).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The Sand Cat is a specialist of vegetated sandy desert, sand dunes and sand/gravel plains. It is nocturnal. Few details of the ecology and biology are known (Mallon and Budd 2011). All UAE records are from sandy and gravel desert areas. One animal was observed near a den on the western side of a small calcrete hill at 235 m altitude (Cunningham 2002). Sand Cats prey on small mammals reptiles and invertebrates. One was observed feeding on a jird Meriones sp. (J. Judas pers. comm. 2016) and they may feed on locusts when they swarm (Cunningham 2002). Dens can be found in open areas, beneath rocks and in vegetation. Generally reported to be nocturnal, but there are a few records of diurnal activity in Arabia, especially in cooler conditions (Banfield et al. 2014).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Endangered
Assessment status abreviation
EN
Assessment status criteria
D
Assessment rationale/justification
There are fewer than 100 records from the past 25 years in the EAD database, which implies that the population size must be small. It seems reasonable to estimate a population size of smaller than 250 mature individuals. Given that it is a sparsely distributed species, and with the recent new records from Abu Dhabi, it is difficult to say if the population is declining at present. It is therefore assessed as Endangered under criterion D. It appears to have undergone some declines since the assessment of Vulnerable made in 1996 and this is probably due to loss of habitat in parts of its range due to overgrazing and increasing infrastructure. There might also have been some persecution; the species is not specifically targeted but would be killed if caught and could fall victim to poisoning. There is unlikely to be any significant rescue effect as the the species is widely scattered and declining across the Arabian Peninsula. Furthermore, the fenced border with Saudi Arabia may be a barrier to movement.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2018
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
URL (link) of redlist assessment or publication
https://www.moccae.gov.ae/assets/download/b352eff1/UNRL%20of%20Mammals%20-%20Report%202019.pdf.aspx?view=true
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
Habitat loss and degradation are likely to represent the major threat to the Sand Cat through overgrazing by camels and other livestock and expansion of roads and settlements. “Dune bashing' may further damage fragile sand dune habitat. Sand Cats are vulnerable to indiscriminate trapping and poisoning of predators, but they are unlikely to be directly targeted. In view of the widely scattered known localities, fragmentation may also be a factor, but this requires further investigation (Mallon and Budd 2011). Fencing may impede movement, and depending on mesh size, cause injury or death (cases of Sand Cat mortality in fence lines in Saudi Arabia were reported by Sher Shah and Cunningham 2008).
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
The information collected since 1996 indicates a population (<) 250 mature individuals and it appears to have undergone some declines, probably due to loss of habitat in parts of its range due to overgrazing and increasing infrastructure. There might also have been some persecution. Hornby (1996) assessed the species as Endangered, however, we consider that there would likely have been more than 250 mature individuals back then, so backcasted it to be Vulnerable (VU D).
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Felis margarita Animalia Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Felidae Felis