Wildlife of Saudi Arabia

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Topographic map of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Topography.png
Topographic map of Saudi Arabia

The wildlife of Saudi Arabia is substantial and varied. Saudi Arabia is a very large country forming the biggest part of the Arabian Peninsula. It has several geographic regions, each with a diversity of plants and animals adapted to their own particular habitats. The country has several extensive mountain ranges, deserts, highlands, steppes, hills, wadis, volcanic areas, lakes and over 1300 islands. The Saudi Arabian coastline has a combined length of 2,640 km (1,640 mi) and consists of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea to the west while a shorter eastern coastline can be found along the Persian Gulf.

Contents

Geography

Mount Sawda of the Asir Mountains was thought to be the highest mountain in the country Al Sawda peak.jpg
Mount Sawda of the Asir Mountains was thought to be the highest mountain in the country

Saudi Arabia has a range of mountains, the Sarawat or Sarat Mountains, which run parallel with the Red Sea coast. These are low at the northern end, have a gap in the middle between Medina and Ta'if, and are higher at the southern end, where Mount Sawda in the Asir Mountains, at just over 3,000 m (10,000 ft) is the highest point in Saudi Arabia. [1] [2] Between these mountains and the Red Sea is a coastal plain known as Tihamah. The west side of this range is a steep escarpment but to the east is a wide plateau called the Najd which is bounded on the east by a series of mountain ridges, including the Ṭuwayq Mountains, east of which the land descends gradually to the Persian Gulf. [3]

In the south of the country is the Rub' al Khali, or "Empty Quarter", the largest contiguous sand desert in the world. It slopes from about 800 m (2,600 ft) near the Yemeni border, northwestwards nearly to the Persian Gulf. Another sandy desert, the Nefud, lies in the north central part of Saudi Arabia, and it is connected to the Rub' al Khali by a broad swathe of sand dunes and gravel plains known as Dahna. Most of the country has very little precipitation, less than 8 cm (3 in) in many regions, and in the Rub' al Khali there may be no rain for a decade. The mountainous region of Asir in the southwest is wetter; it receives monsoon rains between May and October which may amount to 48 cm (19 in). [3]

The northern Ha'il Region has the Shammar Mountains, further divisible into the Aja and Salma subranges. [4] [5]

The Red Sea was formed when in the Eocene period, the Arabian Peninsula began to move away from the continent of Africa. This prevented further exchange of genes between African and Arabian species. Furthermore, the late Tertiary and the early Quaternary eras saw a period of climatic cooling that drove vegetation bands southwards, and the Arabian Peninsula received an influx of species from Eurasia. With increasing aridity, conditions became inimical for many of these and they retreated to the damper, southwestern mountainous regions, becoming relict populations. [6]

Flora

Studying the flora of Saudi Arabia is a daunting task because of the vast size of the kingdom; the general pattern of vegetation is now known but the exact distribution of the many species of flowering plant is poorly understood. [6] Almost 3,500 species of plant have been recorded in the country, with nearly 1,000 species known from the southwestern region of Asir with its higher rainfall. [7] Plants in general are xerophytic and mostly dwarf shrubs or small herbs. There are few species of tree but date palms are abundant in places. [3]

Prosopis cineraria grows around the fringes of deserts. Khejri.jpg
Prosopis cineraria grows around the fringes of deserts.

The east of Saudi Arabia often receives "Mediterranean depressions" from November onwards. The arrival of sufficient quantities of rain causes perennial plants to produce new shoots and the seeds of annual plants to germinate. These annuals grow with great rapidity and complete their life cycle within a few weeks. By April or May, the annuals will have flowered, set seeds and died, and the perennials returned to a state of dormancy. [8]

In desert areas, plant growth is mostly confined to depressions or wadis, though some plants with deep rooting-systems grow elsewhere. [9] The Rub' al Khali desert has very little plant diversity, with about 37 species of flowering plant having been recorded here, 17 of which are only found around the periphery of the desert. There are virtually no trees, and the plants are adapted for desert life and include dwarf shrubs such as Calligonum crinitum and saltbush, and several species of sedge. [10] Around the margins of this desert are open woodlands with Acacia and Prosopis cineraria . [9]

