Dugong

Dugong dugon (Müller, 1776).

This large marine mammal is as completely aquatic as whales and dolphins. Its length ranges from 192-282 cm and weighs from 138-430 kg. Very occasionally, animals are found that are larger and heavier than this. The body is almost cylindrical in shape with thick, smooth, grey to tan colored skin with scattered fine hairs and bristles. The forelimbs are modified into blunt paddle-like flippers; there are no hind limbs. The powerful, broad, fluke-like tail is used for locomotion. The huge snout is flattened into a strong, bristly muzzle. The nostrils are on top of the snout, allowing the Dugong to breathe while the rest of the body is submerged. The dugong lives in shallow coastal waters and is herbivorous; in the Red Sea, it is believed to eat only one species of seagrass; it gathers the plants into small stacks and eats them one by one. Feeding is largely at night although daytime feeding has been observed. It lives in herds, in pairs or solitarily and its main predators are sharks. Breeding takes place throughout the year, gestation is 13-14 months, and a single calf (rarely twins) is born.

Dorcas Gazelle

Gazella dorcas (Linnaeus, 1758).

This small gazelle averages 90 cm in length and is 55 or 56 cm high at the shoulder. Its color is sandy-reddish on the back with a dark stripe on each side. There are a distinct white eye ring and two stripes, one white and one dark brown, running from the eye to the corner of the mouth on each side of the face. The male has ridged lyre-shaped horns; the horns of the female are straighter and more slender. The Dorcas Gazelle lives in both rocky and sandy desert and feeds on desert plants, especially acacia leaves, thorns, flowers, and pods. It must drink water and is said to be able to survive for only twelve days without water in winter. It is active from dusk to dawn. The gestation period is five and a half months and a single calf is born; rarely twins. The principal predators of this animal were formerly cheetahs and leopards, but today, man is its worst enemy and it is endangered because of illegal hunting.


 

Blanford Fox

Vulpes cana Blanford, 1877.

This is a beautiful small fox of 42 cm head-and-body length; the tail is 30 cm. The soft fur is brownish on the back becoming more greyish towards the rear; underparts are paler. On each side of the face, a dark stripe runs from the inner corner of the eye to the corner of the mouth. The long very bushy tail is black tipped; the ears are large. Blanford’s Fox lives in semi-arid steppe and rocky mountain areas; it is extremely agile and escapes danger by jumping to safety on rock shelves. It is strictly nocturnal and monogamous and is a solitary hunter. It is omnivorous and eats insects, including grasshoppers, scorpions, and small mammals; it is reported to be more frugivorous than other foxes and eats a variety of fruits. Breeding occurs between December and January, and after the gestation period of 50 to 60 days 1-3 young are born. This fox is rare in Egypt having only been discovered in the country in recent years and is distributed in parts of Sinai and the Eastern Desert. Its global distribution is from Egypt through the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula to as far north as Uzbekistan.

Crested Porcupine

Hystrix cristata Linnaeus, 1758.

This large, heavy rodent averages over 60 cm in length. The back and tail are covered with long, round, hollow black and white quills; the quills of the tail are loose and are specially adapted to rattle. The eyes are small, and the small rounded ears are partly hidden by the hair of the forehead. The Porcupine inhabits mountainous semi-desert areas with good growth of trees and vegetation and feeds on roots, bulbs, fallen fruits, and cultivated crops. It rarely climbs trees but is able to swim; it is strictly nocturnal. The gestation period is 112 days after which one or two young are born. It is now rare in Egypt and is found only in northeastern Sinai. Its general distribution is from southern Europe, across North Africa and into parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

Barbary Sheep

Ammotragus lervia (Pallas, 1777).

