the yellow-headed gecko or white-throated gecko ( gonatodes albogularis ) is a species of gecko found in warm parts of central and south america , and as an introduced species , in florida .

yellow - headed gecko

amputation of digits in males of the yellow - headed gecko gonatodes albogularis . mauricio peñuela
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anolissp . and gonatodes albogularis ( yellow - headed gecko ) predation
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information on the yellow - headed gecko is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly .
documents similar to amputation of digits in males of the yellow - headed gecko gonatodes albogularis . mauricio peñuela
amputation of digits in males of the yellow - headed gecko gonatodes albogularis . mauricio peñuela | aggression | ultraviolet
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yellow - headed gecko ( gonatodes albogularis ) | fl : lizd - g . albogularis ( invasive ) | pinterest | geckos , lizards and reptiles
moreno - arias , rafael a . 2016 . gonatodes albogularis ( yellow - headed gecko ) predation herpetological review 47 ( 4 ) : 669 - 670
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guzmán - guzmán , s . and m . p . martínez 2016 . geographic distribution : gonatodes albogularis ( yellow - headed gecko ) . herpetological review 47 ( 3 ) : 423 .
yellow headed dwarf geckos are a dwarf species of gecko , rarely exceeding 3” total length . little is known about their natural lifespan , although an expected lifespan of 5 to 10 years is not unreasonable .
yellow - headed geckos are active by day , unlike most geckos . only the males have the yellow heads . i saw three of these , all adult males , on this trip . the other two were too skittish to photograph .
only the cuban ashy gecko and common ocellated gecko share the florida reef gecko’s tiny size and round pupils . the cuban ashy gecko’s dorsal scales are small and granular . the common ocellated gecko has numerous tiny white eye - like spots on the neck . both cuban ashy and common ocellated geckos have dark bodies with lighter spots and markings on the body .
in addition to insects , yellow headed dwarf geckos will also eat repashy gecko meal replacement powder , or mrp , as well as zoomed day gecko food . offering this food at least once a week will also help add variety to their diet , and can be mixed with fresh fruits such as bananas or with canned fruit products such as zoomed mixins .
use a minimum of a 24
x 18
x 18
glass aquarium for a yellow headed gecko . you must include a lot of plant life , real or fake . use bark or peat moss for the subtrate , with a lot of branches and hiding spots .
there are two species of dwarf geckos commonly imported and sold under the common name “yellow headed dwarf gecko” . appearance is slightly different , with l . kimhowelli having a blue body with a pale yellow head , and black stripes going down the length of the body . l . picturatus has a pale blue body and a bright yellow head , with dark stripes and spots going down the length of the body . of the two , only l . picturatus has marked sexual dimorphism , with the females being much drabber than the males but still having traces of yellow and blue coloration .
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social behavior of the western banded gecko , coleonyx variegatusbaird
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defensive behaviour of the western banded gecko , coleonyx variegatus
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yellow - headed geckos are introduced to the florida keys and the miami area . they are native to the west indies and cuba and are also found in central and south america . they are common on buildings and around rock and rubble piles .
the florida reef gecko , the only native gecko in florida , could potentially be impacted by human development or competition with introduced geckos , but at this time it still seems abundant within its range .
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recent physical encounters affect chemically mediated retreat - site selection in a gecko
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fine art illustration of a yellow - headed gecko . the print is hand - signed by the artist and is guaranteed to arrive in perfect condition . the reproduction of this original pen and ink drawing is done on high quality acid - free archival paper . call 1 800 - 913 - 7906 for more information or to order by phone . click here for shipping info .
an endangered neon day gecko ( phelsuma klemmeri ) at the cheyenne mountain zoo in colorado springs , co .
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social behavior and sex recognition in the puerto rican dwarf gecko sphaerodactylus nicholsi
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rogner , manfred 1997 . der gelbkopf - gecko : gonatodes fuscus , hallowell , 1855 . ti magazin ( 138 ) : 45 - 47
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sexual differences in tail - waving display as an antipredador signal of the diurnal gecko gonatodes albogularisfrom tropical forests of colombia
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roles of visual , acoustic , and chemical signals in social interactions of the tropical house gecko ( hemidactylus mabouia )
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the desert banded gecko is relatively common throughout its range , and has received no special status or protection . it is threatened by urbanization , habitat degradation by overgrazing and recreation , and perhaps illegal collection activities .
among geckos from the western united states , only banded geckos have eyelids and lack toepads . the range of the desert banded gecko overlaps that of barefoot gecko , which differs in having blackish tubercles on the neck and back . its range impinges on three other subspecies , the utah , tucson , and san diego banded geckos . the subspecies of banded geckos are very similar , and identifying them can be difficult . pay close attention to location , and use the other accounts and the key to confirm identification .
the only native gecko found east of the mississippi river , florida reef geckos are known from the dry tortugas , florida keys and extreme southeastern mainland florida . other subspecies are known from cuba and the bahamas . they are found in pinelands , hammocks and vacant lots .
domínguez - lópez , moisés e . , federico p . kacoliris and ángela m . ortega - león . 2015 . effects of microhabitat temperature on escape behavior in the diurnal gecko , gonatodes albogularis ( duméril & bibron , 1836 ) ( squamata : sauria : sphaerodactylidae ) . herpetozoa 28 ( 1 / 2 ) : 49 - 54
search closely through leaf litter and debris to find these secretive , matchstick - sized lizards . the florida reef gecko is a tiny round - bodied gecko with relatively large , overlapping , and strongly keeled scales on the back . perhaps the smallest lizard in the united states , it is only 2 - 2 . 25 in . ( 5 . 1 - 5 . 7 cm ) tl . its body and tail are covered with dark spots on a brown background . females have three broad longitudinal dark stripes on the head , and may or may not have a pair of white , dark edged
eye spots
on the shoulder . the body is covered with large overlapping keeled scales .
this is the most widely distributed of the coleonyx variegatus subspecies , found in southeastern california , southern nevada , and western arizona . the species as a whole ranges across the west from california to southwest new mexico and from southern utah and nevada in the north down into sinaloa and the tip of baja california in mexico . the desert banded gecko is found from desert sinks at below sea level to 5 , 000 feet and from desert habitats to pinyon - juniper or mixed chaparral .
gymnodactylus albogularis duméril & bibron 1836 : 415 gymnodactylus maculatus steindachner 1869 : 16 ( fide boulenger 1885 ) gonatodes albogularis — boulenger 1885 : 59 goniodactylus albogularis — cope 1885 : 182 gonatodes fuscus — smith 1944 gonatodes albogularis — conant & collins 1991 : 87 gonatodes albogularis — schwartz & henderson 1991 : 408 gonatodes albogularis — liner 1994 gonatodes albogularis — köhler 2000 : 48 gonatodes albogularis — mcnish 2011 gonatodes albogularis bodinii rivero blanco 1964 gonatodes bodinii rivero blanco 1964 gonatodes bodinii — donoso - barros 1968 : 108 gonatodes bodinii — peters et al . 1970 : 132 gonatodes albogularis bodinii — röll 2009 gonatodes albogularis fuscus ( hallowell 1855 ) stenodactylus fuscus hallowell 1855 : 33 gymnodactylus fuscus — duméril 1856 : 477 gonatodes albogularis fuscus — boulenger 1885 : 59 gonatodes fuscus — stejneger 1917 : 264 gonatodes fuscus — mertens 1952 : 38 gonatodes fuscus — taylor 1956 : 27 gonatodes albogularis fuscus — vanzolini & williams 1962 : 491 gonatodes albogularis fuscus — wermuth 1965 : 42 gonatodes fuscus — nemuras 1966 gonatodes albogularis fuscus — schwartz & henderson 1988 : 130 gonatodes fuscus — röll 2009 gonatodes albogularis fuscus — powell & henderson 2012 gonatodes albogularis notatus ( reinhardt & lütken 1862 ) gymnodactylus notatus reinhardt & lütken 1862 : 280 gonatodes notatus — barbour 1937 : 108 gonatodes albogularis notatus — vanzolini & williams 1962 : 492 gonatodes albogularis notatus — wermuth 1965 : 42 gonatodes albogularis notatus — schwartz & henderson 1988 gonatodes albogularis notatus — powell & henderson 2012 : 127
n colombia ( valle del cauca , chocó ) , venezuela ( barinas etc . )
bodinii : venezuela ( monjes islands : monje grande del sur , monje grande del norte ) ; type locality : monje grande del sur , venezuela .
fuscus : costa rica , panama ; cuba ( incl . cayo santa maría ) ;
notatus : hispaniola , including lie à cabrit , ile de la gonâve ; jamaica ; grand cayman island . altitudinal distribution sea level to 3000 ft . ; type - locality : aquin , departement du sud , haiti ( but see comment ) .
note : tdwg regions are generated automatically from the text in the distribution field and not in every cases it works well . we are working on it .
