Felis margarita scheffeli

Felis margarita scheffeli
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Felis
Species: F. margarita
Subspecies: F. m. scheffeli
Trinomial name
Felis margarita scheffeli
Hemmer, 1974

Felis margarita scheffeli is a subspecies of the sand cat that was described on the basis of seven deceased captive specimen originating from the Nushki desert in Pakistan.[1] In Pakistan, it is called Pakistan sand cat.[2]

Characteristics

Sand cat photographed in Iran – which subspecies is it?

Museum specimen of this subspecies are darker and greyer in skin colour than African sand cat, but are more strongly marked. Kittens have more than 8 tail rings.[3]

The subspecific status of sand cat recorded in Iran has not been assessed.[4][5]

Distribution

The first individual was detected in 1966 near the Lora River. In the late 1960s, sand cats were also encountered farther west, in the Chagai Hills, an extremely arid area comprising rolling sand dunes and stony plains at about 1,200 m (3,900 ft) elevation. This is the only area in Pakistan, where sand cats were found.[6] A survey has not been carried out in this area ever since.[7]

In the national 'Red List of Pakistan’s Mammals', the sand cat has been listed as Critically Endangered since 2003.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hemmer, H. (1974). Studien zur Systematik und Biologie der Sandkatze (Felis margarita Loche, 1858) [Studies on the systematics and biology of the sand cat.] Zeitschrift des Kölner Zoo 17 (1): 11–20. (in German)
  2. ↑ Ahmed, N. S. (1999). "Wild Cats of Pakistan". Wildlife of Pakistan. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Hemmer, H., Grubb, P., Groves, C. P. (1976). Notes on the Sand Cat, Felis margarita Loche 1958. Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 41: 286–303.
  4. ↑ Schauenberg, P. (1974). Données nouvelles sur le Chat des sables Felis margarita Loche, 1858. [New data on the sandcat Felis margarita Loche, 1858.] Revue Suisse De Zoologie 81(4): 949–969.
  5. ↑ Sliwa, A. (2013). Felis margarita Sand Cat. In: J. Kingdon, D. Happold (eds.) Mammals of Africa, Volume V: Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhinoceroses. Bloomsbury Publishing, London. Pp. 199–202.
  6. ↑ Roberts, T. (1977). The Mammals of Pakistan. Ernest Benn, Cornell.
  7. ↑ Sliwa, A.; Ghadirian, T.; Appel, A.; Banfield, L.; Sher Shah, M. & Wacher, T. (2016). "Felis margarita". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2016.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature.
  8. ↑ Sheikh, K. M., Molur, S. (2004). (Eds.) Status and Red List of Pakistan’s Mammals. Based on the Conservation Assessment and Management Plan. IUCN Pakistan.


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