Libya 5391 Ubari Lakes Luca Galuzzi 2007

The wildlife of Libya is spread over the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

coastline and encompasses large areas of the

Saharan desert The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Arctic. The name "Sahara" ...

. The protection of

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...

is provided through appropriate legislation in seven national parks, five reserves, 24 protected areas, two wetlands under

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar site, Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on We ...

, and also in other areas. Apart from these, there are also five

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Sites World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

related to culture. The most important national parks are the El-Kouf National Park and Karabolli National Park. The well known nature reserves are the

Benghazi Reserve Benghazi Reserve is a protected reserve of Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Liby ...

and the Zellaf Reserve. The wildlife species recorded in the country are 87

mammals A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three middle e ...

and 338 species of

birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

's natural national assets are its nearly of coastline and the vast Sahara desert which is the semiarid and arid region to the south. Its hills, ponds and coastal habitats which comprise coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass beds, salt marshes, and mud flats add to its

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

. Some of the sites are important for

migratory birds Bird migration is a seasonal movement of birds between breeding and wintering grounds that occurs twice a year. It is typically from north to south or from south to north. Migration is inherently risky, due to predation and mortality. The ...

Laws for regulation

National laws and international agreements are part of the preservation of biodiversity and wetland culture in the country. The Green Mountain Area is under protection to protect of the mountainous areas with the Green Mountain Conservation and Development Authority. It covers the coastline of , and also the ancient historical site of Greeko-Roman Cyrene. The first conservation legislation enacted in 1949 was the Law on Forestry. The purpose of this legislation was to ensure protection to forests and forest products, and also retain soil conditions, enhance water sources availability and utilization, and to prevent desertification. In 1970, the Law for the Protection of Agricultural Land was enacted as an ordinance to protect the green areas. The first national park came into existence in November 1978. This was followed by many other national parks to preserve and conserve wild animals in the reserves where the threat was real. In 1990, the Technical Committee of Wildlife and National Parks was established exclusively to ensure proper management of the protected areas, as part of the General Secretariat of Agricultural Reclamation and Land Reform. With this setup, all protected areas are now under the management control of the

Government of Libya Muammar Gaddafi bequeths a "Shallow State" The politics of Libya has been shaped by the "shallow state" ceded by former authoritarian leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was overthrown in 2011 in the midst of the Arab revolutions; apart from being ...

Geography

Protected areas in Libya are under four categories of national parks, protected reserves, protected areas, and

wetlands A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

, and a few others areas, which cover coastal, marine and terrestrial areas. The seven national parks are: The

Abughilan National Park Abughilan National Park is a national park of Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan t ...

, the

El Kouf National Park El Kouf National Park, established in 1975, is one of the seven national parks of Libya. El Kouf is located along Libya's northeastern Mediterranean coastline and has both marine and terrestrial biodiversity. Libya also has five other reserves, t ...

, the Karabolli National Park, the

Naggaza National Park El Naggaza National Park is a national park of Libya in the Murqub district close to Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to: Places Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece ...

, the

Rajma National Park Rajma National Park is a national park in Libya. It is a wetlands and protected area within the Jabal al Gharbi District of Libya, south of Tripoli and Murqub. This district is landlocked, meaning Rajma does not have the coastal diversity found in ...

and the

Sirman National Park Surman National Park or Sirman National Park (غابة صرمان والمنتزه الوطني) is a national park of Libya. It was established in 1992 and covers an area of . It lies about west of Tripoli, not far from the archaeological ruins ...

of which Karabolli and Kouf cover the coastal and marine areas. The five nature reserves are: The

, the

Bier Ayyad Reserve Bier Ayyad Reserve is a protected reserve of Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to L ...

, the

New Hiesha Natural Reserve New Hiesha Natural Reserve is a protected reserve in Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sud ...

, the Tripoli Reserve and the Zellaf Reserve. There are 24 protected areas:

Ain Zayanah Ain Zayanah is a protected area of Libya. It has an area of 500 hectares, and covers the Ayn Zayanah lagoon and a portion of the coast 15 km northeast of Benghazi Benghazi () () is the List of cities in Libya, second-most-populous city in L ...

, Ajdabiya Marsh,

Al Jaghbub Oasis The Al Jaghbub Oasis is a protected area in northeastern Libya lying close to the Egypt–Libya border, border with Egypt. It adjoins the desert village of Jaghbub, Libya, Jaghbub which is inhabited by Berbers with a population of about 400. Geogr ...

, Berjuj Valley,

Bombe gulf Bombah Gulf is a protected area of Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Su ...

, Fezzan valleys, Garabulli,

Giarabub Jaghbub () () is a remote desert village in the Al Jaghbub Oasis in the eastern Libyan Desert. It is actually closer to the Egyptian town of Siwa than to any Libyan town of note. The oasis is located in Butnan District and was the administrativ ...

