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.

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 (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.

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.