syntypes : mnhn 1776 . holotype uzm ( zmuc ) r . 34462 [ notatus ] holotype : unlocated , fide schartz & henderson 1988 [ fuscus ]
barbour , t . 1910 . notes on the herpetology of jamaica . bull . mus . comp . zool . harvard 52 : 273—301 - get paper here
barbour , t . and c . t . ramsden . 1919 . the herpetology of cuba . mem . mus . comp . zool . , harvard coll . 47 : 69 - 213 . - get paper here
barrio - amorós , c . l . 2010 . gonatodes - los geckos diurnos de venezuela . rioverde 2010 ; 43 - 50
barrio - amorós , cesar l . & juan c . ortíz 2016 . venezuelan geckos ( gekkonidae , phyllodactylidae , sphaerodactylidae ) in the collection of the universidad de concepción in chile , with description of the type series of gonatodes ligiae and gonatodes petersi ( sphaerodactylidae ) . zootaxa 4136 ( 3 ) : 537–552
blanco - torres , argelina ; lina báez s . , edgar patiño - flores , juan m . renjifo - r . 2013 . herpetofauna from the middle valley of the ranchería river , la guajira , colombia rev . biodivers . neotrop . 3 ( 2 ) : 113 - 22
borroto - páez , rafael ; roberto alonso bosch , boris a . fabres , and osmany alvarez garcía 2015 . introduced amphibians and reptiles in the cuban archipelago . herp . cons . biol . 10 ( 3 ) : 985–1012 . - get paper here
boulenger , g . a . 1885 . catalogue of the lizards in the british museum ( nat . hist . ) i . geckonidae , eublepharidae , uroplatidae , pygopodidae , agamidae . london : 450 pp . - get paper here
castro - herrera , f . & vargas - salinas , f . 2008 . anfibios y reptiles en el departamento del valle del cauca , colombia . biota colombiana 9 ( 2 ) : 251 - 277 - get paper here
castro - herrera , f . ; bolívar - garcía , w . & herrera - montes , m . i . 2007 . guía de los anfibios y reptiles des bosque de yotoco , valle deel cauca , colombia . universidad del valle , cali , colombia , 70 pp . - get paper here
castro - herrera , fernando ; anyelet valencia - aguilar , diego villaquiran - martínez 2012 . diversidad de anfibios y reptiles del parque nacional natural isla gorgona universidad del valle , santiago de cali , valle del cauca , 112 pp .
cochran , d . m . 1941 . the herpetology of hispaniola . bull . us natl . mus . 177 : vii + 398 pp . - get paper here
conant , r . & collins , j . t . 1991 . a field guide to reptiles and amphibians of eastern / central north america , 3rd ed . houghton mifflin ( boston / new york ) , xx + 450 p .
cope , e . d . 1885 . twelfth contribution to the herpetology of tropical america . proc . amer . philos . soc . 22 : 167 - 194 [ 1884 ] - get paper here
duméril , a . h . a . 1856 . description des reptiles nouveaux ou imparfaitement connus de la collection du muséum d’histoire naturelle et remarques sur la classification et les charactères des reptiles . archives du muséum hist . nat . paris , 8 : 438—588 . - get paper here
duméril , a . m . c . and g . bibron . 1836 . erpetologie générale ou histoire naturelle complete des reptiles . vol . 3 . libr . encyclopédique roret , paris , 528 pp . - get paper here
esqueda , luis felipe , enrique la marca , marco natera and pietro battiston 2001 . noteworthy reptilian state records and a lizard species new to the herpetofauna of venezuela . herpetological review 32 ( 3 ) : 198 - 200 - get paper here
garcía - padilla , elí and vicente mata - silva 2014 . noteworthy distributional records for the herpetofauna of chiapas , mexico . mesoamerican herpetology 1 ( 2 ) : 293 - get paper here
gibbons , whit ; judy greene , and tony mills 2009 . lizards and crocodilians of the southeast . university of georgia press , 240 pp .
gutsche , alexander 2015 . die insel der verschollenen salamander : zur herpetofauna der honduranischen isla del tigre . terraria - elaphe 2015 ( 3 ) : 38 - 43 - get paper here
hallowell , e . 1855 . contributions to south american herpetology . journal of the academy of natural sciences , philadephia ( 2 ) 3 : 33 - 36 - get paper here
henderson , c . l . 2010 . mammals , amphibians , and reptiles of costa rica - a field guide . university of texas press , austin , 198 pp .
hluschi , d . 2009 . gonatodes - die unbekannten juwelen der neotropis . reptilia ( münster ) 14 ( 78 ) : 16 - 23 - get paper here
hummelinck , p . w . 1940 . studies on the fauna of curacao , aruba , bonaire and the venezuelan islands : no . 2 . a survey of the mammals , lizards and mollusks . [ ' gymnophthalmus laevicaudus : 80 ] . studies on the fauna of curacao and other caribbean islands . 1 : 59—108
jablonski , daniel 2015 . gonatodes albogularis . communal egg laying . mesoamerican herpetology 2 ( 2 ) : 195 - 196 - get paper here
johnson , jerry d . ; vicente mata - silva , elí garcía padilla , and larry david wilson 2015 . the herpetofauna of chiapas , mexico : composition , distribution , and conservation . mesoamerican herpetology 2 ( 3 ) : 272–329 . - get paper here
köhler , g . 2000 . reptilien und amphibien mittelamerikas , bd 1 : krokodile , schildkröten , echsen . herpeton verlag , offenbach , 158 pp .
köhler , g . 2008 . reptiles of central america . 2nd ed . herpeton - verlag , 400 pp .
krysko , k . l . and keidra j . daniels 2005 . a key to the geckos ( sauria : gekkonidae ) of florida . carib . j . sci . 41 ( 1 ) : 28 - 36 - get paper here
kunz , k . 2005 . photogenic herpetofauna . notes on cuban synanthropic species . reptilia ( gb ) ( 43 ) : 47 - 53 - get paper here
larreal , j . t . ; g . a . rivas ; c . portillo - quintero ; t . r . barros 2012 . squamata reptiles of a fragment of tropical dry forest in northwestern venezuela ( lake maracaibo region ) . check list 8 ( 6 ) : 1220 - 1224 - get paper here
lee , j . c . 2000 . a field guide to the amphibians and reptiles of the maya world . cornell university press , ithaca ,
mccranie , james r . 2015 . a checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of honduras , with additions , comments on taxonomy , some recent taxonomic decisions , and areas of further studies needed . zootaxa 3931 ( 3 ) : 352–386 - get paper here
mcnish , t . 2011 . la fauna del archipiélago de san andrés , providencia y santa catalina , colombia , sudamérica . colomba andina de impresos , isbn 978 - 958 - 99518 - 1 - 1
medina - rangel , guido fabián 2013 . cambio estacional en el uso de los recursos de la comunidad de reptiles en el complejo cenagoso de zapatosa , departamento del cesar ( colombia ) . caldasia 35 ( 1 ) : 103 - 122
mertens , r . 1952 . die amphibien und reptilien von el salvador . abh . senckenb . naturf . ges . ( frankfurt ) ( no . 487 ) : 120 pp .
meshaka jr . , walter e . 2011 . a runaway train in the making : the exotic amphibians , reptiles , turtles , and crocodilians of florida . herp . cons . biol . 6 ( monograph 1 ) : 1 - 101 - get paper here
nemuras , k . 1966 . notes on the herpetology of panama : part i . bull . maryland herp . soc . 2 ( 4 ) : 26 - 31 - get paper here
ortleb , edward ; heatwole , harold 1965 . comments on some panamanian lizards with a key to the species from barro colorado island , c . z . and vicinity . carib . j . sci . 5 ( 3 - 4 ) : 141 - 147 .
petzold , h . g . 1965 . ein kubanischer gelbkopfgecko im tierpark berlin . aquar . und terrar . 12 ( 3 ) : no pagination .
pianka , e . r . & vitt , l . j . 2003 . lizards - windows to the evolution of diversity . university of california press , berkeley , 347 pp . [ review in copeia 2004 : 955 ] - get paper here
powell , r . , and r . w . henderson , eds . 2012 . island lists of west indian amphibians and reptiles . bulletin of the florida state museum 2 : 85–166 - get paper here
reinhardt , johannes & christian frederik lütken 1862 . bidrag tii det vestindiske öriges og navnligen tii de dansk - vestindiske oers herpetologie . vidensk . meddel . naturhist . for . kjöbenhavn ( 10 - 18 ) : 153 - 291 [ 1862 ] - get paper here
ríos , e . e . ; c . f . hurtado p . , j . t . rengifo m . , and f . castro herrera . 2011 . lagartos en comunidades naturales de dos localidades en la región del chocó de colombia . herpetotropicos 5 ( 2 ) : 85 - 92 - get paper here
rivas , gilson a . ; césar r . molina , gabriel n . ugueto , tito r . barros , césar l . bar - rio - amorós & philippe j . r . kok 2012 . reptiles of venezuela : an updated and commented checklist . zootaxa 3211 : 1–64 - get paper here
rivas , gilson a . ; gabriel n . ugueto , walter e . schargel , tito r . barros , pablo velozo , and luz esther sánchez 2013 . a distinctive new species of gonatodes ( squamata : sphaerodactylidae ) from isla la blanquilla , venezuela , with remarks on the distribution of some other caribbean sphaerodactylid lizards . south american j . herp . 8 ( 1 ) : 5 - 18 .
rivero blanco , c . v . 1964 . una nueva especie del genero gonatodes fitzinger ( sauria : sphaerodactylidae ) de venezuela , con clave para las especies del pais . acta biologica venezuelica , 4 : 169 - 184
rivero - blanco , c . 1968 . un género y dos especies de tuqueques ( sauria : sphaerodactylinae ) citados por primera vez para venezuela , con notas sobre la distribución de otras especies poco conocidas . mem . soc . cien . nat . lasalle ( caracas ) 27 [ 1967 ] : 103 - 119 .
