The Status of Wild Mammals in the Egyptian Red Sea Region

The Status of Wild Mammals in the Egyptian Red Sea Region

All sea and land mammals listed in this paper are present in the Egyptian Red Sea and adjacent deserts.

After its Common and Scientific name, a mammal’s Threat Category was determined according to information obtained from:
· The Red List of Threatened Animals of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
http://www.animalinfo.org/country/egypt.htm.
· The Threatened and Endangered Species System (TESS) used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. http://ecos.fws.gov/webpage/webpage_foreign.html?&listings=0 - A
· The Threatened and Endangered Animals List of the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).
http://www.unep-wcmc.org/index.html?http://valhalla.unep-wcmc.org/isdb/country.cfm~main

A few species that are not listed by the IUCN, TESS or UNEP-WCWC, but appear to be recognized as threatened or endangered by other major sources, were labelled as such. When a species is either not threatened or its status in the wild is insufficiently known, “not listed” appears in the threat category.

This paper includes information on the species’ Distribution range in Egypt west of the Nile in particular, as well as worldwide distribution in general. I have also added brief Remarks pertaining to a species presence in Egypt.

For speedy access to further information on a mammal’s description, behaviour, habitat, food, longevity, reproduction, migration, population size, human influence, etc, click on the URL under Information. To view images of the mammals click on the URL below Picture with every listing.

There is no doubt that future research and consultations with the specialists will reveal more mammal species that should be added to the following list.


Marine Mammals

Dugong (Dugong dugon)
· Threat Category: Vulnerable.
· Distribution: Red Sea. Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean.
· Remarks: Also called Sea Cow. Related to the Manatee. Red Sea estimate is 4,000. More common in the southern Red Sea. Rarely sighted in the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba. Sometimes encountered at Torfa Tani, a dive site 30 km south of El Quseir.
· Information: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/dugong/d._dugon$narrative.html.
· Picture: .
http://touregypt.net/wildegypt/red1.htm.

Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Red Sea. In cold temperate to tropical seas worldwide.
· Remarks: Locally common. Encountered in the Red Sea individually or in groups near reefs, in calm lagoons, and open waters. Often bow riding and leaping alongside vessels.
· Information:
http://www.cetacea.org/bottle.htm.
· Picture: http://www.angelfire.com/mo2/animals1/cetacean/bottlenosedolph.html.

Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Red Sea. In warm temperate, tropical and subtropical waters worldwide.
· Remarks: In the Red Sea occupies both offshore and inshore waters. Active species, regularly bow riding and leaping from the water.
· Information:
http://www.cetacea.org/striped.htm.
· Picture: http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/marmam/striped.html.

Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Red Sea. Worldwide in warm coastal waters.
· Remarks: Highly social, deep water dolphins. Groups contain 20 to several hundred members.
· Information:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/delphinus/d._delphis$narrative.html.
· Picture: http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/animal/EngNames/common_dolphin.html.

Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphin (Sousa chinensis)
· Threat Category: Not listed
· Distribution: Red Sea. In tropical coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean.
· Remarks: They usually live in shallow waters (less than 20 m deep). In Red Sea small numbers have been taken for their meat.
· Information:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jaap/sousa.htm.
· Picture:
http://www.il-st-acad-sci.org/mammals/whale009.html.

Rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis)
· Threat Category: Status insufficiently known.
· Distribution: Red Sea. In the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean, the eastern Pacific, and the Indian Ocean.
· Remarks: Prefers deeper waters. Sightings rare.
· Information:
http://www.gn.apc.org/whales/dolphin8.htm.
http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/species/cetaceans/actionplan/whaleap5b.htm.
· Picture: http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/marmam/steno.html.

Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Red Sea. In tropical and subtropical waters worldwide.
· Remarks: Occupies both offshore and inshore waters.
· Information:
http://www.cetacea.org/spinner.htm.
· Picture: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/stenella/s._longirostris$narrative.html.
http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/marmam/spinner.html.

Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Red Sea. In tropical and warm temperate waters in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
· Remarks: Inhabits deep waters.
· Information:
http://www.cetacea.org/rissos.htm.
· Picture: http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/marmam/rissos.html.
http://www.cetacea.org/rissos.htm.

