Wildlife of Yemen

Thewildlife of Yemenis substantial and varied.Yemenis a large country in the southern half of theArabian Peninsulawith 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.

Geography

Yemen is in the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering theRed Sea,theGulf of Adenand theArabian Sea.The country is divided into four geographical regions: theTihamahor coastal plains to the west, the western highlands, the central highlands, and theRub' al Khali,or "Empty Quarter", in the east, the largest sand desert in the world.The Tihamah forms an arid flat plain alongside the Red Sea coast. There are many lagoons here and considerable biodiversity; streams from the western highlands sink and evaporate before reaching the coast.

Bridge atShaharahin the western highlands, with terracing at top right

TheSarawat Mountains(or Sarat Mountains) in Saudi Arabia extend southwards into Yemen, where they divide into two ranges. The western highlands run parallel with the Red Sea coast and to the east of them, the land slopes gently towards thePersian Gulf.These mountains receive up to 1,000 mm (40 in) of rain in places and are the wettest part of the country. Rainfall comes from southwestern monsoons and from thunderstorms in summer. For over two thousand years the steep slopes of these mountains have been terraced and intensively cropped, and little of the indigenous vegetation remains.

The central highlands rise up to over 3,300 m (10,830 ft) and contain the highest peaks of the Arabian Peninsula. They are in the rain shadow of the western highlands but receive enough rainfall for the cultivation of irrigated wheat and barley. The Rub' al Khali desert region receives almost no rainfall.Both this range and the western highlands feature manywadis,dry watercourses which have been carved out by floods when the occasional torrential downpour occurs. These often support more vascular plants than other arid areas.

Flora

At high altitudes, the native flora of the western highlands is dominated byAfrican juniper.This juniper woodland is similar to woodland in East Africa.Vachellia origenais a common leguminous tree growing in patches of woodland, in hedgerows and as individual trees on cultivated terraces in the western highlands.Shrubs such asEuryops arabicusgrow here, and on southern slopes there are succulent plants such asaloesandeuphorbias.At lower elevations there is a shrubby forest with species including theAbyssinian roseand thecamphor bush.Lower still, below about 2,000 m (6,560 ft),Acaciaandmyrrhare the dominant woody plants.

In theHadhramautregion of southern Yemen, wheat and millet is grown and bothcoconut palmsanddate palmsare cultivated, andfrankincencealso grows here. The western coastal Tihama plains are irrigated for the production ofcitrus,bananasand dates.Figs,coffee,khat,wheat,barleyandsorghumare grown on the slopes above.On the Red Sea coast there are extensive stands ofwhite mangroveover a coastal stretch of about 84 km (52 mi), with sporadic clumps elsewhere.

The sandy Rub' al Khali has very little plant diversity, about 37 species of flowering plant have been recorded here, 17 of which are only found around the periphery. There are no trees here, Typical xeric plants include the dwarf shrubsCalligonum crinitumandsaltbush,and several species ofsedge.

Fauna

Main articles:List of birds of YemenandList of mammals of Yemen

The critically endangeredArabian leopard

About 464 species of bird have been recorded in Yemen, ten of which are endemic to the country including theSocotra buzzard,theSocotra scops owl,theSocotra cisticola,theSocotra warbler,theSocotra starling,theSocotra sunbird,theArabian accentor,theSocotra bunting,theSocotra sparrow,and theAbd al-Kuri sparrow.The cliff faces of the western highlands provide habitat for thegriffon vulture,theVerreaux's eagle,and the smallBarbary falcon.The juniper woodlands in the west are home to theYemen linnet,Yemen thrush,Yemen warbler,and theAfrican paradise flycatcher,and many migratory birds pass through this area twice a year.

Thehamadryas baboonis present in parts of the country,and there are believed to be about seventy wildArabian leopardsremaining here. Acaptive breedingprogramme is being undertaken atTaizZoo in the Yemeni highlands.Other mammals found in Yemen include themountain gazelle,gray wolf,Blanford's fox,Rüppell's fox,caracal,sand cat,wildcat,common genet,striped hyena,golden jackal,honey badger,bushy-tailed mongoose,rock hyrax,desert hedgehog,Arabian shrew,golden spiny mouse,lesser Egyptian jerboa,several species ofgerbils,king jird,Yemeni mouseand a number of species ofbat.

Snakes found in Yemen include theArabian cobra,thehorned viper,and thepuff adder,as well as several species ofsea snakes.There is the endemicYemen monitor,numerous species oflizard,severalgeckos,and theveiled chameleon.TheAfrican helmeted turtleandtortoiseare found on land, and several species ofsea turtlebreed on the beaches.

Yemen has coastlines on theRed Seaand theIndian Ocean.These mostly have shallow fringing reefs wherecoralsproliferate and a diverseinvertebratefauna.These reefs provide a spawning ground and a protective environment for the young of many species of fish. Marine mammals includingwhalesanddolphinsare found here, as aresharksand many species of fish. Sea birds proliferate along the coastline.The island ofSocotraand its archipelago are also part of Yemen, about 240 km (150 mi) east of theHorn of Africaand 380 km (240 mi) south of the Arabian Peninsula. These islands have a unique flora and are fringed by coral reefs. Some seven hundred species of plant and animal are endemic to the Socotra island group.