Jabal Samhan Nature Reserve
() is a
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
in the area of ''Jabal Samḥān'' (, "Mount Samhan") in
Dhofar,
Oman
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...
. It has an area of and has no permanent population.
Being in the region of the
Dhofar Mountains, it is one of the last refuges for
wild Arabian leopards.
Data suggests that around twenty Arabian leopards are left in the reserve.
Fauna
The most important leopard
prey species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
are
Arabian gazelle,
Nubian ibex,
Cape hare
The Cape hare (''Lepus capensis''), also called the brown hare and the desert hare, is a hare native to Africa and Arabia extending into India.
Taxonomy
The Cape hare was one of the many Mammalia in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, mammal ...
,
rock hyrax,
Indian crested porcupine,
desert hedgehog and several bird species. Occasionally leopards might prey on domestic livestock. Other predators, which are found in the reserve, include
caracal,
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 ...
and
Arabian wolf.
See also
*
Wildlife of Oman
References
External links
Leopard in Jabal Samhan
Protected areas of Oman
{{Asia-protected-area-stub