, Grotto de Lete, Harouj Mountain, Jalo, Kufrah Oasis, Nefhusa, Oasis of Ghat, Ouau en Namu lakes, Qaminis and Tukrah salines, Rajma plantations,

Sabratha Sabratha (; also ''Sabratah'', ''Siburata''), in the Zawiya DistrictSebkha el Sahel, Serir, Shahaat, Taizerbo, Taoulga islands (Thaouara), and Wadi Kham. The wetlands designated under Ramsar Convention are the Ain Elshakika Wetland and the Ain Elzarga Wetland. According to the

list of ecoregions Wikipedia has articles relating to several ecoregion classification systems, defined by the conservation group World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), and like agencies around the world. The WWF uses th ...

classified by the

World Wide Fund for Nature The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named th ...

(WWF), Libya is inscribed under the eco-regions of

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Th ...

Mediterranean Forests,

Woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...

s and Scrub, and

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

. The coast line of Libya, which extends over a length of is also a live house of the rich and unique, and globally important biodiversity of the Mediterranean zone.

National parks

The Algharabolli National Park, established in 1992, covers an area of . The

, which encompasses an area of , was established in 1992. The El-Kouf National Park, established in 1975, covers a land area of with coastal line of ; the total conservation area, however, is including the large basin area of Wade El Kouf. The area is bounded by Jabel Al-Akhdar Mountain (elevation and of limestone formation) forming a rectangular area bordered by the coast line of the Mediterranean Sea. It is north-east of

Benghazi Benghazi () () is the List of cities in Libya, second-most-populous city in Libya as well as the largest city in Cyrenaica, with an estimated population of 859,000 in 2023. Located on the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, Ben ...

, near Al Bayda (Beida) town. The El Naggaza National Park was established in 1993 covering an area of . The Karabolli National Park, located in the north-west part of Libya, was established in 1992. It covers an area of . The nearest town to the park is Al Garabulli.

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to: Places Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...

is to its west, about away. Many streams with spring as their source drain the park area. The park habitat is made up of sand dunes, beaches, cliffs and salt lagoons. It was identified as Bird Life Sanctuary in 1992, and hosts 100 species of birds. The Sabrata National Park was established in 1995 covering an area of The Surman National Park covers an area of , and was established in 1992.

Nature reserves

There are five nature reserves in Libya. These are: the Alhesha Nature Reserve, which was established in 1984, covers an area of ; the Bier Ayyad Nature Reserve covers an area of and was established in 1992; the Msalata Nature Reserve established in 1998 has an area of ; the Nalout Nature Reserve covers and was established in 1998; and the Zulton Nature Reserve created in 1998 encompasses an area of .

Wetlands

There are two wetlands of international importance inscribed under the

. These are: The Ain Elshakika Wetland, which covers an area of , was included in the

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It is ...

on 5 April 2000. It also covers part of the Kouf National Park. It is a

hypersaline A hypersaline lake is a landlocked body of water that contains significant concentrations of sodium chloride, brines, and other salts, with saline levels surpassing those of ocean water (3.5%, i.e. ). Specific microbial species can thrive i ...

coastal

sebkha A sabkha () is a predominately coastal, supratidal mudflat or sandflat in which evaporite-saline minerals accumulate as the result of a semiarid to arid climate. Sabkhas are gradational between land and intertidal zone within restricted coasta ...

(''sebka'' means: "depression"). The geological formation, on its southern part, consists of limestone. Sand dunes, mudflats and large areas of shrubs are also part of this wetland. Its importance is on account of migratory and resident waterbirds, which provide ample opportunities for bird watching and also for eco-tourism. The Ain Elzarga Wetland was designated as a Ramsar Site on 5 April 2000 and it covers an area of . Its small coastal depression has link with the sea and hence water is visible in the wetland throughout the year, though saline particularly in summer. This land of marshes and mud flats is bounded on the south and east by rocky hills and sand dunes. It runs from east to west. It is part of the Kouf National Park and is important on account of the large population of migratory birds. Its potential for bird watching is also of eco-tourism interest.

Wildlife

The Libyan coast line of is rich in flora and fauna; the interior region including the Sahara Desert Region is also fairly rich in flora and fauna.

Flora

The plants found in the coastal zone are mostly

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

with abundance of

grasses Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in ...

. The most recorded species are the asphodel (a herb of family of

lily ''Lilium'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large and often prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are ...

bougainvillea ''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the family, Nyctaginaceae. They are native to Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, and Argentina. There are between 4 and 22 species in the genus. The i ...

and

oleander ''Nerium oleander'' ( ), commonly known as oleander or rosebay, is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is the only species currently classified in the genus ...