rivero - blanco , c . 1979 . the neotropical lizard genus gonatodes fitzinger ( sauria : sphaerodactylinae ) . unpublished ph . d . dissertation , department of wildlife and fisheries sciences , texas a & m university , college station . 233 pp .
rodríguez schettino , lourdes , carlos a . mancina & vilma rivalta gonzález 2013 . reptiles of cuba : checklist and geographic distributions . smithsonian herp . inf . serv . ( 144 ) : 1 - 96 - get paper here
rojas - morales , julián andrés , héctor fabio arias - monsalve y gustavo a . gonzález - durán 2014 . anibios y reptiles de la región centro - sur del departamento de caldas , colombia . biota colombiana 15 ( 1 ) : 73 - 93 - get paper here
röll , b . 2003 . gonatodes albogularis ( duméril & bibron ) . sauria ( suppl . ) 25 ( 3 ) : 577 - 580 - get paper here
röll , b . 2009 . neotropische taggeckos gonatodes albogularis , gonatodes fuscus & gonatodes vittatus . natur und tier verlag ( münster ) , 64 pp . - get paper here
savage , j . m . 2002 . the amphibians and reptiles of costa rica : a herpetofauna between two continents , between two seas . university of chicago press , 934 pp . [ review in copeia 2003 ( 1 ) : 205 ]
schmidt , karl p . 1953 . a checklist of north american amphibians and reptiles . 6th ed . american society of ichthyologists and herpetologists , chicago , 280 pp .
schwartz , a . & henderson , r . w . 1991 . amphibians and reptiles of the west indies . university of florida press , gainesville , 720 pp .
señaris , j . celsa ; maría matilde aristeguieta padrón , haidy rojas gil y fernando j . m . rojas - runjaic 2018 . guía ilustrada de los anfibios y reptiles del valle de caracas , venezuela . ediciones ivic , instituto venezolano de investigaciones científicas ( ivic ) . caracas , venezuela . 348 pp .
smith , hobart m . 1946 . handbook of lizards : lizards of the united states and of canada . comstock , ithaca , ny , xxii + 557 pp .
smith , h . m . 1944 . gonatodes fuscus in méxico . copeia 1944 ( 3 ) : 187 - get paper here
solís , j . m . , l . d . wilson , and j . h . townsend . 2014 . an updated list of the amphibians and reptiles of honduras , with comments on their nomenclature . mesoamerican herpetology 1 : 123–144 - get paper here
sosa - bartuano , ángel and juan di trani 2016 . gonatodes albogularis . predation by a brown vinesnake ( oxybelis aeneus ) . mesoamerican herpetology 3 ( 3 ) : 721–723
sosa - bartuano , ángel and rafael lau 2016 . gonatodes albogularis . nature notes . predation by a barred puffbird ( nystalus radiatus ) . mesoamerican herpetology 3 ( 1 ) : 147–147 - get paper here
sprackland , r . g . 1977 . aii about lizards . t . f . h . publications , 128 pp . - get paper here
stejneger , l . h . 1917 . cuban amphibians and reptiles collected for the united states national museum from 1899 to 1902 . proc . us natl . mus . 53 : 259 - 291 - get paper here
sturaro , marcelo josé & teresa c . s . avila - pires 2011 . taxonomic revision of the geckos of the gonatodes concinnatus complex ( squamata : sphaerodactylidae ) , with description of two new species . zootaxa 2869 : 1–36 - get paper here
sunyer , javier 2014 . an updated checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of nicaragua . mesoamerican herpetology 1 ( 2 ) : 186–202 . - get paper here
taylor , e . h . 1956 . a review of the lizards of costa rica . univ . kansas sci . bull . 38 ( part 1 ) : 3 - 322 - get paper here
valencia - zuleta a , jaramillo - martínez af , echeverry - bocanegra a , viáfara - vega r , hernández - córdoba o , cardona - botero ve , gutiérrez - zúñiga j , castro - herrera f . 2014 . conservation status of the herpetofauna , protected areas , and current problems in valle del cauca , colombia . amphibian & reptile conservation 8 ( 2 ) : 1–18 ( e87 ) - get paper here
vanzolini , paulo e . ; williams , ernest e . 1962 . jamaican and hispaniolan gonatodes and allied forms ( sauria , gekkonidae ) . bull . mus . comp . zool . harvard 127 ( 10 ) : 479 - 498 - get paper here
wilson , l . d . & porras , l . 1983 . the ecological impact of man on the south florida herpetofauna . univ . kansas mus . nat . hist . spec . publ . 9 : 1 - 89
this database is maintained by peter uetz ( database content ) and jakob hallermann , zoological museum hamburg ( new species and updates ) .
leenders ' s field guide spells this species gonatodes albigularis , but i ' m pretty sure that ' s just a typo .
a healthy population of these active little geckos lived on and in the walls of the lodge dining area . i tried to photograph them there , but they were too skittish . this photo is of a specimen that had been captured a little while earlier .
here is a complete list of the species we found on this greentracks trip .
male ( above ) and female ( below ) gonatodes albogularis look like different species .
the number of species increased from 10 , 711 to 10 , 793 , i . e . an increase of 82 species . 66 new species have been described , 9 species have been revalidated from synonymy and 16 subspecies were elevated to full species . . .
over the past 4 months , the number of species increased from 10 , 639 to 10 , 711 .
the number of species has grown from 10 , 544 in the may release to now 10 , 639 ( + 95 species ) .
overall , 212 new taxa have been added or changed their status or name .
the reptile database is a taxonomic database that provides basic information about all living reptile species , such as turtles , snakes , lizards , and crocodiles , as well as tuataras and amphisbaenians , but does not include dinosaurs .
currently there are more than 10 , 000 species and an additional 2 , 700 subspecies . this is making reptiles the largest vertebrate group after fish ( ~ 25 , 000 species ) and birds ( ~ 10 , 000 species ) , and significantly larger than mammals ( ~ 5 , 000 species ) or amphibians ( ~ 6 , 000 species ) .
the reptile database provides taxonomic information for the catalogue of life and the encyclopedia of life . our taxonomic information has also been used by genbank and many other resources and is the only comprehensive reptile database on the web .
the reptile database can be used to find all species within a certain geographic area ( e . g . all snakes of egypt ) . its collection of more than 2 , 500 images allow users to identify a species or at least get an idea how the species or genus may look like . more than 30 , 000 references provide a guide to further information .
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urltoken
reproduction occurs year - round , but during the december–may dry season activity is usually reduced . the females only lay a single , large oval egg , 8 x 6 . 5 mm in size , at a time , each female laying several eggs annually . females will lay eggs communally in a favorable spot . aas many as 10 have been found in a single crevice . the eggs take about 2 - 4 months to hatch .
rain forests , where it prefers dry microhabitats , but is sometimes also found in moist areas and often in edificarian situations ( near houses and in gardens ) . it is found on trees , often clinging upside down on the shady underside of low horizontal branches , in holes and crevices , and under debris tree trunks and wooden objects .
for air transport , container note 41 of the iata live animals regulations should be followed .
this information is awaiting authentication by a species expert , and will be updated as soon as possible . if you are able to help please contact : arkive @ urltoken
francisco josé lópez - lópez grupo de estudios en biodiversidad de anfibios y reptiles neotropicales –remphibia amphibian specialist group asg ssc iucn , species survival commision international union for nature conservation iucn . popayán calle 27 dn # 7 - 46 colombia tel : + 57 ( 092 ) 8233511 flopez @ urltoken
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both are found in east africa , and are common throughout tanzania . they are such a versatile and adaptable pair of species that they thrive in man - made habitats , and are often found on fences , buildings , and sign posts .
small adult size does not necessarily mean these geckos should be placed in cramped quarters . a minimum size for an enclosure should be at least the size of the zoomed medium naturalistic terrarium , although if space allows , they do excellent in larger size terrariums . they can also be housed in traditional glass aquariums , but it may prove more difficult to conduct day to day maintenance without a front opening cage .
substrate for these geckos depends on how you are setting up their cage . a planted , naturalistic vivarium is not only looks the best , but will also meet your geckos needs admirably as well . in a naturalistic vivarium , expect to use a combination of hydroton balls for drainage , polyfoam as a divider between your drainage and planting layers , and ecoearth and moss growing substrate to provide a nutritious soil mix for your live plants .
in a cage with artificial plants , a substrate that holds humidity and is easy to clean is ideal . this includes cypress mulch , orchid bark , ecoearth , or other forms of compressed coconut husk . it doesn’t hurt to experiment with several types of bedding before deciding on a type you prefer .
in addition to wood products , serious consideration should be given to providing live plants or other foliage options for your geckos to hide on . in addition to being aesthetically pleasing , live plants also increase relative humidity in the cage , providing a beneficial microclimate for your geckos within their leaves . since these little guys won’t eat the leaves , you can use just about any plant you desire within your cage . however , it’s probably best to use plants that can take tropical temperatures and moisture levels . tropical vines , magnetically attached jungle vines , and naturalistic fake plants can all be included as well .
