The wildlife of

Djibouti Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...

, consisting of its flora and fauna, is in a harsh landscape with forest accounting for less than one percent of its area. Most species are found in the northern part of the country in the Day Forest National Park at an average elevation of , including the massif Goda, with a peak of . It covers an area of of ''

Juniperus procera ''Juniperus procera'' (known by the common English names African juniper, African pencil-cedar, East African juniper, East African-cedar, and Kenya-cedar) is a coniferous tree native to mountainous areas in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It i ...

'' forest, with many of the trees rising to height. This forest area is the main habitat of the critically endangered and endemic Djibouti spurfowl, and another recently noted

vertebrate Vertebrates () are animals with a vertebral column (backbone or spine), and a cranium, or skull. The vertebral column surrounds and protects the spinal cord, while the cranium protects the brain. The vertebrates make up the subphylum Vertebra ...

, ''

Platyceps ''Platyceps'' is a genus of snakes of the Family (biology), family Colubridae endemic to Eurasia. Taxonomy The genus was erected in 1860 by Edward Blyth, allying species previously described. The genus name ''Platyceps'' was inadvertently use ...

afarensis''. The area also contains many species of woody and herbaceous plants, including

boxwood ''Buxus'' is a genus of about seventy species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box and boxwood. The boxes are native to western and southern Europe, southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost So ...

and

olive tree 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 ...

s, which account for sixty percent of the identified species in the country. Wildlife are also found in the country's wetland ecosystem which includes two large lakes, Lake Assal and

Lake Abbe Lake Abbe, also known as Lake Abhe Bad, is a salt lake (geography), salt lake, lying on the Ethiopia-Djibouti border. It is one of a chain of six connected lakes, which also includes (from north to south) lakes Lake Gargori, Gargori, Lake Laitali ...

(only a small part of the flats of this lake are in Djibouti), and many salt pans which are flooded occasionally from the wadis and the coastal tidal wetlands. The coastal belt of Djibouti also has a diversity of marine life or

aquatic ecosystem An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem found in and around a body of water, in contrast to land-based terrestrial ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems contain communities of organisms—aquatic life—that are dependent on each other and on their environ ...

, including coral reefs. According to the country profile related to biodiversity of wildlife in Djibouti, the country contains some 820 species of plants, 493 species of invertebrates, 455 species of fish, 40 species of reptiles, 3 species of amphibians, 360 species of birds and 66 species of mammals. Wildlife of Djibouti is also listed as part of

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...

biodiversity hotspot A biodiversity hotspot is a ecoregion, biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation. Norman Myers wrote about the concept in two articles in ''The Environmentalist'' in 1988 and 1990, after ...

and the

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

and

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden (; ) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channel, the Socotra Archipelago, Puntland in Somalia and Somaliland to the south. ...

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...

hotspot.

Legal instruments

Day Forest National Park was declared a national park in 1939 by the then governor of the country, when Djibouti (an independent nation in 1977), was a

French colony The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas Colony, colonies, protectorates, and League of Nations mandate, mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "Firs ...

known as ''Territoire Français des Afars et des Issas'' (

French Territory of the Afars and the Issas The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas (FTAI; ) was the name given to present-day Djibouti between 1967 and 1977, while it was still an Overseas territory (France), overseas territory of France. The area was formerly known as French Soma ...

). Subsequent to Djibouti becoming independent, important laws enacted were: Resolution no 262/7 of 12 May 1972 relating to protection of natural wealth and prehistoric remains; Resolution no 72-1363 of 20 September 1972 for the protection of marine fauna and habitats and Decree No. 80-062/PR/MCTT of 25 May 1980 relating to the protection of marine fauna and habitats.