. There are also many plants under cultivation such as

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is nativ ...

and

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

. There is a narrow buffer zone along the coast where agriculture is practiced. This zone also has grass lands. Moving away from the coast, the topography changes to the Green Mountains (Libya), which rises to a height of about . Influenced by the

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

, the region has dense forest or maquis of

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

and lentisc trees, and also

brome grass ''Bromus'' is a large genus of grasses, classified in its own tribe Bromeae. They are commonly known as bromes, brome grasses, cheat grasses, or chess grasses. Estimates in the scientific literature of the number of species have ranged from 100 ...

canary grass Canary grass is a plant, ''Phalaris canariensis'', belonging to the family Poaceae. Originally a native of the Mediterranean region, it is now grown commercially in several parts of the world for birdseed. Description ''Phalaris canariensis'' ...

, bluegrass, and

rye grass ''Lolium'' is a genus of tufted grasses in the bluegrass subfamily (Pooideae). It is often called ryegrass, but this term is sometimes used to refer to grasses in other genera. They are characterized by bunch-like growth habits. ''Lolium'' ...

. Since rainfall in the area is scanty, the cultivated trees consists of

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Moraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, together with western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and i ...

and olives. In the Nafusah Plateau,

grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur ...

form the dominant vegetation. Moving towards south of the mountain range, Sahara desert environment dominates the region with limited cultivation of palm and fig trees around springs and natural oases.

Date palms ''Phoenix dactylifera'', commonly known as the date palm, is a flowering-plant species in the palm family Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit called dates. The species is widely cultivated across northern Africa, the Middle East, ...

(near the oases),

saltwort Saltwort is a common name for various genera of flowering plants that thrive in salty environments, typically in coastal salt marshes and seashores, including: :*'' Salsola'' and related genera within subfamily '' Salsoloideae'' :*''Salicornia'' :* ...

(used for making

soda ash Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda, soda ash, sal soda, and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield alkaline solutions in water ...

), spurge flax shrub,

goosefoot ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoot, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classifica ...

, wormwood, and asphodel, ''

cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika (, , after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between the 16th and 25th meridians east, including the Kufra District. The coastal region, als ...

'' are also reported in the wild.

Sea grass Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine (ocean), marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four Family (biology), families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and ...

meadows are reported to cover between the

Gulf of Sirte The Gulf of Sidra (), also known as the Gulf of Sirte (), is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya, named after the oil port of Sidra or the city of Sirte. It was also historically known as the Great Sirte or G ...

in Libya and the

Gulf of Gabes A gulf is a large inlet from an ocean or their seas into a landmass, larger and typically (though not always) with a narrower opening than a bay. The term was used traditionally for large, highly indented navigable bodies of salt water that a ...

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

. There are nearly 134

vascular plant Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes (, ) or collectively tracheophyta (; ), are plants that have lignin, lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified Ti ...

species which are specific to Libya. These include: *''

Cyclamen rohlfsianum ''Cyclamen rohlfsianum'' is a species of perennial plant in the family Primulaceae. It is endemic to Libya. It grows from a tuber in shrubland, especially in limestone cracks, up to above sea level. It is one of the tenderest cyclamen species. ...

'' *''

Arbutus pavarii ''Arbutus pavarii'' is a species of plant in the heath family. It is endemic to Libya's Jebel Akhdar range in coastal Cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika (, , after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes ...

'' *''

Sedum ''Sedum'' is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, members of which are commonly known as stonecrops. The genus has been described as containing up to 600 species, subsequently reduced to 400–500. They are leaf succule ...

'' *''

Anacamptis ''Anacamptis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family (Orchidaceae); it is often abbreviated as Ant in horticulture. This genus was established by Louis Claude Richard in 1817; the type species is the pyramidal orchid (''A. pyramid ...

cyrenaica'', an

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

*'' Echinops cyrenaicus'' *'' Linaria tarhunensis'' *'' Pallenis cyrenaica'' *'' Allium negrianum'' *'' Silene cyrenaica'' *''

Hypericum tauberti ''Hypericum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae (formerly considered a subfamily of Clusiaceae). The genus has a nearly worldwide distribution, missing only from tropical lowlands, deserts and polar regions. Many ''Hype ...

'' *'' Cynara cyrenaica'' *'' Poa pentapolitana'' *''

Romulea cyrenaica ''Romulea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1772. It is found in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa.Satureja ''Satureja'' is a genus of aromatic plants of the family (biology), family Lamiaceae, related to rosemary and thyme. It is native to Southern Europe, southern and southeastern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Historically, ...