being devout sun worshippers , these little geckos need lots of light and uvb . there are two methods that can be used to provide these things . the first and most traditional method is with fluorescent strip lighting , such as a zoomed reptisun bulb , used in combination with a basking light , such as a zoomed basking bulb or halogen light . in smaller cage setups , this is usually the best way to go , as you can use lower wattage basking bulbs in order to ensure you do not overheat the cage . basking spot temperatures can and should reach into the low 90s , while the coolest side of the cage can drop down into the low 70s .
an alternate method that can be used if you are housing your geckos in larger terrariums is the use of a mercury vapor bulb , such as a zoomed powersun bulb or a t - rex active uv heat floodlight . mercury vapor bulbs produce lots of uvb light and lots of heat , so care should be taken to ensure that your cage does not heat up too much when this bulb is on . because of the large amounts of uvb and heat emitted from these bulbs , you may find your geckos develop their best color under these lights .
at night , if temperatures in your home drop below 70 degrees , it is recommended to use some form of nighttime heating . a 40 or 60 watt nightlight red bulb should provide plenty of heat ; keep in mind that the cage needs to be about 75 degrees at most at night .
coming from a tropical to subtropical climate , attention to humidity is a must . in addition to a dish with fresh , clean water provided daily , you should also mist your cage every day . use of a hand spray bottle or pressure sprayer is one way to add humidity to the air . a zoomed reptifogger is another way to add humidity , and is highly recommended both for its humidity increasing abilities and because it just plain looks cool . if you want a higher quality misting system , use of a mist king may be what you’re looking for . in the end , it doesn’t matter so much how you add humidity to the cage , it just matters that additional moisture and humidity is added at least twice throughout the day .
while very cute and pretty , these geckos are extremely shy and do not tolerate regular handling well . they are best left to observe in their cage , and with time become brave enough to remain active even with their keepers in the room . exceptional individuals may become tame enough to eat off of their keepers’ hands with time , but this is the exception , not the rule .
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, flies and other small insects . they will sometimes also eat fruit . mash the fruit into a liquid first though . always gut - load and dust your insects with a vitamin supplement . mist the enclosure several times a day for water .
these geckos need a moderate humidity level between 50 % - 60 % . misting of the enclosure should achieve this level . they need a small heat gradient ranging from 77 degrees f to 85 degrees f in the basking spot . drop the night time temperature to 75 degrees f . it is recommended to use a heat - pad on the bottom of the enclosure . provide full spectrum uvb flourescent lighting , along with an incandescent bulb for the heat .
all other geckos in the eastern united states have toepads . the only other diurnal geckos with round pupils are the day geckos , which are larger and usually bright green .
the species has been known in florida for over 60 years , but has so far not expanded its range . once very abundant , this species is now quite rare in florida .
this species profile relies heavily on : bartlett & bartlett 1999 ; conant et al . 1998 ; krysko & daniels 2005 ; meshaka et al . 2004 ; smith 1946
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our first day in puerto viejo we were recommended to take abel as our guide while walking through cahuita national park , by shawandha lodge . he is a great guy with humor and passion for wildlife and nature , and eager to teach . he made us work as he would pick a ' special tree ' and we would have to find what made . . .
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these tiny lizards are crepuscular , or active at dusk , when they can sometimes be seen scurrying between holes , debris or other cover on the ground . they feed on tiny insects and spiders . females lay one egg at a time , several over a season . hatchlings are comparatively huge , over an inch long at hatching . several females are known to nest in single favorable locations , and on at least a few occasions , single sites have been found containing eggs of : florida reef geckos , cuban ashy geckos and amerafrican house geckos together .
this species profile relies heavily on : bartlett & bartlett 1999 ; conant et al . 1998
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dwarfgeckos - zwerggeckos sphaerodactylus macrolepis grandisquamis - this beautiful subspecies is native to the northeast of puerto rico . with a … | pinteres…
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this page serves supplemental imagery for a paper entitled assembling the squamate tree of life : perspectives from the phenotype and the fossil record by j . a . gauthier , m . kearney , j . a . maisano , o . rieppel , and a . d . b . behlke ( bulletin of the peabody museum of natural history , 53 , 3 - 308 , 2012 ) . the abstract is as follows :
this specimen was collected from nechi , cauca river , antioquia , colombia by k . von sneidern in august 1947 . it was made available to the university of texas high - resolution x - ray ct facility for scanning by dr . jessie maisano of the university of texas at austin and mr . alan resetar of the field museum . funding for scanning and image processing was provided by a national science foundation assembling the tree of life
the specimen was scanned by matthew colbert on 21 may 2004 along the coronal axis for a total of 600 slices . each 1024x1024 pixel slice is 0 . 021 mm thick , with an interslice spacing of 0 . 021 mm and a field of reconstruction of 9 . 5 mm .
three - dimensional volumetric renderings of the skull with the scleral ossicles , hyoid and jaw removed , and of the isolated left mandible . all are 2mb or less .
to cite this page : the deep scaly project , 2011 ,
gonatodes albogularis
( on - line ) , digital morphology . accessed july 9 , 2018 at urltoken
confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay .
to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
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jorge martínez - cotrina 1 ; martha l . bohórquez - alonso 2 and miguel molina - borja 2
) .
aspects of reproduction in western banded geckos coleonyx variegatusat tulsa zoo
. —
) .
intra - and interspecific interference behaviour among sexual and asexual geckos
. —
) .
decision rules , energy metabolism and vigour of hermit - crab fights
. —
) .
behavioural cues in sex recognition by two species of nocturnal lizards : eublepharis maculariusand paroedura pictus
. —
) .
using principal components and factor analysis in animal behaviour research : caveats and guidelines
. —
) .
variation and evolution of stereotyped behavior in reptiles
. — in :
) .
modeling dominance : the influence of size , coloration , and experience on dominance relations in tree lizards ( urosaurus ornatus )
. —
) .
patrones de diversidad y composición de reptiles en fragmentos de bosque seco tropical en córdoba , colombia
. —
) .
new species of gekkonid lizard ( sphaerodactylinae : gonatodes ) from guyana , south america
. —
) .
deep croaks and fighting assessment in toads bufo bufo
. —
) .
costs increase as ritualized fighting progresses within and between phases in the sierra dome spider , neriene litigiosa
. —
) .
courtship and aggressive behaviour of the streak lizard ( gonatodes vittatus ) in captivity
. —
) .
aspects of the behavioral ecology of two chihuahuan desert geckos ( reptilia , lacertilia , gekkonidae )
. —
) .
evolution of fighting behaviour : decision rules and assessment of relative strength
. —
) .
a test of the sequential assessment game : fighting in the cichlid fish nannacara anomala
. —
) .
examining hypotheses generated by field measures of sexual selection on male lizards , uta palmeri
. —
) .
shouting the odds : vocalization signals status in a lizard
. —
) .
chemical discrimination of food , conspecifics and predators by apparently visually - oriented diurnal geckos , naultinus manukanus
. —
) .
morphology , performance and fighting capacity in male lizards , gallotia galloti
. —
) .
multiple displays in animal communication : ‘backup signals’ and ‘multiple messages’
. —
) .
body size , male combat and the evolution of sexual dimorphism in eublepharid geckos ( squamata : eublepharidae )
. —
) .
agonistic interactions in a liolaemuslizard : structure of head bob displays
. —
) .
social displays of experimentally paired dwarf geckos ( sphaerodactylus clenchi )
. —
) .
the theory of games and the evolution of animal conflicts
. —
) .
morphological and behavioural traits affecting the intensity and outcome of male contests in gallotia galloti galloti ( family lacertidae )
. —
) .
contest success in relation to size and residency in male sand lizards , lacerta agilis
. —
) .
nuptial coloration in the sand lizard , lacerta agilis : an intrasexually - selected cue to fighting ability
. —
) .
gradually escalating fights and displays : the cumulative assessment model
. —
) .
self - assessment by males during energetically costly contests over precopula females in amphipods
. —
fitzinger ( sauria : spherodactylinae ) . — unpublished phd dissertation , texas a & m university , college station , tx .
) . species limits and phylogenetic systematics of the diurnal geckos of the genus gonatodes ( squamata : sphaerodactylidae ) . — phd dissertation , the university of texas at arlington , arlington , tx .
) .
annual reproductive activity of gonatodes albogularis ( squamata : gekkonidae ) living in an anthropic area in santander , colombia
. —
) .
initiation and resolution of jumping spider contests : roles for size , proximity , and early detection of rivals
. —
) .
throat colour reliably signals status in male tree lizards , urosaurus ornatus
. —
) .
body size as a factor determining dominance in staged agonistic encounters between male brown anoles anolis sagrei
. —
) .
social influence on the use of a modifiable status signal
. —
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description : abstract several types of aggressive behaviors have been reported in gekkonid lizards , in some species both males and females exhibit this type of behavior . the majority of aggressive behavior is . . .
evidence of aggressive behavior between males . none of the females examined in this study presented amputations of digits .
hembras exhiben este tipo de comportamiento . la mayoría de los comportamientos agresivos son no invasivos , sin embargo , en
algunas ocasiones mordeduras pueden causar lesiones . este estudio reporta la presencia de dígitos o falanges amputados en
hembras examinadas en el presente estudio exhibe amputación de dígitos . el comportamiento agresivo relacionado con la
palabras clave : perdida de dígitos , falanges , comportamiento agresivo , lagarto arbóreo . .
this action might not be possible to undo . are you sure you want to continue ?