Geography

Wildlife in Djibouti is spread over three main regions namely, from the northern mountain region of the country to the volcanic plateaus in its southern and central part and culminating in the coastal region. In spite of harsh climatic conditions, the terrain of

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

ic origin and

rhyolite Rhyolite ( ) is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks. It is generally glassy or fine-grained (aphanitic) in texture (geology), texture, but may be porphyritic, containing larger mineral crystals (phenocrysts) in an otherwise fine-grained matri ...

is very rugged and has a succession of high plateaus and mountain ranges, and plateaus and hills of medium altitude. There is naturally very little arable land in desert areas. The highest peak is Mount Moussa and there are two major lakes: Lake Assal which is saline at (-) (the lowest point in Africa); and Lake Abbe, the major part of which is in

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

and sourced by

Awash River } The Awash River (sometimes spelled Awaash; Oromo language, Oromo: ''Awaash OR Hawaas'', Amharic: ዐዋሽ, Afar language, Afar: ''Hawaash We'ayot'', Somali language, Somali: ''Webiga Dir'', Italian language, Italian: ''Auasc'') is a major river ...

and its tributaries, also originating in Ethiopia with only small flats as part of Djibouti. Apart from the two large lakes, Djibouti lacks perennial rivers and hence the dependence for water is more on ground water sources. Thus, in Djibouti's wildlife, in the harsh terrain, forests account for less than one percent of its total land area of . Pans, foothills and tidal wetlands, and Djibouti areas under the Eritrean Coastal Desert Ecoregion, though not brought under protection laws, also have some degree of wildlife of vegetation and fauna. The northern region has the Goda massif and the relic vegetation of the flora particularly, ''Juniperus procera''. Fauna species, in particular the critically endangered Djibouti spurfowl, are found in the northern part of the country which are protected under the Day Forest National Park, the only national park in Djibouti.

Climate

Climatically, the coolest area in the country is in the forests of the Day National Park in the northern region with the low of , while the rest of the country experiences hot climatic conditions with temperature soaring to more than in summer. Humidity is also very high during this period. The variation of rainfall, which occurs for about 26 days in a year, is very wide. It ranges from as low as in the coastal regions whereas in the northern and mountainous portions of the country, it is about . Rain falls between January and March, in short periods and with heavy intensity, causing flash floods.

Day Forest National Park

The Day Forest National Park is a woodland habitat, which includes part of the forest mass of the Goda mountain massif. The Goda mountain's forests, the east face of which is part of the park, is considered a "spectacular natural oddity ... rare species of green on Djibouti's parched map like a giant oasis". It is located west of the

Gulf of Tadjoura The Gulf of Tadjoura (; ) is a gulf or basin of the Indian Ocean in the Horn of Africa. It lies south of the straits of Bab-el-Mandeb, or the entrance to the Red Sea, at . The gulf has many fishing grounds, extensive coral reefs, and abundant ...

. The Goda Mountains, which rise to a height of , lie northwest of the Gulf of Tadjoura,

Afar Region The Afar Region (; ; ), formerly known as Region 2, is a Regions of Ethiopia, regional state in northeastern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Afar people. Its capital is the planned city of Semera, which lies on the paved Awash, Ethiopia, Awash� ...

and forms Djibouti's largest vegetated area. The park protects at least four known endemic plant species. The forest is dominated by such trees as ''Juniperus procera'', ''

Olea africana ''Olea europaea'' subsp. ''cuspidata'' is a subspecies of the well-known olive tree ('' Olea europaea''), which until recently was considered a separate species (''Olea africana'') and is still mentioned as such in many sources. Native to mostly ...

'', ''

Buxus hildebrandtii ''Buxus hildebrandtii'' is a species of shrub or small tree native to the Horn of Africa. Description ''Buxus hildebrandtii'' is a shrub or small tree. It is generally below 6 meters in height, but can grow up to 9 meters high and a trunk diamet ...

'', and ''

Tarchonanthus camphoratus ''Tarchonanthus camphoratus'' (known as camphor bush for its scent, or leleshwa in Kenya), is a shrub or small tree which is widespread in Africa south of the Sahel, and in Yemen. Description The camphor bush can reach up to 6 meters in height. ...

''. Distribution of the plants in the park varies with elevation. Vegetation above , where the topography is rugged, consists of those species already mentioned. Vegetation below , which has the benefit of better water sources, consists of ''Buxus hildebranti'', ''Terminalia brownie'' and ''Acacia'' spp. The forest of junipers is under long-term environmental threat. A million years ago, its area was believed to have been but as of 1990 it was only . Loss is attributed to

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 human destruction, including fires, cattle grazing, tree felling and military exercises.) 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) has reported that 88 percent of the Day Forest has been lost in the last two centuries, and more than 20 percent of the loss has occurred in the last 50 years.

