Sand Cat In the deep sands we find the sand cat (Felis margarita ). Its present distribution in the United Arab Emirates is probably limited to the Liwa, although there are confirmed reports that in t...

Striped Hyaena   Another predator, occurring in Arabia, that has a liking for carrion is the striped hyaena (Hyaena hyaena ). As with the wolf, there have been no confirmed sightings of this carnivore...

Black Widow Spider Two species of black widow are common in the Middle East, Lactrodectus pallidus , occurring from Libya to Azerbaidjan, and Lactrodectus hysterix , known from Aden and Yemen. In the ...

Arabian Red Fox Widespread, and certainly not endangered in the region is the Arabian red fox (Vulpes vulpes arabica ). Highly adaptable, it inhabits virtually every environment and lives in the citie...

Blandford’s Fox Blandford’s fox (Vulpes cana ) was confirmed in the area only in 1995 during the survey mentioned above that led to rediscovery of the Arabian tahr in the UAE. It is smalle...

Demersal Fish   The cartilaginous fishes, sharks and rays, are found in open water over sand, but often close to offshore structures, reefs and rocky outcrops which harbour the smaller fishes on which...

Arabian Oryx The Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx ) once roamed the entire Arabian Peninsula and as mentioned earlier, it became extinct as a wild species in the early 1960’s. However, H.H. Sheikh Za...

Arabian Leopard Undoubtedly the most famous mammal of today is the Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr ). The reason for its present fame is sadly, that it is on the brink of extinction. A spate of ...

The Sand Gazelle The sand gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa marica ) is the second largest of the antelopes that occur in the UAE and weighs up to 22 kgs. Virtually extinct in the wild, there are occasion...

Arabian Oryx The Sand Gazelle Arabian Mountain Gazelle Arabian Tahr Hare Arabian Wolf Striped Hyaena Arabian Red Fox Blandford’s Fox Sand Fox or Rueppell’s Fox Arabian Leopard Caracal Arab...