'' *'' Anathallis linearifolia'' *'' Nepeta cyrenaica'' *'' Crocus boulosii'' *'' Euphorbia pseudoapios'' *'' Limonium teuchirae'' *'' Asperula tragacanthoides'' *'' Orobanche cyrenaica'' *'' Pachyctenium'' *'' Libyella'' The last two plant genera listed above are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Fauna

Mammals

Along the coast, the

Mediterranean monk seal The Mediterranean monk seal (''Monachus monachus'') is a monk seal belonging to the family Phocidae. , it is estimated that fewer than 700 individuals survive in three or four isolated subpopulations in the Mediterranean, (especially) in the A ...

is a well known species. It has been listed in the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...

critically endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...

in Libya. In the Jbel Acacus region, from the rock art work of animal forms seen in the far southwest of the country, it is inferred that

African elephant African elephants are members of the genus ''Loxodonta'' comprising two living elephant species, the African bush elephant (''L. africana'') and the smaller African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''). Both are social herbivores with grey skin. ...

giraffe The giraffe is a large Fauna of Africa, African even-toed ungulate, hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa.'' It is the Largest mammals#Even-toed Ungulates (Artiodactyla), tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on ...

s and

rhino A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

s inhabited the area in the past during the

ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...

when the land was fertile. Now, very few animals, like the

striped hyena The striped hyena (''Hyaena hyaena'') is a species of hyena native to North and East Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Hyaena''. It is listed by the IU ...

s (''Hyaena hyaena''),

fennec fox The fennec fox (''Vulpes zerda'') is a small fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara and Mauritania to the Sinai Peninsula. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate hea ...

gazelle A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . There are also seven species included in two further genera; '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third former subgenus, ' ...

African wildcat The African wildcat (''Felis lybica'') is a small wildcat species with sandy grey fur, pale vertical stripes on the sides and around the face. It is native to Africa, West and Central Asia, and is distributed to Rajasthan in India and Xinjiang ...

s and golden wolves live in the area. The

cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...

is now extinct from the area.

Reptiles Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

and

rodents Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

are common in the sands of the desert.

Red shrimp Red Shrimp was an airborne high-bandwidth radar jammer fitted to the Avro Vulcan, Vulcan and Handley Page Victor, Victor. The name was one of the Rainbow Codes, its official name was ARI.18076, for Airborne Radio Installation. Red Shrimp was bas ...

are reported from the Ubari Lakes in the Fezan area. The faunal species recorded include '' Canis anthus'', ''

Vulpes vulpes The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...

'', ''

Genetta genetta The common genet (''Genetta genetta'') is a small viverrid indigenous to Africa that was introduced to southwestern Europe. It is widely distributed north of the Sahara, in savanna zones south of the Sahara to southern Africa and along the coast ...

'', '' Felis libyca'', ''

Hystrix cristata Hystrix may refer to: * Ichthyosis hystrix, a class of rare skin disorder characterized by massive hyperkeratosis with an appearance like spiny scales Biology * ''Hystrix'' (diatom) , a diatom genus * ''Hystrix'' (plant) , a plant genus in th ...

'', ''

Delphinus delphis The common dolphin (''Delphinus delphis'') is the most abundant cetacean in the world, with a global population of about six million. Despite this fact and its vernacular name, the common dolphin is not thought of as the archetypal dolphin, with ...

'' and ''

Tursiops truncatus The common bottlenose dolphin or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (''Tursiops truncatus'') is one of three species of bottlenose dolphin in the genus ''Tursiops''. The common bottlenose dolphin is a very familiar dolphin due to the wide exposure it re ...

''. Mammals and reptiles found in Libya which are on the IUCN Red List are: Grobben's gerbil, the Alexandrian shrew and the orangetail lizard (''Philochortus zolii''). Apart from the above, the mammal species identified in the reference book ''Mammal Species of the World'' are: *Grobben's gerbil ('' Gerbillus grobbeni'') *Sand gerbil ('' Gerbillus syrticus'') *Tarabul's gerbil ('' Gerbillus tarabuli'') *Pleasant gerbil ('' Gerbillus amoenus'') *Thin sand rat (''

Psammomys vexillaris The thin sand rat or lesser sand rat (''Psammomys vexillaris'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It has also been previously named the pale sand rat based on work published by Oldfield Thomas in 1925. It is found in Algeria, Libya, ...

'') *Common gundi ('' Ctenodactylus gundi'') *Val's gundi ('' Ctenodactylus vali'') *Kuhl's pipistrelle ('' Pipistrellus kuhlii'') *Saharan striped polecat (''

Ictonyx libycus The Saharan striped polecat (''Ictonyx libycus''), also known as Saharan striped weasel and Libyan striped weasel, is a species of mammal native to northern Africa. It belongs in the family Mustelidae, and debate exists among experts over what ge ...