Lakes and salt pans

Lake Assal's peripheral salt pans support Red Sea coastal salt desert vegetation. Lake Abbe, at the southern end of Djibouti, is fed by the Awash River and its tributaries, which flows from Ethiopia and local ephemeral streams. The hills nearby feed many other small pans. Drainage from the southwestern part feeds Lake Assal, while those from the northeastern plateau feed the pans or flow into the sea. There are 20 pans in the northeast and east of Lake Abbe, a number of small pans and one large pan of area to the north and northeast of Lake Assal at elevations of support very little vegetation. Pans and valley floors of small

wadi Wadi ( ; ) is a river valley or a wet (ephemerality, ephemeral) Stream bed, riverbed that contains water only when heavy rain occurs. Wadis are located on gently sloping, nearly flat parts of deserts; commonly they begin on the distal portion ...

s (streams) in the coastal hills lying at range of , and the largest of these pans covers . They have salt marsh or salt desert vegetation.

Coastal Desert Ecoregion

The Eritrean Coastal Desert Ecoregion stretches along the southern coast of the Red Sea from Balfair Assoli in

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

to Ras Bir; it forms the shores of

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

and Djibouti funnel. During every autumn, large bird migrations have been recorded in the

Obock Obock (also Obok, , ) is a small port town in Djibouti. It is located on the Northern shore of the Gulf of Tadjoura, where it opens out into the Gulf of Aden. The town is home to an airstrip and has ferries to Djibouti City. The French form Ob ...

area of Djibouti. The most common species recorded are the

dorcas gazelle 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 veget ...

Soemmerring's gazelle Soemmerring's gazelle (''Nanger soemmerringii''), also known as the Abyssinian mohr, is a gazelle species native to the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan). The species was first described and given its scientific ...

, and

Salt's dik-dik Salt's dik-dik (''Madoqua saltiana'') is a small antelope found in semidesert, bushland, and thickets in the Horn of Africa, but marginally also in northern Kenya and eastern Sudan. It is named after Henry Salt, who was the first European to ack ...

. This ecoregion in Djibouti's Ras Siyyan consists of rocky terrain, old coral reefs seen during low tide, and sandy beaches. Among the several offshore islands in this region are the Sept Frères islands, an archipelago of Djibouti. This region lies below , and is generally flat with sand or gravel plains interspersed with occasional outcrop of rocks. The coastline near

Ras Siyyan Ras Siyyan or Ras Siyan () is a peninsula in the Obock Region of Djibouti, on the Bab-el-Mandeb strait (between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden), about 20 km southwest of Perim Island. The peninsula consists of a reddish volcanic hill about ...

is a mix of rocky areas, old coral reefs that are exposed only at low tide, and sandy beaches. The ecoregion has remained undisturbed, but degraded near populated areas and, due to hunting, is now proposed to be brought under protection laws.

Flora

Most of the land in Djibouti is desert. However, wildlife vegetation is made up of semi-desert grassland, shrub land and succulent scrub. The coastal area consists of desert and mangrove. Dry evergreen forests are in the mountains of Mount Goda in the Day National Park near

Tadjoura Tadjoura (; ; ) is one of the oldest towns in Djibouti and the capital of the Tadjourah Region. The town rose to prominence in the early 19th century as an alternative port to nearby Zeila. Lying on the Gulf of Tadjoura, it is home to a popula ...

and Mabla mountains. On Mount Goda, near Tadjoura, there are rare giant juniper trees, acacias, and wild olive trees. However, most of the vegetation is typical of the desert and semi-desert, consisting of thorn scrubs and palm trees. There are 534 species of plants recorded in the Goda and Mabla mountains including a number of endemic species. Two species of particular interest are the Nubian tree (''

Dracaena ombet ''Dracaena ombet'', commonly known as Gabal Elba dragon tree, is a species of plant belonging to the Asparagaceae family, formerly included in the Ruscaceae. It is found in northeastern Africa and the western Arabian Peninsula. Description It ...

'') and the Bankouale palm (''

Livistona carinensis ''Livistona carinensis'', commonly known as the Bankoualé palm, is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is one of the fan palms. Its leaves are distinguished by an armed petiole terminating in a rounded, costapalmate fan of ...