The Asir Mountains in the southwest of the country, and most of the western highlands of Yemen, support a distinct flora which has affinities with parts of East Africa. The highest parts are clothed with cloud forests, southwestern Arabian montane woodlands which includes, on north-facing slopes, Juniperus procera and Euryops arabicus , draped with the lichen Usnea articulata , and on south-facing slopes, dwarf shrubs such as Rubus petitianus , Rosa abyssinica , Alchemilla crytantha , Senecio and Helichrysum abyssinicum , with Aloe sabae and Euphorbia in the driest locations. Lower down, below about 2,500 m (8,200 ft), there is evergreen woodland and scrub dominated by Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata and Tarchonanthus camphoratus . Below about 2,000 m (6,600 ft) the vegetation is deciduous scrubland with Acacia , Commiphora , Grewia and succulent plants. [11]

In Ha'il Region is located Jabal Aja Protected Area, which is noted for its flora, is located in the area of the Aja Mountains. [12]

Fauna

Hamadryas baboons in the Hijaz Mountains near Al Hada, Makkah Province, Hejaz Hamadryas Baboon Harem (8083155899).jpg
Hamadryas baboons in the Hijaz Mountains near Al Hada, Makkah Province, Hejaz

The fauna of Saudi Arabia has been better studied than the flora, not least because of interest in the larger mammals for the purpose of hunting and shooting. Birds and butterflies have also been studied, but less is known about other parts of the animal kingdom. [6] Some of the larger mammals found here include the dromedary camel, the Arabian tahr, the Arabian wolf, the Arabian red fox and fennec, the caracal, the striped hyena, the sand cat, the rock hyrax, and the Cape hare. [10] However habitat destruction, hunting, off-road driving and other human activities have led to the local extinction of the striped hyena, the golden jackal and the honey badger in some localities. [10] The Asir Mountains in the southwest of the country is where the critically endangered Arabian leopard is still to be found, and the broader region is also home to the hamadryas baboon with colonies reaching as far north as Baha, Taif, and the suburbs south of Mecca. [11]

The Arabian oryx used to roam over Saudi Arabia's deserts and much of the Middle East but by 1970, it had been hunted to extinction in the wild. However, a captive breeding programme had been initiated at the Phoenix Zoo in the United States in the 1960s and the oryx has since been successfully reintroduced into the wild in the Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area in Saudi Arabia, a fenced reserve of over 2,200 km2 (850 sq mi). [7] It is also now present in the 'Uruq Bani Ma'arid protected area, where the goitered gazelle and mountain gazelle are also to be found. [10]

The sand cat, which is the only member of the cat family to live exclusively in deserts, can be found in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Its paws are covered with thick hair to protect it from the hot ground, but it is chiefly nocturnal. In Najd and Tabuk, the Arabian wolf can be found. It is a solitary hunter and is persecuted by livestock owners. Only 2000 to 3000 wolves are left in the wild, and accordingly they are considered endangered. [13]

Birds native to Saudi Arabia include sandgrouse, quails, eagles, buzzards and larks and on the coast, seabirds include pelicans and gulls. The country is also visited by migratory birds including flamingoes, storks and swallows in spring and autumn. [14] MacQueen's bustard is a resident species that is dependent on good vegetation cover, often being found in areas with dense scrubby growth with shrubs such as Capparis spinosa . [15] The cliff faces of the Asir Mountains provide habitat for the griffon vulture, the Verreaux's eagle and the small Barbary falcon, and the juniper woodlands are home to the Yemen linnet, the Yemen thrush, the Yemen warbler and the African paradise flycatcher. The hamerkop nests in the Wadi Turabah Nature Reserve, the only place on the Arabian Peninsula at which it is found. [11]