False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)
· Threat Category: Rare.
· Distribution: Red Sea. Deep tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate waters worldwide.
· Remarks: In the Red Sea mainly in deep, offshore waters and sometimes in deep coastal waters. May move from north to south according to seasonal warming and cooling of the sea.
· Information:
http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/tmmsn/29Species/falsekiller.html.
· Picture: http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/mammalogy/pscr.html.

Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Red Sea. Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean.
· Remarks: Rarely spotted in the Red Sea. Part of the baleen whale family. These animals occupy temperate and sub-polar regions in the summer, but migrate to sub-tropical waters during the winter.
· Information:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/balaenoptera/b._borealis.
· Picture: http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/marmam/sei.html.
http://www.cetacea.org/sei.htm.

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
· Threat Category: Endangered.
· Distribution: Red Sea. In all the world's oceans.
· Remarks: Rarely spotted in the Red Sea. Part of the baleen whale family. These whales follow a regular migration route, summering in temperate and polar waters for feeding, and wintering in tropical waters for mating and calving.
· Information:
http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/humpback.htm.
· Picture: http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/marmam/humpback.html.

Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Red Sea. In tropical and warm temperate waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
· Remarks: Prefers deep water.
· Information:
http://www.ifawct.org/whaledb/whale15.htm.
· Picture: http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/marmam/pilot.html. http://www.aquatic.uoguelph.ca/mammals/whales/accounts/shortfin.htm.

Killer whale (Orcinus orca)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Red Sea. All oceans and major seas.
· Remarks: Known occasionally to attack boats. Recent report of such an incident 150 miles south of Port Sudan. A 180mm (7") hole was punched in the hull.
· Information:
http://www.cetacea.org/fkiller.htm.
· Picture: http://www.seaworld.org/animal_bytes/killer_whaleab.html.

Spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Red Sea. Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
· Remarks: Perhaps seasonal migration into or in the Red Sea. Seasonal movements north/south are known off Japan and inshore/offshore in the eastern tropical Pacific.
· Information:
http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/species/cetaceans/actionplan/whaleap5h.htm.
· Picture: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jaap/stenella.htm.



Land Mammals

Sinai leopard (Panthera pardus jarvisi)
· Threat Category: May be extinct in Sinai.
· Distribution: Sinai. Southern Israel.
· Remarks: Reported sightings near the Sinai Israeli border in the Wadi Paran region. There is dispute whether the Sinai Leopard is a separate subspecies of leopard.
· Information:
http://www.geocities.com/~lioncrusher/bigcats/leopard.htm.
http://members.aol.com/cattrust/leopard.htm
· Picture: None found on the net.

Sand cat (Felis m. margarita)
· Threat Category: Endangered.
· Distribution: Sinai. Southern Israel, Jordan.
· Remarks: In sandy desert habitats in Sinai.
· Information:
http://lynx.uio.no/catfolk/cnissues/cn10-02.htm.
· Picture: http://www.hotcity.com/~vladimir/wildcats.htm.

Silverbacked jackal (Canis mesomelas)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Egypt. Sudan, Somalia to S Africa
· Remarks: Also known as Blackbacked jackal.
· Information:
http://www.awf.org/wildlives/144.
· Picture: http://www.shef.ac.uk/~aps/level2modules/aps209/209lec10.html.

Golden jackal (Canis aureus)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Egypt. South-eastern Europe, Asia Minor, northern Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.
· Remarks: Also known as Common jackal.
· Information:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/canis/c._aureus.
· Picture: http://tigress.com/rif/animals/other/aureus.html. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wildfacts/dogs/fact_files/130.shtml. http://www.bio.metu.edu.tr/~e068698/jackal.html

Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena)
· Threat Category: Rare.
· Distribution: Egypt. From Morocco and Senegal to Tanzania; Asia minor to Southern Asia.
· Remarks: In ancient Egypt hyenas were domesticated, fattened and eaten.
· Information:
http://www.gisbau.uniroma1.it/amd/amd127.html.
· Picture: None found on the net.

Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Southern Egypt. From Egypt to South Africa.
· Remarks: Resembles a small striped hyena.
· Information:
http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/8/0,5716,3228+1+3205,00.html.
· Picture: http://www.britannica.com/eb/art?id=8953&type=A

Fennec fox (Vulpes (Fennecus) zerda)
· Threat Category: Rare.
· Distribution: Sinai. Northern Africa across the Sahara, and Arabia.
· Remarks: One sighting was made in Sinai in the late 1970s. No recent sightings have been made there.
· Information:
http://www.canids.org/SPPACCTS/fennecus.htm.
· Picture:
http://www.canids.org/SPPACCTS/fennecus.htm.

Rueppell fox (Vulpes rueppelli)
· Threat Category: Endangered.
· Distribution: Throughout Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia.
· Remarks: It is smaller than Vulpes vulpes.
· Information:
http://www.nis.gov.jo/biodiversity/mammalsdesc.html.
· Picture: None found on the net.

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Eastern Desert of Egypt.
· Remarks: The species can occur from cultivated and urban lands to stony deserts; it is also found in oases.
· Information:
http://co.essortment.com/informationont_rhpl.htm.
· Picture: http://pelotes.jea.com/AnimalFact/Mammal/redfox.htm.

Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana)
· Threat Category: Endangered.
· Distribution: Sinai, Upper Egypt, Nubia, the Western Desert, north-eastern Sudan, Eritrea.
· Remarks: Systematic surveys except for Sinai. The range from Egypt to Eritrea can only be marked as "possible". Occurs in rocky mountain areas, gorges, outcrops and wadis; preference for arid rough terrain like Red Sea hills.
· Information:
http://www.gisbau.uniroma1.it/amd/amd153b.html.
http://okapisudan.com/okapi/ibex.htm.
· Picture: http://www.ultimateungulate.com/ibexnubian.html.

Arabian gazelle (Gazella gazella)
· Threat Category: Endangered.
· Range: Sinai. Arabian Peninsula, Israel, Syria.
· Remarks: Also known as Mountain Gazelle. Check whether this species is the same as
· Information:
http://endangered.fws.gov/fmammal2.html.
· Picture: None found on the net.

Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcasa)
· Threat Category: Rare and endangered.
· Distribution: Sinai and Eastern Desert. Northern Africa and western Arabia.
· Remarks: Smaller and shorter than the other gazelles.
· Information:
http://www.nis.gov.jo/biodiversity/mammalsdesc.html
· Picture: http://www.ultimateungulate.com/gazelledorc.html.

Scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah)
· Threat Category: Critically endangered. Probably extinct in Egypt.
· Distribution: Formerly from the Red Sea to Mauritania.
· Remarks: No reported sightings of this species in the wild since the late 1980’s.
· Information:
http://www.ultimateungulate.com/scimoryx.html.
· Picture: http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/animal/APAsrch3.cgi?qt=scimitar-horned%20oryx.

Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx)
· Threat Category: Probably extinct in Egypt.
· Distribution: Used to inhabit Sinai, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia
· Remarks: In 1960 the Arabia Oryx was already rare in Sinai. By 1996 it was extinct. Reintroduced in Jordan after extinction from a breeding population in the US.
· Information:
http://www.nis.gov.jo/biodiversity/mammalsdesc.html.
· Picture:
http://www.scz.org/animals/o/oryx2.html.

Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Egyptian Eastern Desert. Africa.
· Remarks: Although widespread in Africa and common throughout its range of distribution, literature available is quite scarce.
· Information:
http://www.gisbau.uniroma1.it/amd/amd037.html.
· Picture:
http://interoz.com/EGYPT/WILDEGYPT/LAND2.HTM

Rock hyrax (Procavia capensis)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Sinai and large portions of Egypt. Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Libya and other parts of Africa.
· Remarks: Also called Rock Dassies. About the size of a rabbit. Related to the elephant. Preferred habitat at the base of mountains.
· Information:
http://www.gisbau.uniroma1.it/amd/amd140b.html.
· Picture:
http://www.rzu2u.com/rkhyrax.htm.

Lesser egyptian gerbil (Gerbillus Gerbillus)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Egypt and Sinai. From Morocco and northern Nigeria to Jordan and Kenya.
· Remarks: Also known as Lesser Gerbil, Small Egyptian Gerbil.
· Information:
http://users.bart.nl/~fredveen/othergerbillus.htm.
· Picture: http://www.rodent.demon.co.uk/gerbils/egyptian.htm.