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 .

in pakistan , it is called pakistan sand cat .

felis margarita scheffeli

four subspecies are found in the deserts of north africa ( f . margarita margarita ) , the arabian peninsula ( f . margarita harrisoni ) , pakistan ( f . margarita scheffeli ) , and ( former soviet ) central asia ( f . margarita thinobia ) .
the sand cat ( felis margarita ) is part of the genus felis . previously four subspecies of the sand cat were described :
cunningham , p . 2002 . status of the sand cat , felis margarita , in the united arab emirates .
goodman , s . , i . helmy . 1986 . the sand cat felis margarita loche , 1858 in egypt .
status : cites : appendix ii ( except f . m . scheffeli which is on appendix i ) . iucn : insufficiently known ( f . m . scheffeli is classified endangered ) .
(
the cites appendices
, 2004 ; bunaian , et al . , 1998 ;
species information felis margarita
, 2004 )
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 ( in french , with german and english summaries )
subspecies : f . m margarita – the sahara f . m . thinobia – turkestan f . m . scheffeli – pakistan f . m . harrisoni – arabia , jordan ( pictured on both pages )
garman , a . 1997 .
sand cat felis margarita
( on - line ) . big cats online . accessed february 03 , 2004 at urltoken .
( bunaian , et al . , 1998 ; cunningham , 2002 ;
sand cat
, 2002 ;
sand cat felis margarita locke 1858
, 1996 )
to cite this page : wheeler , s . 2004 .
felis margarita
( on - line ) , animal diversity web . accessed july 09 , 2018 at urltoken
cunningham , p . 2002 . status of the sand cat , felis margarita , in the united arab emirates . zoology in the middle east , 25 : 9 - 14 .
iucn world conservation union . 1996 .
sand cat felis margarita locke 1858
( on - line ) . iucn world conservation union . accessed january 29 , 2004 at urltoken .
the cat survival trust . 1996 .
the sand cat felis margarita loche
( on - line ) . the cat survival trust . accessed january 29 , 2004 at urltoken .
172 live animals listed in the international studbook ( 2007 ) . 115 reported to isis ( 2007 ) . currently all sand cats in human care appear to be either scheffeli or harrisoni . the european population consists of only harrisoni , while the north american population consists of pure harrisoni and harrisoni x scheffeli .
bunaian , f . , s . mashaqbeh , m . yousef , a . buduri , z . amr . 1998 . a new record of the sand cat , felis margarita , from jordan .
hemmer , h . , grubb , p . and c . p . groves ( 1976 ) . notes on the sand cat , felis margarita loche 1958 . zeitschrift für säugetierkunde 41 : 286–303 .
international union for conservation of nature and natural resources . 2004 .
species information felis margarita
( on - line ) . the iucn red list of threatened species . accessed february 02 , 2004 at urltoken .
the sand cat ( felis margarita ) , also referred to as the
sand dune cat
, is a small wild cat distributed over african and asian deserts . the name
desert cat
is reserved for
mallon , d . p . , sliwa , a . , strauss , m . ( 2011 ) .
felis margarita
. iucn red list of threatened species . version 2014 . 1 . international union for conservation of nature .
nowell , k . and jackson , p . ( 1996 ) . sand cat felis margarita . in : wild cats . status survey and conservation action plan . iucn / ssc cat specialist group , gland , switzerland and cambridge , uk .
serra , g . , abdallah , m . s . and al quaim , g . ( 2007 ) . occurrence of ruppell ' s fox vulpes rueppelli and sand cat felis margarita in syria . zoology in the middle east 42 : 99–101 .
bunaian , f . , mashaqbeh , s . , yousef , m . , buduri , a . , amr , z . s . ( 1998 ) . a new record of the sand cat , felis margarita , from jordan . zoology in the middle east 16 ( 1 ) : 5–7 .
pocock , r . i . ( 1951 ) . catalogue of the genus felis . british museum ( natural history ) , london , 190 pp .
the sand cat ( felis margarita ) is a small african wild cat . not the smallest as this is the closely related blackfooted cat . often is referred to “desert cat” but this name is reserved for felis silvestris lybica , or the african wildcat , but it could be appropriate for this species . it lives in those arid areas that are too hot and dry even for the desert cat : the sahara , the arabian desert , and the deserts of iran and pakistan .
mohammad , k . m . , lahony , s . r . , al - rammahi , h . m . ( 2013 ) . first record of the sand cat , felis margarita loche , 1858 ( mammalia : carnivora , felidae ) , from iraq . zoology in the middle east 59 ( 4 ) : 358–359 .
classified as near threatened ( nt ) on the iucn red list 2007 ( 1 ) and listed on appendix ii of cites ( 3 ) . subspecies : pakistan sand cat ( f . m . scheffeli ) is classified as near threatened ( nt ) on the iucn red list 2006 ( 1 ) .
wittmer hu ( 2001 ) home range size , movements , and habitat utilization of three male european wildcats ( felis silvestris schreber , 1777 ) in saarland and rheinland - pfalz ( germany ) . mamm biol 66 : 365–370
habitat types of the felis ( sub ) species included in this study , the type and extent of vegetative cover of each habitat type , and the classification ( open vs . dense ) of the habitat type with respect to the conditions for sound propagation
felid tag recommendation : sand cat ( felis margarita ) . sand cats have a long history of living in north american zoos , but have been poorly managed . two populations exist , one that is hybridized and another derived from an israeli population . the tag recommends an ssp with a target population of 80 individuals , all to consist of f . m . harrisoni , the race from the arabian peninsula . the american ssp and european eep have joined forces in their breeding plans as neither continent has enough diversity to sustain their populations .
mellen , j . d . ( 1993 ) .
a comparative analysis of scent marking , social and reproductive behavior in 20 species of small cats ( felis )
. american zoologist 33 ( 2 ) : 151–166 . doi : 10 . 1093 / icb / 33 . 2 . 151 .
to the best of our knowledge , this is the first documented case in mammals for which the inverse correlation between body weight and dominant frequency ( “frequency scaling rule” ) not only does not apply in an interspecific comparison but where a statistically significant positive correlation can be shown to exist between these two parameters . this raises the question of the possible evolutionary causes of this peculiar situation in the felis taxa studied here .
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
sliwa , a . , ghadirian , t . , appel , a . , banfield , l . , sher shah , m . & wacher , t .
sliwa , a . , ghadirian , t . , appel , a . , banfield , l . , sher shah , m . & wacher , t . 2016 .
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division of natural sciences , bethel college , 1001 w . mckinley ave . , mishawaka , in 46545
the mammals of north america , vols . i and ii , 2nd ed .
mammal species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference , 2nd ed . , 3rd printing
mammal species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference , 3rd ed . , vols . 1 & 2
status : cites - appendix ii ; u . s . esa - endangered ; iucn - lower risk
proposed listing of 12 species of foreign mammals as end . species ; 48 fr 8514 - 8517
list 10 foreign mammals as end . species , & withdrawal of 1 species ; 49 fr 2779 - 2783
- - natureserve explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50 , 000 plants , animals and ecological communtities of the u . s and canada . natureserve explorer provides in - depth information on rare and endangered species , but includes common plants and animals too . natureserve explorer is a product of natureserve in collaboration with the natural heritage network .
itis reports - - itis ( the integrated taxonomic information system ) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants , animals , fungi , and microbes of north america and the world .
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threats to the sand cat include humans , wolves , snakes , and rapors . although solitary animals , sand cats do not have their own territories like most of the other cats , and may even “take turns” over burrows with others . the sand cat is listed by cites as endangered , although iucn only lists it as near threatened as of 2001 .
very few zoos keep sand cats . in wuppertal zoo ( germany ) and the park specialised in wild cats , le parc des félins , they have a very succesful breeding programme .
