Species comparison
Black-footed Cat vs Sand Cat
A side-by-side look at Felis nigripes and Felis margarita across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The sand cat averages about 1.4 times the body mass of the black-footed cat.
- Both species use semi-arid scrub and desert.
- Their ranges both include Africa.
- Red List categories differ: Black-footed Cat is listed as Vulnerable, Sand Cat as Least Concern.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Black-footed Cat
Felis nigripes
Sand Cat
Felis margarita
Black-footed Cat
Felis
Sand Cat
Felis
Black-footed Cat
Domestic cat lineage
Sand Cat
Domestic cat lineage
Black-footed Cat
Small cats
Sand Cat
Small cats
Black-footed Cat
Small spotted cat, Anthill tiger
Sand Cat
Sand dune cat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Black-footed Cat
14 in – 20 in (36–52 cm)
Sand Cat
15 in – 22 in (39–57 cm) Longer
Black-footed Cat
5 in – 8 in (12–20 cm)
Sand Cat
9 in – 14 in (23–35 cm) Longer
Black-footed Cat
7 in – 10 in (17–25 cm)
Sand Cat
9 in – 12 in (24–30 cm) Taller
Black-footed Cat
2.2–5.5 lb (1–2.5 kg)
Females often weigh little more than a kilogram.
Sand Cat
3–7.5 lb (1.35–3.4 kg) Heavier
One of the lightest cats of the Old World.
Black-footed Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Sand Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Black-footed Cat
6–8 years
Sand Cat
8–10 years Longer
Black-footed Cat
10–14 years
Sand Cat
12–14 years Longer
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Black-footed Cat
semi-arid scrub, grassland, desert
Open, dry short-grass plains and Karoo scrub with termite mounds and rodent burrows for shelter; it avoids both rocky mountain terrain and dense woodland.
Sand Cat
desert, semi-arid scrub
Sandy and stony desert with sparse vegetation, including dune fields, gravel plains and desert scrub where summer surface temperatures are extreme.
Black-footed Cat
Africa
Restricted to South Africa, Botswana and Namibia, with marginal records from southern Zimbabwe and Angola.
Sand Cat
Africa, Asia
The Sahara from Morocco to Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Pakistan.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Black-footed Cat
small mammals, birds, insects, reptiles
Gerbils, mice, shrews, larks and other ground birds, plus large insects; prey is small, and a great many items are needed each night.
Sand Cat
small mammals, reptiles, birds, insects
Gerbils and jerboas dominate; the cat also takes lizards, snakes, birds and large insects, and gets most of its water from its food.
Black-footed Cat
Solitary
Shelters by day in hollow termite mounds and abandoned burrows — the origin of its local nickname — and hunts alone through the night.
Sand Cat
Solitary
Shelters in burrows during the day, either dug itself or taken over from rodents and foxes, and can range widely over a single night.
Black-footed Cat
Nocturnal
Emerges after dark and remains active for most of the night, returning to shelter before dawn.
Sand Cat
Nocturnal
Almost entirely night active, avoiding daytime surface temperatures that would be lethal.
Black-footed Cat
Continuous fast-paced hunting
Uses three modes: a fast hunt through grass, a slow stalking search, and patient waiting at rodent burrow entrances.
Sand Cat
Listening and digging
Locates prey by sound, often beneath the surface, then digs rapidly to reach burrowing rodents.
Black-footed Cat
Limited
A ground specialist that seldom climbs; its habitat is largely treeless.
Sand Cat
Limited
Its habitat contains few trees; the species is built for digging rather than climbing.
Black-footed Cat
Very limited
Occupies arid habitat with almost no standing water.
Sand Cat
Very limited
Effectively never encounters standing water.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Black-footed Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2016
Sand Cat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2016
Black-footed Cat
Decreasing
Sand Cat
Stable
Black-footed Cat
Poisoning aimed at jackals and other carnivores, Overgrazing and loss of prey, Road mortality, Predation by domestic dogs, Disease in small populations
A small range, low population density and heavy exposure to poisoning and predator-control measures aimed at other species keep this cat under pressure.
Sand Cat
Degradation of desert vegetation by grazing, Off-road vehicle disturbance, Trapping for the pet trade, Killing by herding dogs, Very limited monitoring data
Assessed as Least Concern, though population data are sparse across an enormous and difficult range. Off-road vehicle traffic and trapping are known local pressures.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
Black-footed Cat
- Field studies record hunting success on roughly six of every ten attempts, the highest documented rate for any cat.
- It uses hollow termite mounds as dens, which is why farmers call it the anthill tiger.
- Despite its tiny size it is famously intolerant of handling and does not tame.
Sand Cat
- It can survive for long periods without drinking, taking the water it needs from prey.
- Fur-covered footpads leave tracks that are almost impossible to read in soft sand.
- Field surveys often rely on night driving, because the species is otherwise practically invisible.
Sources used for this comparison
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Global assessment categories, population trends and documented threats.
- IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group Species accounts, distribution notes and Cat News reporting for every wild felid.
- Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation Dedicated research and field reporting on the lesser-known felids.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Body measurements, longevity records and life-history notes.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.
- National Geographic — Animals General natural-history reference for behaviour, range and ecology.