This is a fairly large and heavily built wild sheep with a head-and-body length of 130-165 cm; it is 75-110 cm high at the shoulder. It is generally sandy brown in color with a long darker mane on the sides of the jaw, the neck, chest, and upper forelegs. The horns are curved out, back, and down, keeled at the front and larger in the male than the female. The Barbary Sheep lives in the sandy desert near the rocky outcrops. It is herbivorous and feeds on desert vegetation including the bitter gourd. It obtains the moisture it needs from vegetation but drinks if water is available. The gestation period is just over five months and a single lamb is born. It lives solitarily or in groups; it is extremely alert and shy and is active in the cooler hours of dawn and dusk. Until recently, it was thought to be extinct in Egypt; it is now known that it still survives in isolated areas in the southeastern part of the Eastern Desert and Gebel Uweinat and Gilf el-Kebir. Throughout its North African range, it is an endangered species.


 

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus (Schreber, 1775).

This is a large cat with a head-and-body length of 120-150 cm and a tail length of 60-90 cm; shoulder height is 45-62 cm. This slim but powerfully built animal has long legs, small paws, and short ears; its color is generally yellowish to tawny covered in solid black spots; the tail is banded black and white; a prominent black stripe runs from the inner corner of the eye to the mouth. The cheetah lives in open steppe and Savannah with tall grasses and shrubs and in semi-desert areas. It is the fastest terrestrial mammal and can attain speeds of up to 104 km per hour over short distances; its tail helps it keep its balance during rapid turns. It is diurnal and carnivorous; feeds on gazelles, hares, and birds. The female is solitary but it is rare to see a lone male. After a gestation period of 90-95 days, 1-8 cubs are born. In Egypt, it is probably extinct although few animals may still survive in the Qattara Depression. Worldwide, its range is from India through the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula and across much of Africa. It is endangered throughout its range.


Caracal

Caracal caracal (Schreber, 1776).

A fairly large cat with a long slender body and long legs that averages about 80 cm head-and-body length; the tail is 22 cm. The coat is uniformly sandy brown on the back, white beneath; a blackish stripe runs from the nose through the inner corner of the eye to the forehead; the ears are tipped with distinctive black tufts 4-6 cm long. The Caracal lives in mountains and hilly desert, avoiding sandy areas. It is strictly carnivorous; its favored preys are the gazelles, hares, rodents, and birds. Although nocturnal, it is sometimes seen by day particularly in cooler portions of its range. After a gestation period of 69-78 days, 1-6 cubs are born. This beautiful animal is known in Egypt from parts of Sinai and the Eastern Desert, but like all the larger cats it is becomingly increasingly rare. Its worldwide range is across North Africa and southward to the Cape Province of South Africa. Eastward, it ranges through the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula as far as Iran and northern India.

Cape Hare

Lepus capensis Linnaeus, 1758.

An extremely variable, slender, long-legged animal with a head-and-body length from 47-87 cm and long ears about 12-14 cm. The soft fur is yellowish or buffy grey on the back, white on the underparts; the short, bushy tail is black above and white below; the soles and palms are covered with thick hair. The Cape Hare lives in semi-desert steppes and well-vegetated wadis. It is herbivorous; feeds on plants, cereals, berries, and vegetables, including acacia flowers and the bark of yassar (Moringa) trees. Breeding takes place from March to October, and after a gestation period of 42 days, 1-6 kits are born. The main predators of the hare are foxes, wild and feral cats, birds of prey, and man, however, it is able to run extremely fast over short distances to escape danger. The Egyptian distribution of this animal is as follows: Sinai, the Eastern Desert, the Nile Valley and Delta, and the Mediterranean Coastal Desert. Its African range is in two separate non-forested areas: from South Africa to Mozambique and southern Angola and from Tanzania to Somalia.


Addax

Addax nasomaculatus (de Blainville, 1816).

This is a large antelope; 110-130 cm long and 95-115 cm high at the shoulder. It is characterized by distinctive white markings on the face, ears, and belly, while the general color is pale in summer becoming darker in winter. Both male and female have long (65 cm or more) slender horns in an open spiral. The wide hooves with flat soles allow it to move easily on the soft sand of its desert habitat. The Addax is active from dusk to dawn. It feeds on desert grasses and spends most of its life without drinking as it receives sufficient water from its food. The gestation period is eight and a half months and a single calf is born. Endangered throughout its range; the addax has become extinct in Egypt during the last 100 years.