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the sand cat is a small cat with an extremely broad face . the head - body length is 30 - 55 cm , and they body weight is 1 . 4 - 3 . 5 kg . the tail is about half of the head - body length , with a distally ringed , black tip . the ears are large ( 68 - 74 mm ) , broad and pointed with pronounced black tips . the backsides are rufous tawny . the coat colour is extremely pale sandy isabelline to grey straw ochre above with a poorly differentiated spinal band and some indistinct stripes and spots over the body . the under parts and inner sides of the rather short limbs are whitish . there is no marked sexual dimorphism .
the reproduction is seasonal in the wild depending on location ( january – april in the sahara , april in turkmenistan , september – october in pakistan ) but not in captivity . after a gestation period of average 63 days two to four kittens are born . sand cats grow rapidly and become sexually mature at an age of 14 months . in captivity they can grow 13 years old .
did you know ? that sand cats have a unique way of moving ? with their belly to the ground , they move at a fast run interrupted by occasional leaps .
the shipment should be organised in a way to minimise stress . the animal should have access to its transport crate for 2 weeks before shipment , preferably being fed within it . if an extended trip is anticipated , water and food as may be required should be provided while the animal is in transit .
for air transport , container note 82 of the iata live animals regulations should be followed .
the sand cat is a species for which an international studbook has been established and , in north america , is part of aza’s species survival program ( ssp ) which works to ensure that the endangered cat will survive into the future . the sand cat ssp monitors bloodlines and chooses , which individuals should be set up in breeding programs working with cats kept in zoos around the world . a similar programme ( eep ) is run in europe by eaza .
this species is found in three distinct areas of the world : sahara desert of africa in the countries of algeria , niger and morocco ; throughout the arabian peninsula ; and parts of central asia including turkmenistan , iran , pakistan and afghanistan .
members of this species are psammophillic ( sand dwelling ) , occurring in very arid , dry habitats such as deserts . they are found in desert habitats ranging from plains with little vegetation to rocky valleys with shrubs and trees . they live in extreme conditions with daily surface temperatures reaching up to 51ºc during the daytime , while nighttime temperatures can drop as low as - 0 . 5ºc .
sand cats are a solitary species and not much is known of their mating systems . it is believed that their hearing plays an important part in communication during the mating season .
sand cats in captivity breed more than once a year . in the wild their reproductive seasons are dependent on location . in the deserts of the sahara , the reproductive season begins in january and ends in april . in turkmenistan , the season begins sometime in april . in pakistan , the breeding season lasts from september to october . in part , the differences may be due to climate or availability of resources . the gestation period lasts , on average , 59 - 63 days . sand cats give birth to between 1 - 8 kittens although 4 - 5 kittens are normal . although sand cats are not sexually mature until 9 - 14 months , they are relatively independent at 6 - 8 months of age . fast maturity may be an advantageous trait in such a hostile environment .
the sand cat is known to live 13 years in captivity , but they have a high juvenile mortality rate .
male and females have overlapping territories that are on average 16 km ^ 2 . they sometimes roam over distances of up to 8 - 10 km ^ 2 .
bark - like sounds are used as mating calls to communicate between individuals . they allow individuals to locate one another over long distances .
. they are considered opportunistic feeders that take what they can find in their barren habitat . prey provide the sand cat with the fluids they need to live in places where there is little water .
( bunaian , et al . , 1998 ; cunningham , 2002 ; goodman and helmy , 1986 )
. in addition to natural predators , the sand cat is also threatened by humans in the form of poisoning and capturing for the illegal pet trade . overall , the sand cat is the least threatened of wild cats .
the sand cat is considered a rare species . as a result , very little research has been conducted on this species . as with any species , they play an ecological role in their habitats . the sand cat preys on animals such as rodents , reptiles and birds and therefore the disappearance of this species may lead to an increase in the prey species . because the sand cat is rare , it is probably not a species that is crucial to its predators such as owls , jackals and snakes .
the sand cat is part of the illegal pet trade . researchers have sparked an interest in further studies of this species .
perhaps because of its relatively small numbers , this species has not had negative impacts upon humans .
the sand cat is not well studied . because they live in such vast , desert locations , it is hard to track the true number of individuals . this species is listed as appendix ii of the convention on international trade of endangered species ( cites ) according to the iucn . their major threats are habitat loss and degradation . human induced desertification can affect this desert dwelling species and their prey . appendix ii means that the species is not currently threatened by extinction , but could be if not monitored . they are listed as “near threatened” according to the iucn world conservation union . according to the us fish and wildlife service , the subspecies
found in pakistan . hemmer et al . ( 1976 ) found differences between cats found in africa and the arabian peninsula .
, of africa , has a narrow skull , small carnassials , buffy - white colored paws and two to six rings on the tail .
, from the arabian peninsula , has a broad skull , large carnassials , bright white paws and five to seven rings on the tail .
shanna wheeler ( author ) , university of michigan - ann arbor , phil myers ( editor , instructor ) , museum of zoology , university of michigan - ann arbor .
living in sub - saharan africa ( south of 30 degrees north ) and madagascar .
living in the northern part of the old world . in otherwords , europe and asia and northern africa .
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state ; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth / hatching . in birds , naked and helpless after hatching .
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror - image halves . animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides , as well as anterior and posterior ends . synapomorphy of the bilateria .
having markings , coloration , shapes , or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment ; being difficult to see or otherwise detect .
in deserts low ( less than 30 cm per year ) and unpredictable rainfall results in landscapes dominated by plants and animals adapted to aridity . vegetation is typically sparse , though spectacular blooms may occur following rain . deserts can be cold or warm and daily temperates typically fluctuate . in dune areas vegetation is also sparse and conditions are dry . this is because sand does not hold water well so little is available to plants . in dunes near seas and oceans this is compounded by the influence of salt in the air and soil . salt limits the ability of plants to take up water through their roots .
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature . endothermy is a synapomorphy of the mammalia , although it may have arisen in a ( now extinct ) synapsid ancestor ; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities . convergent in birds .
the area in which the animal is naturally found , the region in which it is endemic .
the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets .
places a food item in a special place to be eaten later . also called
hoarding
that region of the earth between 23 . 5 degrees north and 60 degrees north ( between the tropic of cancer and the arctic circle ) and between 23 . 5 degrees south and 60 degrees south ( between the tropic of capricorn and the antarctic circle ) .
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female .
international society for endangered cats canada . 2002 .
sand cat
( on - line ) . international society for endangered cats canada . accessed february 09 , 2004 at urltoken .
saint louis zoo . 2003 .
sand cat
( on - line ) . saint louis zoo . accessed february 03 , 2004 at urltoken .
2004 .
the cites appendices
( on - line ) . cites . accessed february 02 , 2004 at urltoken .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
sand cats range from north africa to south west asia , but due to its specific habitat requirements , it has a patchy distribution within this range ( 4 ) .
, and insects ( de smet 1988 , abbadi 1993 , dragesco - joff 1993 , sliwa in press ) . sand - dwelling rodents made up the majority ( 6588 % ) of stomach contents from carcasses collected in turkmenistan and uzebekistan in the 1960s ( schaenberg 1974 ) . in arabia the sand cat ' s distribution coincides with that of sand skinks and arabian toad - head lizards ; both reptiles are thought to be an important source of food for the cat ( sunquist and sunquist 2002 ) .
they are capable of rapid digging to extract the latter prey items ( schauenberg 1974 ) . sand cats may cover kills with sand and return later to feed . independent of drinking water they are capable of satisfying their moisture requirements from their prey , but drink readily if it is available ( sliwa in press ) . they appear to be primarily nocturnal ( abbadi 1993 , nowell and jackson 1996 ) .
sand cats have been recorded to move long distances in a single night ( 510 km ) , and a radio telemetry study in israel suggests large home ranges , with one male using an area of 16 km ( abbadi 1993 ) . annual ranges from the ongoing study in saudi arabia are larger , up to 40 km ( m . strauss pers . comm . 2008 ) .
the sand cat mainly lives in arid stony and sandy deserts , especially among sparse vegetation ( 4 ) ( 5 ) .
maximum longevity : 13 . 9 years ( captivity ) observations : one captive specimen lived 13 . 9 years ( richard weigl 2005 ) .
range age at sexual or reproductive maturity ( female ) : 9 to 14 months .
range age at sexual or reproductive maturity ( male ) : 9 to 14 months .
hairy pads or bristles on the feet of desert creatures help them move on loose sand by providing a braking mechanism as the feet push backwards .
soles equipped with bristles or hairy pads are also suitable for locomotion over loose sand . many desert and steppe dwellers walk on such soft and comfortable soles ; notable examples are the tarsiers , tenebrionidae and asilidae , the
mouse , the sand cat , and the fennec fox .
( tributsch 1984 : 73 )
tributsch , h . 1984 . how life learned to live . cambridge , ma : the mit press . 218 p .
nowell , k . , breitenmoser - wursten , c . , breitenmoser , u . & hoffmann , m .
the primary threats to sand cats include the destruction of their habitats by humans and decline of the population of prey ( 1 ) . sand cats have also been hunted for sport , as they enjoy sunning themselves on rocks during the day and are not aggressive which makes them easy targets ( 5 ) . this reputed docility was also a reason why many sand cats were collected for use in the pet trade during the 1960s , which resulted in many cats dying in captivity ( 5 ) . due to the uncontrolled nature of this commerce , this caused a drastic decline in populations ( 4 ) .
hunting of the sand cat is prohibited in several countries : algeria , iran , israel , kazakhstan , mauritania , niger , pakistan and tunisia ( 1 ) . listing of the sand cat on appendix ii of the convention on international trade in endangered species ( cites ) means that all trade in sand cat products should be strictly regulated ( 3 ) .
sand cats are found in both sandy and stony desert , living in areas far from water . having thickly furred feet , they are well adapted to the extremes of a desert environment and tolerant of extremely hot and cold temperatures .
the sand cat is a small , stocky cat with short legs and a relatively long tail . the
is of a pale sandy ocherous color . markings vary between individuals : some have neither spots nor stripes , some are faintly spotted , some have both spots and stripes . there are blackish bars on the limbs , and the tail has a black tip with two or three dark rings alternating with buff bands . in northern regions , the sand cat ' s winter coat is very long and thick , with hairs reaching up to 2 in ( 5 . 1 cm ) in length .
the lower and upper lips , chin , throat and belly are white . the ears are tawny brown at the base with a black tip . the lower part of the face is whitish , and a faint reddish line runs from the outer corner of each eye , angling down across the cheek . the large and greenish yellow eyes are surrounded by a white ring , and the naked tip of the nose is black .
its head and body length ranges from 39 to 52 cm ( 15 to 20 in ) , with a 23 . 2 to 31 cm ( 9 . 1 to 12 . 2 in ) long
. it weighs from 1 . 35 to 3 . 2 kg ( 3 . 0 to 7 . 1 lb ) . the
are greatly enlarged relative to other small felids . the undersides of the paws are protected from extreme temperatures by a thick covering of fur . the
this trait may protect the inner ears from wind - blown sand and aid detection of movements of subterranean prey . a highly developed hearing capacity is important for locating prey , which is not only sparsely distributed in arid environments , but also found underground .
on the forelimbs are short and very sharp , the ones on the hind feet are small and blunt .
the long hairs growing between its toes create a cushion of fur over the foot pads , helping to insulate them while moving over hot sand . this feature makes the cat ' s tracks obscure and difficult to identify and follow .