'') in the national park. Other species reported as unique to Djibouti are: '' Aloe djiboutiensis'', '' Aloe ericahenriettae'', '' Euphorbia godana'', '' Euphorbia amicorum'', '' Phagnalon lavranosii'', ''

Cynoglossopsis somaliensis ''Cynoglossopsis'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Boraginaceae Boraginaceae, the Borago, borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees, and herbs in 146 to 154 genus, genera with a worldw ...

'', '' Caralluma mireillae'', '' Polygala goudahensis'' and '' Matthiola puntensis''. Vegetation recorded on the periphery of lakes, pans, wadi valley beds and coastal foothills are: ''

Cenchrus ciliaris ''Cenchrus ciliaris'' (buffel-grass or African foxtail grass; syn. ''Pennisetum ciliare'' (L.) Link) is a species of grass native to most of Africa, southern Asia (east to India), southern Iran, and the extreme south of Europe (Sicily). Other n ...

'', '' Aeloropus lagopoides'', '' Aeloropus persica'', ''

'', '' Calatropis procera'', '' Cyperus conglomeratus'', ''

Chloris flagellifera ''Chloris flagellifera'' is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, Native species, native from Morocco in North Africa through the Arabian Peninsula to northwestern India. Taxonomy The species was first described by Christian ...

'' (syn. ''Eleusine compressa''), ''

Halopeplis perfoliata ''Halopeplis'' is a genus in the family Amaranthaceae. The plants are halophytes with not articulated stems and fleshy stem-clasping leaves. There are three species, occurring from the Mediterranean basin and North Africa to Southwest Asia and C ...

'', '' Heliotropum pterocarpum'', ''

Panicum turgidum ''Panicum turgidum'' is an old world clumping desert bunchgrass of the genus '' Panicum''. It is a plant of arid regions across Africa and Asia, and has been introduced to other parts of the world. Description ''Panicum turgidum'' is a perenni ...

'', '' Salsola forskalii'', ''

Sporobolus spicatus ''Sporobolus spicatus'', also known as salt grass, is a halophyte. Distribution This bunchgrass is distributed: *in dryer parts of Africa such as Namibia, as a well known common plant in the western desert of Egypt *from the Mediterranean coas ...

'', '' Suaeda monoica'', '' Trianthema crystalline'' and '' Urochondra setulosa''. ''

Acacia tortilis ''Vachellia tortilis'', widely known as ''Acacia tortilis'' but now attributed to the genus ''Vachellia'' of the Mimosa Family ( Mimosaceae), is the umbrella thorn acacia, also known as umbrella thorn and Israeli babool, a medium to large canop ...

'' and '' Cadaba glandulosa'' are also found on some of the wadis. Catha edulis

Flora recorded in the Coastal Desert Ecoregion are: herbaceous/grassy steppe species of ''

Aerva javanica ''Aerva javanica'', the kapok bush or desert cotton, is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae. It has a native distribution incorporating much of Africa (including Madagascar), and the south-west and south of Asia, and it has become adve ...

'', ''

Cymbopogon schoenanthus ''Cymbopogon schoenanthus'', the camel grass, camel's hay, straw of Mecca, fever grass, geranium grass, or West Indian lemon grass, is a herbal plant of Southern Asia and Northern Africa, with fragrant foliage. Uses ''Cymbopogon schoenanthus'' ...

'', ''

Lasiurus scindicus ''Lasiurus'' is a genus of Asian and African plants in the grass family, Poaceae, found primarily in arid regions. The only known species is ''Lasiurus scindicus'', native to drier regions of northern Africa and southwestern Asia, from Morocco a ...

'',

, '' Acacia asak'' steppe, ''

Rhigozum somalense ''Rhigozum somalense'' is a perennial shrub that is part of the Bignoniaceae family. The plant is native to Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Yemen and Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in c ...

'', '' Caesalpinia erianthera'' shrubland. The coastal vegetation in this region consists of halophytic vegetation with

mangroves A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen and remove sal ...

species of ''

Rhizophora mucronata ''Rhizophora mucronata'' (loop-root mangrove, red mangrove or Asiatic mangrove) is a species of mangrove found on coasts and river banks in East Africa and the Indo-Pacific region. Description ''Rhizophora mucronata'' is a small to medium si ...

