Wikipedia

Wildlife of Saudi Arabia

Thewildlife of Saudi Arabiais substantial and varied.Saudi Arabiais a very large country forming the biggest part of theArabian 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 theGulf of Aqabaand theRed Seato the west while a shorter eastern coastline can be found along thePersian Gulf.

Topographic map of Saudi Arabia

Geography

edit
Main article:Geography of Saudi Arabia
Mount Sawdaof theAsir Mountainswas thought to be the highest mountain in the country[1][2]

Saudi Arabia has a range of mountains, theSarawat or Sarat Mountains,which run parallel with the Red Sea coast. These are low at the northern end, have a gap in the middle betweenMedinaandTa'if,and are higher at the southern end, whereMount Sawdain theAsir 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 asTihamah.The west side of this range is a steep escarpment but to the east is a wide plateau called theNajdwhich is bounded on the east by a series of mountain ridges, including theṬuwayq Mountains,east of which the land descends gradually to the Persian Gulf.[3]

In the south of the country is theRub' 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, theNefud,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 asDahna.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 ofAsirin the southwest is wetter; it receives monsoon rains between May and October which may amount to 48 cm (19 in).[3]

The northernHa'il Regionhas theShammar Mountains,further divisible into the Aja andSalmasubranges.[4][5]

The Red Sea was formed when in theEoceneperiod, 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 lateTertiaryand the earlyQuaternaryeras 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, becomingrelict populations.[6]

Flora

edit

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 arexerophyticand mostly dwarf shrubs or small herbs. There are few species of tree butdate palmsare abundant in places.[3]

Prosopis cinerariagrows around the fringes of deserts.

The east of Saudi Arabia often receives "Mediterranean depressions" from November onwards. The arrival of sufficient quantities of rain causesperennial plantsto produce new shoots and the seeds ofannual plantstogerminate.These annuals grow with great rapidity and complete theirlife cyclewithin a few weeks. By April or May, the annuals will have flowered, set seeds and died, and the perennials returned to a state ofdormancy.[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 asCalligonumcrinitumandsaltbush,and several species ofsedge.[10]Around the margins of this desert are open woodlands withAcaciaandProsopis 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 withcloud forests,southwestern Arabian montane woodlandswhich includes, on north-facing slopes,Juniperus proceraandEuryops arabicus,draped with thelichenUsnea articulata,and on south-facing slopes, dwarf shrubs such asRubus petitianus,Rosa abyssinica,Alchemilla crytantha,SenecioandHelichrysum abyssinicum,withAloe sabaeandEuphorbiain the driest locations. Lower down, below about 2,500 m (8,200 ft), there is evergreen woodland and scrub dominated byOlea europaea subsp. cuspidataandTarchonanthus camphoratus.Below about 2,000 m (6,600 ft) the vegetation is deciduous scrubland withAcacia,Commiphora,Grewiaand succulent plants.[11]

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

Fauna

edit
Main articles:List of birds of Saudi ArabiaandList of mammals of Saudi Arabia
Hamadryas baboonsin theHijaz MountainsnearAl 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 thedromedarycamel, the Arabiantahr,theArabian wolf,the Arabianred foxandfennec,thecaracal,thestriped hyena,thesand cat,therock hyrax,and theCape hare.[10]However habitat destruction, hunting, off-road driving and other human activities have led to the local extinction of the striped hyena, thegolden jackaland thehoney badgerin some localities.[10]The Asir Mountains in the southwest of the country is where the critically endangeredArabian leopardis still to be found, and the broader region is also home to thehamadryas baboonwith colonies reaching as far north asBaha,Taif,and the suburbs south ofMecca.[11]