'') *Dromedary (''

Camelus dromedarius The dromedary (''Camelus dromedarius''), also known as the dromedary camel, Arabian camel and one-humped camel, is a large camel of the genus ''Camelus'' with one hump on its back. It is the tallest of the three camel species; adult males stan ...

'') *North African elephant shrew ('' Petrosaltator rozeti'') *Rock hyrax (''

Procavia capensis The rock hyrax (; ''Procavia capensis''), also called dassie, Cape hyrax, rock rabbit, and (from some interpretations of a word used in the King James Bible) coney, is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal native to Africa and the Middle East. Common ...

'') *Asian garden dormouse (''

Eliomys melanurus The Asian garden dormouse or large-eared garden dormouse, (''Eliomys melanurus'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey. Its natural habitats are ...

'') *Maghreb garden dormouse (''

Eliomys munbyanus The Maghreb garden dormouse (''Eliomys munbyanus'') is a nocturnal species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara. Its natural habitats vary from humid forests to semi-deserts. It is ...

'') *Four-toed jerboa (''

Scarturus tetradactyla The four-toed jerboa (''Scarturus tetradactylus'') is a rodent of the family Dipodidae and genus ''Scarturus'' that has four digits. Four-toed jerboas are native to Egypt and Libya. They live in coastal salt marshes and dry deserts. Physical a ...

'') *Lesser Egyptian jerboa ('' Jaculus jaculus'') *Greater Egyptian jerboa (''

Jaculus orientalis The greater Egyptian jerboa (''Jaculus orientalis'') is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and is possibly extinct in the Negev Desert of Israel. Its natural habitats ...

'') *Günther's vole (''

Microtus guentheri ''Microtus'' is a genus of voles found in North America, Europe and northern Asia. The genus name refers to the small ears of these animals. They are stout rodents with short ears, legs and tails. They eat green vegetation such as grasses and se ...

'') *Cairo spiny mouse (''

Acomys cahirinus The Cairo spiny mouse (''Acomys cahirinus''), also known as the common spiny mouse, Egyptian spiny mouse, or Arabian spiny mouse, is a nocturnal species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Africa north of the Sahara Desert, where it ...

'') *Lesser short-tailed gerbil ('' Dipodillus simoni'') *Anderson's gerbil ('' Gerbillus andersoni'') *Lataste's gerbil ('' Gerbillus latastei'') *Shaw's jird ('' Meriones shawi'') *Algerian mouse (''

Mus spretus The Algerian mouse (''Mus spretus''), also known as the western Mediterranean mouse, is a wild species of mouse closely related to the house mouse, native to open habitats around the western Mediterranean. Description The Algerian mouse close ...

'') *Mzab gundi ('' Massoutiera mzabi'') *North African hedgehog ('' Atelerix algirus'') *Long-eared hedgehog (''

Hemiechinus auritus The long-eared hedgehog (''Hemiechinus auritus'') is a species of hedgehog native to Central Asian countries and some countries of the Middle East. The long-eared hedgehog lives in burrows that it either makes or finds and is distinguished by its ...

'') *Geoffroy's horseshoe bat ('' Rhinolophus clivosus'') *Mehely's horseshoe bat (''

Rhinolophus mehelyi Mehely's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus mehelyi'') is a species of insectivorous bat in the family Rhinolophidae found in Southern Europe and parts of the Middle East. It is distributed in a narrow band around the Mediterranean Sea from North-Weste ...

'') *European free-tailed bat (''

Tadarida teniotis The European free-tailed bat (''Tadarida teniotis'', sometimes given as ''Tadarida insignis'') is a species of free-tailed bat found in the Old World. Other common names include the bulldog bat and the mastiff bat because of the presence of wrink ...

'') *Greater noctule bat ('' Nyctalus lasiopterus'') *Soprano pipistrelle (''

Pipistrellus pygmaeus The soprano pipistrelle (''Pipistrellus pygmaeus'') is a small species of bat. It is found in Europe and often roosts on buildings. Taxonomy Until 1999, the soprano pipistrelle was considered as conspecific Biological specificity is the tendenc ...

'') *Desert long-eared bat ('' Otonycteris hemprichii'') *Felten's myotis ('' Myotis punicus'') *Fennec fox ('' Vulpes zerda'') *Hartebeest ('' Alcelaphus buselaphus'') *Cuvier's gazelle (''

Gazella cuvieri Cuvier's gazelle (''Gazella cuvieri'') is a species of gazelle native to Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, and Tunisia. It is also known as the edmi.