Bonhote's gerbil gerbil (Gerbillus bonhotei)
· Threat Category: Vulnerable.
· Distribution: Northeastern Sinai.
· Remarks: Endemic to Egypt.
· URL:
http://users.bart.nl/~fredveen/species.htm.
· Picture: None found on the net.

Wagner’s dipodil (Gerbillus dasyurus)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Sinai, Nile Delta, Syria, Iraq, Arabian Peninsula.
· Remarks: Also known as Wagner's Gerbil, Rough-tailed Dipodil, Wadi Hof Gerbil. Prefers salt flat type habitats.
· Information:
http://www.rodent.demon.co.uk/gerbils/dasy.htm.
· Picture: http://www.rodent.demon.co.uk/gerbils/dasy.htm.

Northern pygmy gerbil (Gerbillus floweri)
· Threat Category: Critically endangered. Probably extinct in Egypt.
· Distribution: Sinai; south of El Arish.
· Remarks: Endemic to Egypt.
· Information:
http://users.bart.nl/~fredveen/species.htm.
· Picture: None found on the net.

Mackilligin's dipodil (Gerbillus mackillingini)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: South-eastern Egypt. Probably adjacent Sudan.
· Remarks:
· Information:
http://users.bart.nl/~fredveen/species.htm.
· Picture: None found on the net.

Tristram’s jird (Meriones tristrami)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Sinai. Turkey to Northwestern Iran.
· Remarks: Also known as Asia Minor Gerbil.
· Information:
http://www.gerbil-info.nl.com/othertristrami.htm.
· Picture:
http://www.gerbil-info.nl.com/othertristrami.htm.

Bushy-tailed jird (Sekeetamys calurus)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Egypt’s Eastern Desert and Sinai. Southern Israel, Jordan and Central Saudi Arabia.
· Remarks: They live along the shores of the Red Sea. Also known as Bushy Tailed Dipodil.
· Information:
http://www.rodent.demon.co.uk/gerbils/bushy.htm.
· Picture: http://www.rodent.demon.co.uk/gerbils/bushy.htm.

Fat sand rat (Psammomys obesus)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Deserts of Egypt, Libya, Palestine and Arabia.
· Remarks: The Fat Sand Rat is a large rodent.
· Information:
http://www.rodent.demon.co.uk/gerbils/fsr.htm.
· Picture: http://www.rodent.demon.co.uk/gerbils/fsr.htm.

Silky's jird (Meriones crassus)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Egypt. Across North Africa from Morocco through Niger, Sudan to Israel, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.
· Remarks: Also known as Sundevall's jird, Swinhoe's jird.
· Information:
· http://users.bart.nl/~fredveen/othercrassusuk.htm.
· Picture: http://users.bart.nl/~fredveen/othercrassusuk.htm.

Libyan jird (Meriones libycus)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Egypt. From West Sahara to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan and into S Turkestan to Western China
· Remarks:
· Information:
http://www.nis.gov.jo/biodiversity/mammalsdesc.html.
· Picture: http://www.rodent.demon.co.uk/gerbils/libyan.htm.

Greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum)
· Threat Category: Vulnerable.
· Distribution: Sinai to Tunisia.
· Remarks: Prefers humidity and darkness.
· Information:
http://www.nis.gov.jo/biodiversity/mammalsdesc.html.
· Picture:
http://www.bats.org.uk/gr_horse.htm.

Sinai spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus dimidiatus)
· Threat Category: Not listed.
· Distribution: Sinai. Jordan.
· Remarks: Prefers rocky terrines as well as steppe-desert habitat.
· Information:
http://www.nis.gov.jo/biodiversity/mammalsdesc.html.
· Picture: None found on the net.



Notes

1) The following two mammals are listed as endangered in Egypt but lie outside our survey area:
· Gazelle slender-horned (=Rhim) (Gazella leptoceros).
· Hartebeest, Tora (Alcelaphus buselaphus tora).

2) The following mammals have been reported in Sinai but this researcher could not confirm their presence through other sources:
· Dull reddish-grey egyptian fox (Vulpes niloticus).
· Egyptian hare (Lepus aegyptius).