'', ''

Ceriops tagal ''Ceriops tagal'', commonly known as spurred mangrove or Indian mangrove, is a mangrove tree species in the family Rhizophoraceae. It is a protected tree in South Africa. The specific epithet ' is a plant name from the Tagalog language. Descrip ...

'' and ''

Avicennia marina ''Avicennia marina'', commonly known as grey mangrove or white mangrove, is a species of mangrove tree classified in the plant family Acanthaceae (formerly in the Verbenaceae or Avicenniaceae). As with other mangroves, it occurs in the intert ...

''. The ecoregion also has

xeric Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (Ancient Greek 'dry') shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this habita ...

grasslands and shrublands in the inland areas of the coast. The medicinal plant

khat Khat (''Catha edulis''), also known as Bushman's tea, especially in South Africa, is a flowering plant native to eastern and southeastern Africa. It has a history of cultivation originating in the Harar area (present day eastern Ethiopia) and ...

(''

Catha edulis Khat (''Catha edulis''), also known as Bushman's tea, especially in South Africa, is a flowering plant native to eastern and southeastern Africa. It has a history of cultivation originating in the Harari Region, Harar area (present day easter ...

'') occurs in Djibouti where it is chewed by 90% of the men; its effect is a state of

euphoria Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...

Fauna

In the Coastal Desert Ecoregion, resident fauna and few endemics are reported. These consists mainly of three near-endemic species of reptiles, the Ogaden burrowing asp (''

Atractaspis leucomelas :''Common names: burrowing vipers, burrowing asps, mole vipers, Spawls S, Branch B (1995). ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa: Natural History, Species Directory, Venoms and Snakebite''. Ralph Curtis Books. Dubai: Oriental Press. 192 pp. . more.' ...

''), Ragazzi's cylindrical skink (''

Chalcides ragazzii ''Chalcides ragazzii'', commonly called Ragazzi's cylindrical skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Africa. Geographic range ''C. ragazzii'' is found from Algeria (Ahaggar Mountains), Niger, northern S ...

''), and Indian leaf-toed gecko (''

Hemidactylus flaviviridis ''Hemidactylus flaviviridis'' is a species of gecko. It is known as the yellow-belly gecko or northern house gecko. Distribution Its range includes Egypt (Ismailia, Sinai), Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Iran, Afghan ...

''). In its animal reserves, Djibouti has

antelope The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do ...

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, ' ...

hyena Hyenas or hyaenas ( ; from Ancient Greek , ) are feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Hyaenidae (). With just four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the order Carnivora and one of the sma ...

s, and

jackal Jackals are Canidae, canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe Canina (subtribe), canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-b ...

Mammals

Mammals include several species of antelope, such as

(''Nanger soemmerringii'') and Pelzeln's gazelle (''Gazella dorcas pelzelnii''). As a result of the hunting ban imposed since early 1970 these species are well conserved now. Other characteristic mammals are Grevy's zebra,

hamadryas baboon The hamadryas baboon (''Papio hamadryas'' ; gawina;Aerts 2019 , Ar Robbaḥ) is a species of baboon within the Old World monkey family. It is the northernmost of all the baboons, being native to the Horn of Africa and the southwestern region o ...

and Hunter's antelope. The

warthog ''Phacochoerus'' is a genus in the family Suidae, commonly known as warthogs (pronounced ''wart-hog''). They are pigs who live in open and semi-open habitats, even in quite arid regions, in sub-Saharan Africa. The two species were formerly cons ...

, a vulnerable species, is also found in the Day National Park. The coastal waters have dugongs and

Abyssinian genet The Abyssinian genet (''Genetta abyssinica''), also known as the Ethiopian genet, is a genet species native to Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, and Djibouti. It is listed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List. It is one of the least-known ge ...

s; the latter need confirmation by further studies.

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...

and

hawksbill turtle The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution that is largely ...

s are in the coastal waters where nesting also takes place. The

Northeast African cheetah The Northeast African cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii'') is a cheetah subspecies occurring in Northeast Africa. Contemporary records are known in South Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia, but population status in Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Ke ...

(''Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii'') are thought to be extinct in Djibouti. However, there are refuges where the cheetahs are breeding. In the southern mountain range of Aser-Jog, in Djibouti, the beira antelope (''Dorcatragus megalotis''), an endemic and

vulnerable species A vulnerable species is a species which has been Conservation status, categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being threatened species, threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatened species, ...

is reported. At least 99 individuals have been recorded. However, they face competition from cattle in grazing. Hence, a proposal has been made to establish a wildlife refuge.