Extinct

The lion, [16] cheetah, [17] and Syrian wild ass [18] used to occur here, as evidenced by Islamic texts. For example, there is a hadith in Muwatta’ Imam Malik about Muslim pilgrims having to beware of the asad (lion) and fahd (cheetah) in the land, besides other animals. [19] The country's last known cheetahs were killed near Ha'il in 1973. The lion reportedly became extinct in the middle of the 19th century. [20] Later on, a 325,000-year-old tusk of an extinct type of elephants known as Palaeoloxodon was found in An Nafud desert in northwestern Saudi Arabia, in addition to remains of an extinct jaguar, oryx and a member of the horse family. [21] In 2020, footprints of humans, camels, buffalo, elephants and other species, dated to 120,000 years ago, were found in Tabuk Province near what was then a shallow lake. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Saudi Arabia</span>

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a country situated in West Asia, the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. Its extensive coastlines provide great leverage on shipping through the Persian Gulf and the Suez Canal. The kingdom occupies 80% of the Arabian Peninsula. Most of the country's boundaries with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and the Republic of Yemen are undefined, so the exact size of the country remains unknown. The Saudi government estimate is at 2,217,949 square kilometres, while other reputable estimates vary between 2,149,690 and 2,240,000 sq. kilometres. Less than 7% of the total area is suitable for cultivation, and in the early 1960s, population distribution varied greatly among the towns of the eastern and western coastal areas, the densely populated interior oases, and the vast, almost empty deserts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabian Peninsula</span> Peninsula in West Asia

The Arabian Peninsula, or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. At 3,237,500 km2 (1,250,000 sq mi), comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabian Desert</span> Desert located in Western Asia

The Arabian Desert is a vast desert wilderness in West Asia that occupies almost the entire Arabian Peninsula with an area of 2,330,000 square kilometers (900,000 sq mi). It stretches from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It is the fifth largest desert in the world and the largest in Asia. At its center is Ar-Rub' al-Khali, one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world. It is an extension of the Sahara Desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rub' al Khali</span> Desert in the Arabian Peninsula

The Rub' al Khali, the "Empty Quarter", is the sand desert (erg) encompassing most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula. The desert covers some 650,000 km2 (250,000 sq mi) including parts of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It is part of the larger Arabian Desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabian oryx</span> Species of antelope

The Arabian oryx or white oryx is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, and the smallest member of the genus Oryx, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian oryx was extinct in the wild by the early 1970s, but was saved in zoos and private reserves, and was reintroduced into the wild starting in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwestern Arabian montane woodlands</span>

The Southwestern Arabian montane woodlands is a xeric woodland ecoregion in the southwestern Arabian Peninsula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabian Peninsula coastal fog desert</span> Ecoregion on the southern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula coastal fog desert, also known as the Southwestern Arabian coastal xeric scrub, is desert ecoregion on the southern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula, which experiences thick fogs where visibility may be reduced to 10 metres (33 ft). It is classed as an Afrotropical fog desert

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asir Mountains</span> Mountain range in Saudi Arabia

The Asir Mountains is a mountainous region in southwestern Saudi Arabia running parallel to the Red Sea. It comprises areas in the Region of 'Asir, but generally, it also includes areas near the border with Yemen. The mountains cover approximately 100,000 square kilometres (40,000 sq mi) and consists of mountains, plains, and valleys of the Arabian highlands. Sensu lato, they are part of the Sarawat Mountains, defining the latter as the mountain range which runs parallel to the Tihamah throughout the western portion of the Arabian Peninsula, particularly the western parts of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabian oryx reintroduction</span>

The Arabian oryx, also called the white oryx, was extinct in the wild as of 1972, but was reintroduced to the wild starting in 1982. Initial reintroduction was primarily from two herds: the "World Herd" originally started at the Phoenix Zoo in 1963 from only nine oryx and the Saudi Arabian herd started in 1986 from private collections and some "World Herd" stock by the Saudi National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC). As of 2009 there have been reintroductions in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, and as of 2013 the IUCN Red List classifies the species as vulnerable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jiddat al-Harasis</span> Desert in Oman