'') *Dorcas gazelle (''

Gazella dorcas The dorcas gazelle (''Gazella dorcas''), also known as the ariel gazelle, is a small and common gazelle. The dorcas gazelle stands about at the shoulder, with a head and body length of and a weight of . The numerous subspecies survive on vegeta ...

'') *Rhim gazelle ('' Gazella leptoceros'') *Barbary sheep (''

Ammotragus lervia The Barbary sheep (''Ammotragus lervia''), also known as aoudad (pronounced �ɑʊdæd, is a species of caprine native to rocky mountains in North Africa and parts of West Africa. While this is the only species in genus ''Ammotragus'', six sub ...

'') *Addax (''

Addax nasomaculatus The addax (''Addax nasomaculatus''), also known as the white antelope and the screwhorn antelope, is an antelope native to the Sahara Desert. The only member of the genus ''Addax'', it was first described scientifically by Henri de Blainvill ...

'') *Scimitar oryx (''

Oryx dammah The scimitar oryx (''Oryx dammah''), also known as the scimitar-horned oryx and the Sahara oryx, is an ''Oryx'' species that was once widespread across North Africa and parts of West Africa and Central Africa. In 2000, it was declared extinct in ...

'') *North African gerbil ('' Dipodillus campestris'') *Lesser Egyptian gerbil (''

Gerbillus gerbillus The lesser Egyptian gerbil (''Gerbillus gerbillus'') is a small species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is native to North Africa and the Sinai Peninsula, where it lives in sandy habitats. It is a common species, and the International Union ...

'') *Pygmy gerbil ('' Gerbillus henleyi'') *Balochistan gerbil ('' Gerbillus nanus'') *Sundevall's jird (''

Meriones crassus Sundevall's jird (''Meriones crassus'') is a species of rodent in the family of Muridae. It is found in Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Pakistan, Morocco, Niger, Palestine, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, ...

'') *Libyan jird ('' Meriones libycus'') *Lesser noctule (''

Nyctalus leisleri The lesser noctule, Leisler's bat or the Irish bat (''Nyctalus leisleri''), is a species of insectivorous bat belonging to the vesper bat family, Vespertilionidae. The species was named to honour the naturalist Johann Philipp Achilles Leisler. ...

'') *Lesser mouse-tailed bat ('' Rhinopoma hardwickii'')

=Rodents

= The rodents reported are: '' Pachyuromys duprasi'' (fat-tailed gerbil), '' Meriones libycus'' (Libyan jird), '' Ctenodactylus gundi'' (gundi), ''

'' (Sundevall's jird), ''

Spalacidae The Spalacidae, or spalacids, are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. They are native to eastern Asia, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and southeastern Europe. It includes the blind mole-rats, bamboo rats, m ...

'' (

blind mole-rat The blind mole-rats, also known as the fossorial or subterranean mole rats, are a subfamily (Spalacinae) of rodents in the family Spalacidae, found in eastern Europe and western and central Asia. The hystricognath mole-rats of the family Bathyer ...

common mole-rat The common mole-rat, African mole-rat, or Hottentot mole-rat, (''Cryptomys hottentotus'') is a burrowing rodent found in Southern Africa, in particular in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It also occurs in Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, M ...

zokors Zokors are Asiatic burrowing rodents resembling mole-rats. They include two genera: '' Myospalax'' and ''Eospalax''. Zokors are native to much of China, Kazakhstan, and Siberian Russia. Traditionally, zokors were thought to be closely related ...

, and bamboo rats), '' Elephantulus rozeti'' (

North African elephant shrew The North African elephant shrew (''Petrosaltator rozeti'') or North African sengi is a species of elephant shrew in the family Macroscelididae. It is found in Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia, and (since the extinction of the North African e ...

), ''

Spalacinae The blind mole-rats, also known as the fossorial or subterranean mole rats, are a subfamily (Spalacinae) of rodents in the family Spalacidae, found in eastern Europe and western and central Asia. The hystricognath mole-rats of the family Bathyer ...

'' (blind mole-rats), ''

Arvicolinae The Arvicolinae are a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. They are most closely related to the other subfamilies in the Cricetidae (comprising the hamsters and New World rats and mice). Some authorities plac ...

'' (lemmings and voles), ''

'' (greater Egyptian jerboa), '' Massoutiera mzabi'' (Mzab gundi), and '' Spalax ehrenbergi'' ( Middle East blind mole-rat).

Birds

In the coastal belt, bird species recorded are

greater flamingo The greater flamingo (''Phoenicopterus roseus'') is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. Common in the Old World, they are found in Northern (coastal) and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Subcontinent (south of the Him ...

on the beaches, and also many birds of prey. Migratory birds pass through Libya, and are seen mostly along the coastline. The most notable ones are the

flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes () are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbe ...