Birds

The bird species reported in Djibouti consists of 399 species including one endemic (native) species, eight globally threatened species, and two introduced species. Further details under categories of the

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 ...

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 ...

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

near-threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qu ...

and vulnerable are elaborated. However, 26 species of raptors have been reported in the coastal ecoregion. Of these, the

steppe buzzard The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey which has a large range. It is a member of the genus ''Buteo'' in the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across much of th ...

(''Buteo buteo vulpinus'') and the

steppe eagle The steppe eagle (''Aquila nipalensis'') is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. The steppe eagle's well-feathered legs illustrate it to be a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, also known as the "booted ...

(''Aquila nipalensis'') are most common. The only endemic species found is the Djibouti spurfowl (''Pternistis ochropectus'') which is critically endangered. It is found in two locations in Djibouti, the Forêt du Day National Park in the Goda Mountains and

Mabla Mountains The Mabla Mountains (variants: Monti Mabla, Monts Mabla) are a mountain range in the northern Obock and Tadjoura Region of Djibouti. The endemic Djibouti spurfowl makes its home here as well as in the Forêt du Day. With a mean height of 13 ...

; the former is about north of the

and the latter is northeast of the Forêt du Day. The species was declared

by the

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 ...

since its population underwent a 90% decline over twenty years. The Djibouti spurfowl preferred dense

African juniper ''Juniperus procera'' (known by the common English names African juniper, African pencil-cedar, East African juniper, East African-cedar, and Kenya-cedar) is a coniferous tree native to mountainous areas in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It i ...

woodland with a closed canopy on a plateau when this tree was in abundance. It has now adapted to live in the boxwood ''

Buxus sempervirens ''Buxus sempervirens'', the common box, European box, or boxwood, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Buxus'', native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia, from southern England south to northern Morocco ...

'' and the woody shrub ('' Clutia abyssinia''). The bird remains hidden in the dense undergrowth of boxwood and clutia during the day. It roosts on these trees which grow to height. They search for food in the evenings and mostly feed on figs, small fruits, termites and insects. The Djibouti spurfowl has been featured on two stamps; one of 35 francs, in 1989 from Djibouti, and another of 500

francs The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' ( King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th centur ...

denomination from the

as Djibouti was known during the French rule, in 1972. Urocolius macrourus-20090110

The endangered species reported are:

Atlantic petrel The Atlantic petrel (''Pterodroma incerta'') is a gadfly petrel endemic to the South Atlantic Ocean. It breeds in enormous colonies on Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island, and ranges at sea from Brazil to Namibia, with most records at sea being to ...

(''Pterodroma incerta''),

Egyptian vulture The Egyptian vulture (''Neophron percnopterus''), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken, is a small Old World vulture in the monotypic genus ''Neophron''. It is widely distributed from the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa ...

(''Neophron percnopterus'') and

saker falcon The saker falcon (Falco cherrug) is a large falcon species. It breeds from Central Europe eastwards across the Palearctic to Manchuria. It is a partial migrant, which means that some part of the population is migratory, some part is not. In Eur ...

(''Falco cherrug''). The near-threatened bird species are:

ferruginous duck The ferruginous duck (''Aythya nyroca''), also known as ferruginous pochard, common white-eye or white-eyed pochard, is a medium-sized diving duck from Eurosiberia. The scientific name is derived from the Ancient Greek word, (), an unknown se ...

(''Aythya nyroca''),

lesser flamingo The lesser flamingo (''Phoeniconaias minor'') is a species of flamingo occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and western India. Birds are occasionally reported from further north, but these are generally considered vagrants. Characteristics The lesse ...

(''Phoenicopterus minor''),

Jouanin's petrel Jouanin's petrel (''Bulweria fallax'') is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. It is found throughout the northwestern Indian Ocean. Its natural habitats are open seas and shallow seas. It has been recorded breeding on Socotra ...

(''Bulweria fallax''),

white-backed vulture The white-backed vulture (''Gyps africanus'') is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the most common vulture species in the continent of Africa. Description The white-ba ...