TheArabian oryxused to roam over Saudi Arabia's deserts and much of the Middle East but by 1970, it had been hunted toextinctionin the wild. However, acaptive breedingprogramme had been initiated at thePhoenix Zooin the United States in the 1960s and the oryx has since been successfully reintroduced into the wild in theMahazat as-Sayd Protected Areain Saudi Arabia, a fenced reserve of over 2,200 km2(850 sq mi).[7]It is also now present in the'Uruq Bani Ma'aridprotected area, where thegoitered gazelleandmountain gazelleare 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 includesandgrouse,quails,eagles,buzzardsandlarksand on the coast, seabirds includepelicansandgulls.The country is also visited bymigratory birdsincluding flamingoes, storks and swallows in spring and autumn.[14] MacQueen's bustardis a resident species that is dependent on good vegetation cover, often being found in areas with dense scrubby growth with shrubs such asCapparis spinosa.[15]The cliff faces of the Asir Mountains provide habitat for thegriffon vulture,theVerreaux's eagleand the smallBarbary falcon,and the juniper woodlands are home to theYemen linnet,theYemen thrush,theYemen warblerand theAfrican paradise flycatcher.Thehamerkopnests in theWadi Turabah Nature Reserve,the only place on the Arabian Peninsula at which it is found.[11]

Extinct

edit

Thelion,[16]cheetah,[17]andSyrian wild ass[18]used to occur here, as evidenced byIslamictexts. For example, there is ahadithinMuwatta’ Imam MalikaboutMuslim pilgrimshaving to beware of theasad(lion) andfahd(cheetah) in the land, besides other animals.[19]The country's last known cheetahs were killed nearHa'ilin 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 asPalaeoloxodonwas found inAn Nafuddesert in northwestern Saudi Arabia, in addition to remains of an extinctjaguar,oryxand 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 inTabuk Provincenear what was then a shallow lake.[22]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^abSawe, Benjamin (25 April 2017),Tallest Mountains In Saudi Arabia,Worldatlas.com,retrieved14 January2019
  2. ^abWynbrandt, James (14 May 2014)."Appendix 2: Basic facts about Saudi Arabia".A Brief History of Saudi Arabia.New York City:Infobase Publishing.p. 294.ISBN978-1-4381-0830-8.
  3. ^abc"Saudi Arabia".Encyclopædia Britannica.Retrieved22 November2015.
  4. ^Cavendish, Marshall(2007).World and Its Peoples.Vol. 1. Cavendish Square Publishing. p. 11.ISBN978-0-7614-7571-2.
  5. ^المجاري المائية]، هيئة المساحة الجيوليوجية السعودية - حقائق وأرقام، ص: 65.(PDF)(in Arabic),Saudi Geological Survey,2012, archived fromthe original(PDF)on 26 June 2013
  6. ^abcVincent, Peter (2008).Saudi Arabia: An Environmental Overview.CRC Press. pp. 164–.ISBN978-0-203-03088-2.
  7. ^abHam, Anthony; Shams, Martha Brekhus; Madden, Andrew (2004).Saudi Arabia.Lonely Planet. pp. 41–42.ISBN978-1-74059-667-1.
  8. ^Mandaville (2013).Flora Of Eastern Saudi Arabia.Routledge.pp. 25–26.ISBN978-1-136-15162-0.
  9. ^abMiller, Anthony G.; Nyberg, J.A. (1996).Flora of the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra.Edinburgh University Press. pp. 15–.ISBN978-0-7486-0475-3.
  10. ^abcd"Deserts and xeric shrublands: Southwestern Asia: Most of Saudi Arabia, extending into Oman, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria".WWF.Retrieved22 November2015.
  11. ^abc"Arabian Peninsula: Yemen and Saudi Arabia: Deserts and xeric shrublands".WWF.Retrieved24 November2015.
  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.Retrieved12 February2019.
  14. ^Hunt Janin; Margaret Besheer, Margaret (2003).Saudi Arabia.Marshall Cavendish. p. 13.ISBN978-0-7614-1666-1.
  15. ^van Heezik, Yolanda;Seddon, Philip J. (1999). "Seasonal changes in habitat use by Houbara BustardsChlamydotis [undulata] macqueeniiin 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 jubatusssp.venaticus".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2008:e.T220A13035342.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T220A13035342.en.Retrieved12 November2021.
  18. ^Moehlman, P.D.; Feh, C. (2015)."Equus hemionusssp.hemippus".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2015:e.T7962A3144566.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T7962A3144566.en.Retrieved12 November2021.
  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.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wildlife_of_Saudi_Arabia&oldid=1234585472"