Desert cat is a small wild cat living in the North African and Arab deserts, and is also the only cat family in the world that mainly lives in the desert. This wild cat with a body length of 39~52cm and a common weight of less than 3kg is the same size as a domestic cat and looks cute, but this cat is one of the most mysterious cat animals in the world.
The whereabouts of the desert cat are hidden and vigilant, and people know very little about it. The first scientific description only appeared in 1858. However, phylogenetic research on nuclear DNA shows that desert cats and domestic cats began to part ways as early as 2.16 million to 167,600 years ago, and the genetic differentiation of mitochondrial DNA showed that about 1.03 million to 65,200 years ago, desert cats began to form independent genetic groups. Both models show that the jungle cat is the first differentiated feline, followed by the black-footed cat and then the desert cat, all three appearing before the domestic cat.
Scientists believe that desert cats may have migrated to Africa during the Pleistocene glacier period and adapted to the harsh, arid desert environment. However, due to the hidden living environment, desert cats have always been little known and did not become famous until 2017. At that time, scientists accidentally took a series of photos of desert cats during field investigations. The related photos quickly became popular on the Internet. The cute appearance of the desert cat instantly captured the hearts of thousands of netizens, and some netizens also expressed their desire to adopt one at a high price!
Desert cats are also very good at digging caves to escape the heat. Field investigations show that desert cats are masters of burrowing among felines, and their claws do not retract completely during digging, which helps improve digging efficiency. The depth of the cave is generally 1.5m, and the exit is slightly inclined. The largest cave currently recorded is as long as 4.5m. Desert cats also have an opportunistic side. When caves abandoned by animals such as gerbils, ground squirrels, porcupines, and foxes are found, desert cats often take over the ground holes and transform them into habitable nests.