, where there is relatively little food . they can survive in temperatures ranging from −5 °c ( 23 °f ) to 52 °c ( 126 °f ) , retreating into
during extreme conditions . although they will drink when water is available , they are able to survive for months on the water in their food .
in exposed locations as many other felids do . they make vocalizations similar to domestic cats but also make loud , high - pitched barking sounds , especially when seeking a mate .
hearing plays an important role in intraspecific communication ; sand cats make a short , rasping bark in connection with mating activity .
. the burrow is about 1 . 5 m ( 4 . 9 ft ) deep and dug in slightly slanting ground with a single entrance , but also two or three were observed . in winter , they stay in the sun during the day , but during the hot season , they are
their way of moving is distinct : with belly to the ground , they move at a fast run punctuated with occasional leaps . they are capable of sudden bursts of speed and can sprint at speeds of 30 to 40 km ( 19 to 25 mi ) per hour .
( 6 . 2 sq mi ) . they have been recorded to move long distances of 5–10 km ( 3 . 1–6 . 2 mi ) in a single night and were generally active throughout the night , hunting and travelling an average of 5 . 4 km ( 3 . 4 mi ) . before retiring below ground at dawn , the observed cats adopted the same lookout position at the mouth of the burrow . different cats used burrows interchangeably and did not change burrows during the day .
, and insects . they are capable of satisfying their moisture requirements from their prey but drink readily if water is available .
they can dig rapidly to extract their prey from the ground and bury prey remains in the sand for later consumption .
in sand cats lasts from five to six days and is accompanied by calling and increased scent marking . an average litter of three kittens is born after 59 to 66 days , typically around april or may , although in some areas , sand cats may give birth to two litters per year . the kittens weigh 39 to 80 grams ( 1 . 4 to 2 . 8 oz ) at birth , with spotted pale yellow or reddish fur . they grow relatively rapidly , reaching three quarters of the adult size within five months of birth . sand cats are fully independent by the end of their first year and reach sexual maturity not long after .
of 228 sand cats born in zoos globally to the year 2007 , only 61 % lived to day 30 . they died primarily due to maternal neglect by first - time mothers . they can live up to 13 years in captivity .
is the major threat to the sand cat . vulnerable arid ecosystems are being rapidly degraded by human settlement and activity , especially livestock grazing . the sand cat ' s small - mammal prey - base depends on having adequate vegetation , which may experience large fluctuations due to
and loss of natural vegetation . they also may be killed in traps laid out by inhabitants of
or in retaliation for killing their chickens . there are occasional reports of animals shot in southeast arabia .
other localized threats include the introduction of feral and domestic dogs and cats , creating direct competition and through predation and disease transmission .
. several captive - born individuals from the zoo ' s population were kept in an acclimatization enclosure but did not survive subsequent release into the wild .
captive sand cats are highly sensitive to respiratory diseases and infection of the upper respiratory tract . this is the main cause of death in adults . the most common disease is infectious
infections , they have to be kept in very arid enclosures where humidity and temperature do not fluctuate .
as of july 2009 , the global captive population comprised 200 individuals in 45 institutions . as of may 2010 , 29 sand cats were kept in 12
procedure on sand cats , resulting in the birth of two kittens at its facilities .
wozencraft , w . c . ( 2005 ) .
order carnivora
. in wilson , d . e . ; reeder , d . m . mammal species of the world ( 3rd ed . ) . johns hopkins university press . p . 536 . isbn 978 - 0 - 8018 - 8221 - 0 . oclc 62265494 .
loche , v . ( 1858 ) . description d ' une nouvelle espèce de chat par m . le capitaine loche . revue et magasin de zoologie pure et appliquée , series 2 vol x : 49–50 .
osborn , d . and helmy , i . ( 1980 ) . the contemporary land mammals of egypt ( including sinai ) . fieldiana zoology , new series no . 5 : 444–447
geptner , v . g . , sludskii , a . a . ( 1972 ) . mlekopitaiuščie sovetskogo soiuza . vysšaia škola , moskva . ( in russian ; english translation : heptner , v . g . , sludskii , a . a . , komarov , a . , komorov , n . ; hoffmann , r . s . ( 1992 ) . mammals of the soviet union . vol ii ( 2 ) : carnivora ( hyaenas and cats ) . smithsonian institution libraries and the national science foundation , washington d . c . )
sunquist , m . ; sunquist , f . ( 2002 ) . wild cats of the world . chicago : university of chicago press . pp . 67–74 . isbn 0 - 226 - 77999 - 8 .
christiansen , p . , wroe , s . ( 2007 ) .
bite forces and evolutionary adaptations to feeding ecology in carnivores
. ecology . 88 ( 2 ) : 347–358 .
abbadi , m . ( 1992 ) .
israel ' s elusive feline : sand cats
. cat news 18 : 15–16 .
ellerman , j . r . and morrison - scott , t . c . s . ( 1966 ) . checklist of palaearctic and indian mammals 1758 to 1946 . second edition . british museum of natural history , london . pp . 306–307 .
hemmer , h . ( 1974 ) . [ studies on the systematics and biology of the sand cat . ] zeitschrift des kölner zoo 17 ( 1 ) : 11–20 . ( in german )
dragesco - joffé , a . ( 1993 ) . la vie sauvage au sahara . [ wildlife in the sahara ] . delachaux et niestlé , lausanne ( switzerland ) and paris ( in french ) .
sausman , k . ( 1997 ) .
sand cat a true desert species
. international zoo yearbook 35 : 78–81 . doi : 10 . 1111 / j . 1748 - 1090 . 1997 . tb01193 . x .
jerusalem biblical zoo ( 2010 ) . re - introduction – sand cats . jerusalem biblical zoo animal reintroductions
bray , s . ( ed . ) ( 2010 ) . sand cat ssp . felid tag times ( may 2010 ) : 3
gulf news ( 2010 ) . al ain zoo has reason to purr after birth of two sand cats . gulfnews . com , 27 january 2010
b . tonkin - leyhausen is retired and has no institutional affiliation any longer .
several comparative studies on the morphology and functional specializations of the external ear , ear canal , middle - ear cavity and the tympanic membrane in species of the family felidae by huang et al . (
) show structural specializations which suggest that its ears absorb more acoustic power ( for the same sound pressure ) , especially in the frequency range < 0 . 8 khz , than those of the domestic cat , a felid of about equal size . given the acoustics of sound propagation in desert habitats , huang et al . (
) hypothesized that these specializations may be of survival value in improving the detection of prey , the avoidance of predators and / or intraspecific acoustic long - distance communication . a few preliminary structural measurements of intense mew calls of the sand cat , presented in a footnote ( huang et al .
( including one species with three subspecies ) . the choice of the taxa studied was governed by the following considerations : ( 1 ) recordings of the relevant vocalizations of most taxa in this genus were available for analysis ; ( 2 ) the genus
( sub ) species live in very different habitat types . the intense mew calls of all
( sub ) species studied each have a particular sound character and are often uttered in series . they are used in males and females of all ( sub ) species for long - distance communication and function as a territorial advertisement and to attract partners for mating , with other communicatory functions being likely ( peters
) . females , for example , may utter these calls when searching for their kittens when these go astray or are actually lost . the series of single calls may exhibit more or less regular temporal and intensity patterning , with considerable differences noted among the species . the equivalent intense mew / meow calls of domestic cats , familiar to most people , are somewhat similar to those of the
) . all cat individuals included in this study were either caught in the wild or were first - generation offspring of such captive animals . the only extant species of the genus
) . however , according to the most recent genetic study ( driscoll et al .
