Additionally note that these sightings are not the only sightings of the Arabian Sand Cat. They are moderately well known , and have been sighted in many areas. There is even a population currently in captivity at the Al Ain Zoo in the UAE. These are the only confirmed sightings of the Arabian Sand Cat in the wild inthe United Arab Emirates.It's not that simple sadly. IUCN has a list of criteria that have to be filled in order to up the classification, however lack of sightings can often leave them data deficient and unable to actually upgrade it. It may seem like a technicality but if they were to start making exceptions some countries may choose to ignore it as there wouldn't be "significant scientific backing" behind the claim.
But some animals are naturally that rare to see, elusive, sneaky, etc... So including animals based on that criteria alone might lead to the inclusion of animals who are actually not endangered, and simply difficult to come by,I don't know how to explain this from "Phylogeny and evolution of cats (Felidae)" (link found on Wikipedia) but I think it confirms that according to genetic similarities it appears that Domestic Cats along with several other wild cats descended directly from Arabian Sand Cats which is something I read in a book awhile back.
That's some crazy impressive evolutionary refinement. Cats must be one of the more broadly adaptable land mammals on the planet or perhaps just the most recognizably related to humans.Wild desert cats sounded confusingly backwards at first because I always think of the big cats with their protein guzzling muscles when I imagine cats in the wild. Easy to forget about the more fox-like lightweights with their tiny but powerful frames hidden under thick fur. It's like comparing ostriches to hummingbirds or dinosaurs to geckos.
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