(''Gyps africanus''),

pallid harrier The pallid harrier (''Circus macrourus'') is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier subfamily. The scientific name is derived from the Ancient Greek. ''Circus'' is from ''kirkos'' (circle), referring to a bird of prey named for its circling fl ...

(''Circus macrourus''), Rueppell's griffon (''Gyps rueppellii''),

red-footed falcon The red-footed falcon (''Falco vespertinus''), formerly the western red-footed falcon, is a bird of prey. It belongs to the family Falconidae, the falcons. This bird is found in eastern Europe and Asia although its numbers are dwindling rapidly ...

(''Falco vespertinus''),

sooty falcon The sooty falcon (''Falco concolor'') is a medium-sized falcon breeding from northeastern Africa to the southern Persian Gulf region. The word sooty means to be covered in soot (ash), and is used to describe the color of the Sooty Falcon. Hence, ...

(''Falco concolor''),

corn crake The corn crake, corncrake or landrail (''Crex crex'') is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the Northern Hemisphere's winter. It is a medium-sized crake with buff ...

(''Crex crex''),

Eurasian curlew The Eurasian curlew or common curlew (''Numenius arquata'') is a very large wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. In Europe, this species is often referred ...

(''Numenius arquata''),

black-tailed godwit The black-tailed godwit (''Limosa limosa'') is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the godwit genus, '' Limosa''. There are four subspecies, all with orange head, neck and ches ...

(''Limosa limosa''),

white-eyed gull The white-eyed gull (''Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus'') is a small gull that is endemic to the Red Sea. Its closest relative is the sooty gull. The species is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN; human pressure and oil pollution are deemed the majo ...

(''Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus'') and

European roller The European roller (''Coracias garrulus'') is the only member of the Coraciidae, roller family breeding in Europe. Its range extends into the Maghreb, West Asia and Central Asia. It winters in southern Africa, primarily in dry wooded savanna and ...

(''Coracias garrulus''). The vulnerable bird species reported are:

Socotra cormorant The Socotra cormorant (''Phalacrocorax nigrogularis'') is a threatened species of cormorant that is endemic to the Persian Gulf and the south-east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is also sometimes known as the Socotran cormorant or, more ra ...

(''Phalacrocorax nigrogularis''),

white-headed vulture The white-headed vulture (''Trigonoceps occipitalis'') is an Old World vulture endemic to Africa. Populations have been declining steeply in recent years due to habitat degradation and poisoning of vultures at carcasses. An extinct relative was ...

(''Trigonoceps occipitalis''),

Beaudouin's snake-eagle Beaudouin's snake eagle (''Circaetus beaudouini'') is a species of snake eagle in the family Accipitridae found in the Sahel region of west Africa. It forms a superspecies with the Palearctic short-toed snake eagle ''Circaetus gallicus'' and th ...

(''Circaetus beaudouini''),

greater spotted eagle The greater spotted eagle (''Clanga clanga''), also called the spotted eagle, is a large migratory bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, commonly known as "booted eagles".Helbig, A. J., Kocum, A., ...

(''Clanga clanga''),

imperial eagle The eagle is used in heraldry as a charge, as a supporter, and as a crest. Heraldic eagles can be found throughout world history like in the Achaemenid Empire or in the present Republic of Indonesia. The European post-classical symbolism of ...

(''Aquila heliaca'') and

lesser kestrel The lesser kestrel (''Falco naumanni'') is a small falcon. This species breeds from the Mediterranean across Afghanistan and Central Asia, to China and Mongolia. It is a summer bird migration, migrant, wintering in Africa and Pakistan and someti ...

(''Falco naumanni'').

Invertebrates

The invertebrates species reported are: '' Eunidia djiboutiana''; 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 ...

, '' Trichonotulus secquorum''; '' Lophothericles popovi'', a

grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are amongst what are possibly the most ancient living groups of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grassh ...

; '' Cryncus dmitrievi'', a

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

; and '' Euprosthenopsis vachoni'', a nursery web spider.

Aqua fauna

Seabird colonies are present in the coastal belt. The Sept Frères islands, in particular have breeding colonies of swift terns (''Sterna bergii'') and lesser-crested terns (''Sterna bengalensis'').

References

External links

{{WildlifeofAfrica Biota of Djibouti