) at variable distances in indoor or outdoor enclosures , the microphone being either fixed onto a tripod or held by hand . all of the recording equipment used has a reasonably flat frequency response from approximately 150 to about 5 , 000 hz ; this adequately covers the frequency range of the cat vocalizations dealt with in this publication . for most of the recordings analyzed , the input level control was adjusted manually and was left in the same position ( as much as possible ) during the recording of one coherent call series ; some recordings were made with alc ( automatic level control ) ( see table
) was performed with different equipment , but it had largely the same technical specifications , making the results basically comparable .
recordings made by barbara leyhausen ( bl ) and gustav peters are in the animal sound archives of the zoologisches forschungsmuseum a . koenig , bonn ( zfmk ) ; those of the other recordists listed are their own private property
1 . 5 software [ sampling rate 22 , 050 hz , 32 bit ( float ) depth , mono ] and a soundblaster live ! wave sound board . the sampling rate chosen was sufficient to rule out the occurrence of aliasing ; the frequency range of the intense mew calls of the cat species studied is < 10 khz . special care was taken to avoid clipping . the files were saved in windows
calls on the camcorder tapes were digitized in the same way using the recorder’s analog “audio out” socket .
using the same software , we conducted a fast fourier transform ( fft ) ( 512 pt or 1 , 024 pt , hanning window ) of the calls and generated spectrograms and power spectra with a dynamic range of 80 db in the frequency range from 0 to 8 , 000 hz ( or a lower upper limit if appropriate ) . the harmonics ( = overtones ) —the frequency bands with component frequencies which are integer multiples of the fundamental frequency f0 ( = the lowest frequency in a harmonic series = the lowest frequency in a periodic waveform ) in largely tonal calls—are termed the fundamental frequency , the first harmonic ( = first overtone ) , second harmonic , third harmonic , etc . subharmonics ( cf . wilden et al .
) at integer multiples of f0 / 2 are present in some calls of the ( sub ) species studied . the establishment of the presence of subharmonics in individual calls ( and the corresponding identification of the frequency bands as the fundamental , harmonics or subharmonics ) in a spectrogram was based on the occurrence of additional interposed overtones in the stack of overtones of the respective call ( accompanied by a change in its perceived tone ) , and the verification of period doubling in the oscillogram simultaneous to these phenomena , compared with other portions of the same call where they are not seen .
the acoustic parameters of the calls were either obtained directly , as shown by the automatic measurement tools included in the analysis software , or by manually positioning the mouse cursor on the relevant structural feature and reading the measurement shown on the screen . the physical parameters analyzed are listed below . no editing , filtering , attenuation or amplification was applied when digitizing and analyzing the calls , or in the production of the spectrograms .
as the calls recorded with alc do not have repeated large and abrupt changes in intensity , and their intensity flanks at the beginning and the end are not especially steep , they are included in the analyses . this presumes that the alc attack , hold and release time characteristics ensure that intensity changes and differences within a call are largely recorded realistically .
fundamental frequency f0 ( khz ) § : f0s , frequency of f0 at start of call ; f0e , frequency of f0 at end of call ( for frequency measurements made at the end of calls recorded indoors , a similar qualification to that for measurements of call duration applies ) ; f0l , lowest frequency of f0 ; f0h , highest frequency of f0 ; f0m , mean frequency of f0 ( mean f0 averaged over the whole call duration ; this parameter was measured with the sound analysis software praat , version 4 . 2 . 34 , developed by paul boersma and david weenink and available at
, because there is no such measurement function in adobe audition ; the digital sound files had to be resampled at 16 bit depth for the analysis in praat ) .
( f0h − f0l ) / f0m : a calculated measurement to describe the frequency modulation relative to the mean fundamental ; the closer this quotient is to zero , the smaller the frequency modulation .
dfr , dominant frequency ( khz ) ¶ : frequency with the maximum amplitude of the whole call , as determined by the relevant built - in function of the sound analysis software over the duration of the whole call .
. because the mean f0 ( f0m in the following ) and the mean dfr ( mdfr in the following ) are the parameters that are only marginally affected by different recording conditions and analysis settings , these two parameters will be discussed specifically in the following , but the other measurements are also presented because this information has not been published before . the same goes for the spectrograms and the power spectra shown in this publication , which depict one example of a call ( two in the case of the sand cat ) from each of the
a–f ) . these were produced with a sound spectrograph ( medav spektro 3000 , uttenreuth , germany ) , software version 4 . 4 ( 1996 ) , using a hanning window and 512 - point ffts ( 256 points in the sand cat ) with 50 % window overlap and a dynamic range of 55 db in the frequency range appropriate for the respective species’ mew calls . the lower dynamic range was chosen here to reduce the reproduction of interfering echo , tape and background noise . analysis settings used in praat and on the medav were chosen to match those in adobe audition to the greatest possible extent . frequency and time resolution varied according to the frequency ranges and time intervals analyzed , as well as the analysis settings in the different sound analysis software used , but were generally in the range of ≤40 hz and ≤30 ms , respectively .
the selection of mews from the calling bouts recorded was based on call intensity ; only intense calls were included in the analysis . call sample sizes analyzed in the individual taxa are listed in table
= 2–4 ) , and two species are represented by one sex only . in the four taxa in which both sexes are represented , the respective call samples were analyzed separately . the sample of one sand cat’s intense mew calls studied by huang et al . (
) is included in our present study . our relevant structural measurements closely agree with those published by these authors ( see table
) , highlighting the relative structural stereotypy of these calls , and the fact that the outcome of the acoustic analyses is independent of the investigator as well as the hardware and sound analysis software used . in all taxa included in this study , the total range of intraspecific structural call variability is highly likely to be greater than that documented here . we proceed on the assumption that the frequency characteristics of the intense mew calls of all individuals analyzed in this study are within the typical range of variability of these characters in their respective taxons .
) . measurements are listed separately for the sexes . when the geographic origins of the individuals whose calls were analyzed were known , the measurements listed in table
are from the same or a neighboring population , if available . ideally , these measurements should be those for the same individuals upon whose calls the acoustic analyses are based , but this was not possible in any of the cases . the small sample sizes for a few taxa represent the general paucity of such data .
based on the most recently published complete molecular phylogeny of the family felidae ( johnson et al .
lineage , and the subsequent node at the root of all the remaining species of the genus is well supported ( johnson et al .
, for which no recordings of calls were available for this study ) . in their analyses , johnson et al . (
” section . means are based on the individual data ( see text ) . also shown are results (
the influence of body weight on mdfr and f0m was tested using simple linear regression analyses . since the body weight / size and the dominant and fundamental frequencies differed between the sexes of the same ( sub ) species ( see tables
) , we treated the two sexes of one species as independent replicates in this analysis . originally , we analyzed the effects of both body weight and cbl ( as a proxy for body size ; fitch
) on mdfr and f0m . however , since the two body measurements are highly correlated (
= 10 ) in the taxa studied , and so they affect mdfr and f0m in a similar way , we continued the analyses with body weight only .
finally , we evaluated different models for predicting mdfr and f0m using the akaike information criterion ( aic ) as the model evaluation criterion . models were constructed from the predictor variables “habitat , ” “phylogeny , ” and “body weight . ” again , only the data set for male calls was used for these statistical analyses . for comparison , we repeated all of these analyses with the data for female calls . since the results were very similar to those obtained for the calls of males , we do not mention them explicitly here .
the intense mew calls of each ( sub ) species studied here are perceived by human listeners to have a characteristic sound . in each taxon these calls are predominantly tonal , with sound spectrograms showing harmonics ( cf . fig .
a–f ) . we found significant differences in several acoustic parameters among taxa and also among the sexes for one parameter ( cf . table
) . intense mew calls of the sand cat are short ( < 0 . 5 s ) , sharp calls , of which several are usually uttered in rapid succession ( fig .
b ) . because of their short duration , syllabification and frequency modulation are barely audible ; their pitch is medium - high . earlier observers ( hemmer
) remarked that the auditory impression that the single calls and the series make on a human listener is more reminiscent of the barking of a small dog than a “proper” felid utterance . leyhausen (
) was the first to address the peculiar character of intense mew calls of black - footed cats specifically . compared to the other
taxa studied , they are longer and impressively loud and low in pitch for a cat of its size . they sound somewhat raucous and clearly show two syllables ; the emphasis is on the second syllable , which also has a slightly higher pitch ( fig .
c ) than the first . usually the calls are uttered in a series , with single - call intensity increasing at the beginning of the series and , after a climactic portion , decreasing again towards its end . preliminary observations on wild black - footed cats report that intense mew calls are mainly uttered by males during the mating season and occur in bouts of around ten ( olbricht and sliwa
f ) are shorter than those of the black - footed cat , but they are a second example of a remarkably deep voice in a small cat . tonkin and kohler (
) aptly described them as “ … . surprisingly deep notes uttered in two beats or syllables with the emphasis on the first … . ” these calls with little frequency modulation are usually produced in a series with fairly regular intervals between calls . intense mew calls of the two other subspecies of
e ) , are also usually uttered in series and likewise clearly reveal two syllables , the first more raucous , the second higher in pitch , more tonal and with a slight frequency modulation . compared to those of the asiatic steppe cat , their calls are similar in duration but somewhat higher in pitch . intense mew calls in the jungle cat ( fig .
a ) are mostly short ( < 0 . 5 s ) and usually uttered in a series . because of their short duration , syllabification is barely discernible . their sound is somewhat hoarse and shows a slight frequency modulation , with a higher pitch in the second half of the call .
) are considerably lower than those obtained here for intense mew calls of this subspecies ( cf . table
) , but meows in the nicastro study were recorded in various behavioral contexts ( “food - related , ” “agonistic , ” “vocal pacing” ) , of which the first two are fundamentally different from those in which intense mew calls occur . this is one likely reason for the lower f0 measurements ; additionally , the presence of subharmonics may have caused measurement errors for f0 .
, p . 138 ) stated that “sound signals optimized for long - range propagation in air should be as low in frequency as the sender can efficiently produce” , the major constraint being body size . a “simple frequency scaling rule” for vertebrate acoustic signals , as developed by fletcher (