Jiddat al-Harasis (Jiddat-il-Harasiis) is a stony desert in south-central Oman, separating northern Oman from Dhufar. The largest strewn field of meteorites in the country is situated here. Over 160 bird species, including the endangered houbara bustard, are found here, as well as Arabian oryx and Arabian gazelle. The area was not permanently inhabited until the 19th century with the arrival of the Harasis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Qatar</span> Flora and fauna of Qatar

The wildlife of Qatar includes the peninsula's flora and fauna and their natural habitats. The country's terrestrial wildlife includes numerous small nocturnal mammals, a number of reptiles which mainly consist of lizard species, and arthropods. Aquatic animals primarily include fish, shrimp and pearl oysters. The desert and the shoreline form an important resting site for migratory bird species during autumn and spring. Urban and agricultural developments have led to an increase in bird species.

The wildlife of Yemen is substantial and varied. Yemen is a large country in the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula with several geographic regions, each with a diversity of plants and animals adapted to their own particular habitats. As well as high mountains and deserts, there is a coastal plain and long coastline. The country has links with Europe and Asia, and the continent of Africa is close at hand. The flora and fauna have influences from all these regions and the country also serves as a staging post for migratory birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">'Uruq Bani Ma'arid</span> Protected area in Saudi Arabia

'Uruq Bani Ma'arid is a protected area in southern Saudi Arabia, located on the western edge of the Rub' al Khali, the largest sandy desert in the world. The protected area is divided into three sections; a core nature reserve; a zone where controlled grazing is permitted; and a hunting zone.

Jabal Aja Protected Area is a protected area in northern Saudi Arabia. It consists of a red granite mountain range projecting from a flatter area and is of importance for both plant and animal life. It lies at 27°30'N and 41°30'E close to the town of Ha'il and has a total area of around 200,000 hectares. Jabal Aja has been designated an Important Plant Area and an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of the United Arab Emirates</span> Flora and fauna of the United Arab Emirates

The wildlife of the United Arab Emirates is the flora and fauna of the country on the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula and the southern end of the Persian Gulf. The country offers a variety of habitats for wildlife including the coast, offshore islands, mangrove areas, mudflats, salt pans, sand and gravel plains, sand dunes, mountain slopes, wadis and rocky summits. Because the terrain is so varied, it supports a greater number of species of plants and animals than might have been expected in this relatively small country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Oman</span> Flora and fauna of Oman

The wildlife of Oman is the flora and fauna of this country in the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, with coasts on the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The climate is hot and dry, apart from the southeastern coast, and the country offers a variety of habitats for wildlife including mountains, valleys, deserts, coastal plains and sea coasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhofar Mountains</span> Mountain range in southern Oman

The Dhofar Mountains are a mountain range in the southeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. In a broad sense, they extend from Dhofar Governorate in Oman to Hadhramaut Governorate in Yemen, and are located between the Hajar in the northern part of Oman, and the Sarawat in the western part of Yemen. Otherwise, the range in the eastern part of Yemen, particularly near Mukalla, is referred to as the Hadhramaut or "Mahrat".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shammar Mountains</span> Mountain range in Saudi Arabia

The Shammar Mountains is a mountain range in the northwestern Saudi Arabian province of Ha'il. It includes the Ajā (أَجَا) and Salma subranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwestern Arabian foothills savanna</span>

The Southwestern Arabian foothills savanna, also known as the Southwestern Arabian Escarpment shrublands and woodlands, is a desert and xeric shrubland ecoregion of the southern Arabian Peninsula, covering portions of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabian-Persian Gulf Coastal Plain Desert</span>

The Arabian-Persian Gulf Coastal Plain Desert ecoregion covers the desert coastal plain of the northwest Persian Gulf, that is, on the northeast Arabian Peninsula, from Kuwait in the north to a small coastal sector in the United Arab Emirates to the southeast.