Kentish plover The Kentish plover (''Anarhynchus alexandrinus'') is a small wader () of the family Charadriidae that breeds on the shores of saline lakes, lagoons, and coasts, populating sand dunes, marshes, semi-arid desert, and tundra.Székely, T., A. Argüel ...

in the Bengazi Reserve.

Houbara bustard The African houbara (''Chlamydotis undulata''), also known as the houbara bustard (''houbara'' from for bustards in general), is a relatively small bustard native to North Africa, where it lives in arid habitats. The global population is listed ...

and the

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

white stork The white stork (''Ciconia ciconia'') is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to en ...

are reported in the Kouf National Park and in the beaches and

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...

s. In the oases,

desert lark The desert lark (''Ammomanes deserti'') breeds in deserts and semi-deserts from Morocco to western India. It has a very wide distribution and faces no obvious threats, and surveys have shown that it is slowly increasing in numbers as it expands ...

desert sparrow The desert sparrow (''Passer simplex'') is a species of bird in the sparrow family Passeridae, found in the Sahara Desert of northern Africa. A similar bird, Zarudny's sparrow, is found in Central Asia and was historically recognised as a subs ...

s, and

spotted sandgrouse The spotted sandgrouse (''Pterocles senegallus'') is a species of ground dwelling bird in the family Pteroclidae. It is found in arid regions of northern and eastern Africa and across the Middle East and parts of Asia as far east as northwest I ...

have been reported. Other notable species reported are ''

Aquila chrysaetos The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of p ...

'', '' Alectoris barbara'', '' Pterocles '' species and '' Chlamydotis undulata'' with

herons Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus '' Botaurus'' are referred to as ...

ducks Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

wader 245px, A flock of Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflats in order to foraging, ...

s, '' Ciconia nigra'', ''

Ciconia ciconia The white stork (''Ciconia ciconia'') is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to en ...

'', and ''

Milvus milvus The red kite (''Milvus milvus'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species currently breeds only in Europe, though it formerly also bred ...

'' (red kite) from the brackish lagoons.

Invertebrates

Invertebrates exclusive to Libya are: *'' Chlorophorus ringenbachi'', a

longhorned beetle The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns (whose larvae are often referred to as roundheaded borers), are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characterized by anten ...

*''Caulostrophus ringenbachi'', a

weevil Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small – less than in length – and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several fa ...

*'' Paratassa ringenbachi'', a

jewel beetle Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. Larvae of this family are known as flatheaded borers. The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some ...

*'' Neolaphyra ritchiei'', a

tiger beetle Tiger beetles are a family of beetles, Cicindelidae, known for their aggressive predatory habits and running speed. The fastest known species of tiger beetle, '' Rivacindela hudsoni'', can run at a speed of , or about 125 body lengths per second. ...

*''Pachydema peyerhimhoffi'', a

cockchafer The common cockchafer (''Melolontha melolontha''), also colloquially known as the Maybug, Maybeetle, or doodlebug, is a species of scarab beetle belonging to the genus '' Melolontha.'' It is native to Europe, and it is one of several closely-rel ...

*''

Onitis ''Onitis'' is a genus of Scarabaeidae or scarab beetles in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea and typical of the tribe Onitini. This genus is mainly distributed in Africa, Palaearctic and Oriental region with more than 140 species from the Afrotropica ...

ringenbachi'', a

dung beetle Dung beetles are beetles that feed on feces. All species of dung beetle belong to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea, most of them to the subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae of the family Scarabaeidae (scarab beetles). As most species of Scara ...

*'' Tentyria cyrenaica'', a

darkling beetle Darkling beetle is the common name for members of the beetle family Tenebrionidae, comprising over 20,000 species in a cosmopolitan distribution. Taxonomy ''Tenebrio'' is the Latin generic name that Carl Linnaeus assigned to some flour beetles ...

*''

Mylabris ''Mylabris'' is a genus of beetles in the family Meloidae. It is endemic to the Palearctic realm. The species-rich genus ''Hycleus'' (c. 430 spp.) was historically confused with ''Mylabris'' and have their greatest diversity in the Afrotropics. ...

cyrenaica'', a

blister beetle Blister beetles are beetles of the family (biology), family Meloidae, so called for their defensive secretion of a blistering agent, cantharidin. About 7,500 species are known worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some are aposematism, aposematica ...

*''

Dictyophara ''Dictyophara'' is the type genus of planthoppers belonging to the family Dictyopharidae and tribe Dictyopharini, containing five subgenera. The scientific genus name ''Dictyophara'' derives from the Greek (dictyon: net and phorein: wear) and can ...

merjensis'', a

planthopper A planthopper is any insect in the infraorder Fulgoromorpha, in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, a group exceeding 12,500 described species worldwide. The name comes from their remarkable resemblance to leaves and other plants of their environment ...

