Wildlife of Algeria

The wildlife of Algeria is composed of its flora and fauna. Mountainous, chotts, wetlands and grassy desert-like regions all support a wide range of wildlife. Many of the creatures comprising the Algerian wildlife live in close proximity to civilisation. The most commonly seen animals include the wild boars, jackals, and gazelles, although it is not uncommon to spot fennecs and jerboas. Leopard and cheetah are seldom seen.

The Saharan jackal is a possible species of the jackal
The Barbary lion possibly survived in Algeria until the early 1960s[1]
Barbary sheep
The African wild dog's presence in Algeria is unconfirmed

A variety of bird species make the country an attraction for bird watchers. Barbary macaques are the sole native monkey. Snakes, monitor lizards, and numerous other reptiles can be found living among an array of rodents throughout the semi arid regions of Algeria.

Endangered species and conservation

Algeria is also home to a number of dangered species which are currently not protected under Algerian law.

A creature that is dangered in Algeria is the Mediterranean monk seal. These seals live in caves and in rocky outcrops along the coast of Algeria and their numbers have been made scarce by over-fishing and pollution. Monk seals do not give birth often and usually have only one pup, which means attempts to increase the seal population are slow and difficult. Besides the serval and seals, Algerian wild dogs and a species of bat are also considered to be endangered.

Flowers

In the north some of the native flowers includes daffodiles scrub, oaks, cedars and other conifers.[2] The grape vine is indigenous to the coast. In the Sahara region some oases have palm trees. Acacias with wild olives are the predominant flowers in the remainder of the Sahara.

Fauna

Mammals
Main article: List of mammals of Algeria

There are 104 mammal species in Algeria, of which three are critically endangered, two are endangered, ten are vulnerable, and three are near-threatened. One of the species listed for Algeria is extinct and one can no longer be found in the wild.

Reptiles, fish, amphibians, birds and mammals

Insects

Prehistoric period

Prehistoric mammals

Dinosaurs

Prehistoric reptiles

References
  1. Black, S. A.; Fellous, A.; Yamaguchi, N.; Roberts, D. L. (2013). "Examining the Extinction of the Barbary Lion and Its Implications for Felid Conservation". PLoS ONE. 8 (4): e60174. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060174. PMC 3616087. PMID 23573239.
  2. National Audubon Society (2009). Field Guide to African Wildlife. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 43–44. ISBN 0-679-43234-5.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.