References

  1. 1 2 Sawe, Benjamin (25 April 2017), Tallest Mountains In Saudi Arabia, Worldatlas.com, retrieved 14 January 2019
  2. 1 2 Wynbrandt, James (14 May 2014). "Appendix 2: Basic facts about Saudi Arabia". A Brief History of Saudi Arabia. New York City: Infobase Publishing. p. 294. ISBN   978-1-4381-0830-8.
  3. 1 2 3 "Saudi Arabia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  4. ↑ Cavendish, Marshall (2007). World and Its Peoples. Vol. 1. Cavendish Square Publishing. p. 11. ISBN   978-0-7614-7571-2.
  5. ↑ المجاري المائية]، هيئة المساحة الجيوليوجية السعودية - حقائق وأرقام، ص: 65. (PDF) (in Arabic), Saudi Geological Survey, 2012, archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2013
  6. 1 2 3 Vincent, Peter (2008). Saudi Arabia: An Environmental Overview. CRC Press. pp. 164–. ISBN   978-0-203-03088-2.
  7. 1 2 Ham, Anthony; Shams, Martha Brekhus; Madden, Andrew (2004). Saudi Arabia. Lonely Planet. pp. 41–42. ISBN   978-1-74059-667-1.
  8. ↑ Mandaville (2013). Flora Of Eastern Saudi Arabia. Routledge. pp. 25–26. ISBN   978-1-136-15162-0.
  9. 1 2 Miller, Anthony G.; Nyberg, J.A. (1996). Flora of the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 15–. ISBN   978-0-7486-0475-3.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Deserts and xeric shrublands: Southwestern Asia: Most of Saudi Arabia, extending into Oman, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria". WWF. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 "Arabian Peninsula: Yemen and Saudi Arabia: Deserts and xeric shrublands". WWF. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  12. ↑ Llewellyn, O. A.; Hall, M.; Miller, A. G.; Al-Abbasi, T. M.; Al-Wetaid, A. H.; Al-Harbi, R. J.; Al-Shammari, K. F. (2011). "Important Plant Areas in the Arabian Peninsula: 4. Jabal Aja'". Edinburgh Journal of Botany. 68 (2): 199–224. doi: 10.1017/S0960428611000059 .
  13. ↑ "Saudi animals in focus on World Wildlife Day". Arab News. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  14. ↑ Hunt Janin; Margaret Besheer, Margaret (2003). Saudi Arabia. Marshall Cavendish. p. 13. ISBN   978-0-7614-1666-1.
  15. ↑ van Heezik, Yolanda; Seddon, Philip J. (1999). "Seasonal changes in habitat use by Houbara Bustards Chlamydotis [undulata] macqueenii in northern Saudi Arabia". Ibis. 141 (2): 208–215. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919x.1999.tb07543.x.
  16. ↑ Bauer, H.; Packer, C.; Funston, P. F.; Henschel, P.; Nowell, K. (2016). "Panthera leo". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T15951A107265605.en .
  17. ↑ Jowkar, H.; Hunter, L.; Ziaie, H.; Marker, L.; Breitenmoser-Wursten, C.; Durant, S. (2008). "Acinonyx jubatus ssp. venaticus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008: e.T220A13035342. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T220A13035342.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  18. ↑ Moehlman, P.D.; Feh, C. (2015). "Equus hemionus ssp. hemippus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T7962A3144566. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T7962A3144566.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  19. ↑ Muwatta’ Imam Malik, Book 20 (Hajj), Hadith 794
  20. ↑ Nader, I. A. (1989). "Rare and endangered mammals of Saudi Arabia". In Abu-Zinada, A. H.; Goriup, P. D.; Nader, L. A (eds.). Wildlife conservation and development in Saudi Arabia (PDF). Riyadh: National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development Publishing. pp. 220–228.
  21. ↑ "Tusk clue to Saudi desert's green past". BBC. 2 April 2014.
  22. ↑ "Human footprints dating back 120,000 years found in Saudi Arabia". Bangkok Post. 17 September 2020.
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