*''Wadkufia elegans'', a

leafhopper Leafhopper is the common name for any species from the family (biology), family Cicadellidae: based on the type genus ''Cicadella''. These minute insects, colloquially known as hoppers, are plant feeders that suck plant sap from grass, shrubs, or ...

Bees Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...

**'' Nomioides mucoreus'' **''

Lasioglossum The sweat bee genus ''Lasioglossum'' is the largest of all bee genera, containing over 1800 species in numerous subgenera worldwide.Gibbs, J., et al. (2012)Phylogeny of halictine bees supports a shared origin of eusociality for ''Halictus'' an ...

tripolitanum'' *''

Buthus ''Buthus'' is a genus of scorpion belonging and being eponymous to the family Buthidae. It is distributed widely across northern Africa, including Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Sudan, Somali ...

barcaeus'', a

scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...

*''

Glomeris ''Glomeris'' is a genus of pill millipedes that belongs to the family Glomeridae and order Glomerida. The genus ''Glomeris'' is the largest within the family Glomeridae, comprising about 100 species along with a few hundred subspecies, varietie ...

monostriata'', a

millipede Millipedes (originating from the Latin , "thousand", and , "foot") are a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, the name derive ...

found in caves *

Land snail A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have gastropod shell, shel ...

s **''Barcania kaltenbachi'' **''

Cochlostoma ''Cochlostoma'' is a genus of land snails with an operculum, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the family Cochlostomatidae. MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Cochlostoma Jan, 1830. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: h ...

susaense''

=Molluscs

Some of the 'non-marine molluscs of Libya, which are a part of the molluscan fauna of Libya, are, ''

Melanoides tuberculata The red-rimmed melania (''Melanoides tuberculata''), also known as the Malayan livebearing snail or Malayan/Malaysian trumpet snail (often abbreviated to MTS by aquarists), is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, a parthenogenetic, ...

'' (O. F. Müller, 1774) listed under

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

as of least concern, ''

Parmacella festae ''Parmacella festae'' is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Parmacellidae. Distribution The distribution of this species includes: * Northern Egypt * Northern Libya Description The ...

'' (Gambetta, 1925 - northern Libya), and ''

Parmacella olivieri ''Parmacella olivieri'' is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Parmacellidae. ''Parmacella olivieri'' is the type species of the genus ''Parmacella''. Distribution The distribution of ...

'' (Cuvier, 1804 - northern Libya).

Marine fauna

The Libyan coast is rich in fish production and many edible marine organisms. The Marine Biology Research Centre (MBRC) facilitated selection of coastal areas under Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The key MPAs established were the El Kouf National Park, Ain Gazala Farwa, El Burdi, and Ain -Ziyana. Reported marine mammal species include the

monk seal Monk seals are earless seals of the tribe Monachini. They are the only earless seals found in tropical climates. The two genera of monk seals, ''Monachus'' and ''Neomonachus'', comprise three species: the Mediterranean monk seal, ''Monachus monac ...

Monachus monachus The Mediterranean monk seal (''Monachus monachus'') is a monk seal belonging to the family Phocidae. , it is estimated that fewer than 700 individuals survive in three or four isolated subpopulations in the Mediterranean, (especially) in the Ae ...

'' (CR) on the coast, and ''

'' offshore. The coastal area and the Mediterranean Sea is reported as the nesting areas for the

loggerhead turtle The loggerhead sea turtle (''Caretta caretta'') is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around in carapace length when ful ...

(''Caretta caretta''), and juveniles of

bluefin tuna Bluefin tuna is a common name used to refer to several species of tuna of the genus ''Thunnus''. {{Animal common name Commercial fish Thunnus Fish common names ...

(''Thunnus thynnus''), nearing extinction. The

killifish A killifish is any of various oviparous (egg-laying) cyprinodontiform fish, including families Aplocheilidae, Pantanodontidae, Cyprinodontidae, Fundulidae, Nothobranchiidae, Profundulidae, Aphaniidae and Valenciidae. All together, there ar ...

(''Aphanius desioi'') is an IUCN Red List species.

Conservation

The threats faced by the national parks, reserves and protected areas have been identified. These are due to excessive logging operations, poaching of birds, unauthorised felling of trees, alteration of the habitat status due to pollution, land use,

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

, and inadequate management measures. The measures under implementation to address the threats identified in the protected areas are in the form of protecting the ecosystems and biodiversity, conducting scientific research in identified areas, creating public awareness, ensuring sustainability of resources, promote

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the Ecological conservation, conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conserv ...

, creation of protected areas conforming to different ecosystems, and setting up of adequate management mechanism.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wildlife Of Libya Biota of Libya