The status and ecology of the sand cat in the Uruq Bani Ma’arid Protected Area, Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia
-
Rajan Amin
,
Tim Wacher
Abstract
The sand cat is one of the world’s least studied small cats. Our camera-trap survey, one of the largest undertaken in a desert system, generated over 1500 images of the species across 100 camera-traps distributed systematically over the 2400 km2 core area of the Uruq Bani Ma’arid Protected Area of the Empty Quarter, Saudi Arabia. The study revealed a much more significant and widespread sand cat population in the ecosystem than previously understood. Sand cats were detected across one-third of the core area in all major habitats, comprising escarpment plateau, sand dunes and interdunal gravel valleys. The species showed a marginal preference for the interior parallel dune system with interspersed gravel valleys where they also preferred sand dunes over the gravel valley in the hot season. There was no evidence of strong spatial interactions with other predators. The ecosystem’s larger predators (Arabian red fox and honey badger, and all records of wild and feral cats) were primarily associated with the escarpment plateau. The smaller Rueppell’s fox was the only other carnivore more consistently present in the main dune system. Sand cats were strictly nocturnal and 14% more active in the hot season than the cool season.
Acknowledgments
This study was completed at the King Khaled Wildlife Research Centre under the authority of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD). We thank Prince Bandar ibn Saud (managing director NCWCD) and Dr. Rob Sheldon (Director KKWRC), and their teams for their permission and support to conduct the research. A special thanks to the rangers at Uruq Bani Ma’arid Protected Area for their help in the deployment of the camera-traps. We also sincerely thank Dr. Philip Beacon for reviewing the manuscript prior to submission.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: None declared.
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.
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Supplementary Material
The online version of this article offers supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2020-0031).
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
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- Frontmatter
- Conservation
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- Ecology
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- Seasonal consumption of insects by the crested porcupine in Central Italy
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