Research library
🧬 The Felid Wiki — 3,000 research summaries
AI-curated summaries for the pride’s library — verify citations independently before citing.
6 summaries in Physiology & Anatomy on sand cat
Research overview: behavioural water conservation through nocturnality and shelter use
OverviewBehaviour is a frontline defence against water loss in the desert, and this overview reviews how desert cats use timing and shelter to stay hydrated. By being active in the cooler night and resting in…
Research overview: evaporative water loss, panting, and grooming trade-offs
OverviewCooling and water conservation can conflict, and this overview reviews how desert cats navigate evaporative water loss. Cats cool partly by evaporation, through panting and through saliva spread by gr…
Research overview: metabolic water production from a high-protein diet
OverviewAnimals generate water internally when they metabolise food, and this overview reviews the role of metabolic water for desert cats. Oxidising the fat and protein in prey yields water as a by-product,…
Research overview: renal concentrating ability and urine economy in arid-adapted cats
OverviewProducing concentrated urine conserves water, and this overview reviews the kidney function that supports desert cats. Like other arid-adapted mammals, desert cats are thought to produce highly concen…
Research overview: the sand cat as a model of desert adaptation
OverviewThe sand cat is the only cat truly living in deserts, and this overview reviews its suite of adaptations as a model of arid-zone survival. Beyond drawing water from prey, the sand cat copes with extre…
Research overview: water economy and dietary moisture in desert-dwelling cats
OverviewSeveral small cats thrive in deserts, and this overview reviews how they manage water balance where free water is scarce. Desert cats such as the sand cat obtain much of their water from the bodies of…