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Context: An Indian Desert Cat has been spotted for the first time in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR)

About Indian Desert Cat:

• This cat is found in deserts and can survive without water.
• The toes of the species have cushion like hair which help it balance the fluctuating desert temperatures.
• The species is highly adaptable and can be found in forests as well as arid and semi-arid regions.
• It preys on small rodents and reptiles and is mostly a nocturnal creature.
• The reason why it may be found more abundantly in the deserts than jungles is the presence of Indian jungle cat in the latter habitat. The Indian jungle cat is a bigger and more dominant species in the forests.
• The species has a sandy-brown fur and small, round spots covering the upper part of its body.
• The cat has a long, slender and tapering tail with a black tip and spots at its base.
• The animal is in the ‘Least Concern’ category of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
• Felis silvestris (Indian desert cat) has pug marks similar to that of wild cats.

About Panna Tiger Reserve

• Situated in the Vindhyan mountain range in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh, Panna Tiger Reserve is spread over the Panna and Chhatarpur districts.
• Flowing from the south to the north through the reserve is the River Ken. It is the lifeline of this reserve and is the least polluted of Yamuna’s tributaries.
• These forests along with Ken Gharial Sanctuary form a significant part of the catchment area of this river.
• The reserve is also dotted with two thousand year-old rock paintings.
• Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Madhya Pradesh (MP) included in the global network of biosphere reserves by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as a critical tiger habitat.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/sighting-of-desert-cat-termed-rare-by-mp-is-not-rare-after-all-say-independent-wildlife-experts-80790

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