Thewildlife of Oman is the flora and fauna of this country in the southeastern corner of theArabian Peninsula, with coasts on theGulf of Oman and theArabian Sea. The climate is hot and dry, apart from the southeastern coast, and the country offers a variety of habitats forwildlife including mountains, valleys, deserts, coastal plains and sea coasts.
To the north of the country is a smallexclave with a rugged coastline beside theStrait of Hormuz. This is theMusandam Peninsula, and is separated from the rest of Oman by part of theUnited Arab Emirates. The country in the north of the main part ofOman is mountainous,Al Hajar Mountains reaching almost to 3,000 m (10,000 ft). They run parallel to the coast of theGulf of Oman, with a narrow coastal plain in between. This is crossed by a number ofwadis and has several oases. Central Oman consists of a tableland bounded to the west by theRub' al Khali desert ofSaudi Arabia. The coastline in eastern and southern Oman is barren. In the south of the country in theDhofar Governorate, themountains run in an easterly-westerly direction and includeJabal Samhan andJebel Qamar.[1]
The climate in general is very hot, with temperatures rising to 40 °C (104 °F) or more in mid-summer.[2] About 25 cm (10 in) of rain falls annually in the Hajar Mountains in the north but the bulk of the country is very dry, with the exception of the southeastern coastal area which is humid and is subject to thekhareef, a seasonal southeastern monsoon that brings rain and fog to coastal areas.[1] In the summer, the weather pattern over the whole of the Arabian Peninsula is very static with a low pressure weather system stationary over the area. The low-albedo desert interior heats up and the hot air rises, but the humidity is so low that no clouds form. Dust however does get wafted aloft giving rise to the hazy conditions often seen here.[3]
Over four hundred species of plant have been recorded in eastern Arabia. The most famous is probablyBoswellia sacra, thefrankincense tree, which only grows in the mountains of southern Oman, Yemen andSomaliland.[4] Though many parts of the coast are rocky, the coastal plains of theAl Batinah Region and theDhofar Region are edged with dunes and saline marshes. Here salt-loving plants flourish and the dominant species includeZygophyllaceae,sea-lavender andwhite mangrove. Many of the salt-tolerant plants of Al Batinah differ from those of the south coast, and plants likeSalsola drummondii,Bienertia cycloptera andSalsola rosmarinus are also found in theIrano-Turanian Region.[5]
Sabkhas (salt flats) with hypersaline conditions are typically marked by an absence of vegetation. In some cases plant life can be accommodated on small sandy mounds in these sabkhas known asnabkhas due to their relatively lower salinity levels.[6]
In the south of the country, the monsoon rainfall creates a wealth of vegetation that is not present in more arid regions.[3]
One of the last places in which theArabian leopard survives is the Dhofar mountains in southern Oman, and theJabal Samhan Nature Reserve has been set up to protect these critically endangered big cats. Other carnivores present in the reserve include thestriped hyena,Blanford's fox andArabian wildcat.[7] The central section of Oman has vast stretches of gravelly desert with very little vegetation. TheArabian Oryx Sanctuary was set up here to aid in the conservation of theArabian oryx, and it is also a refuge for thesand gazelle, themountain gazelle, theNubian ibex, thehoney badger, thered fox, thecaracal, thesand cat and theArabian wildcat.[7]
Over five hundred species of bird have been recorded from Oman. Some of these are resident, others arrive in spring to breed, departing by autumn. Still more are in transit, on migration routes between thePalearctic realm,Africa, and the Indian Subcontinent. The east coast with its mudflats and lagoons is visited by many species of wader, and themangrove areas are home to thered-wattled lapwing and thecollared kingfisher. The coast and offshore islands are home to gulls, terns and cormorants. The mountainous north of the country attracts manypasserines in passage, the desert areas are home to the endangeredhoubara bustard,sand partridge, four species ofsandgrouse,desert larks,pipits,wheatears andbuntings. The mountains additionally attractgolden eagles andEgyptian vultures. The Dhofar region in the south has a great variety of breeding and migratory species.[7] TheOmani owl (Strix butleri) is a species of owl discovered in 2013, and is believed to be the only birdendemic to Oman.[8]
Oman has about sixty-four species ofreptile; these includelizards,skinks,geckos,agamas and a single species ofchameleon. Most of the approximately one dozen or so snake species in the country are harmless, but the uncommonhorned viper,carpet viper,puff adder andcobra are venomous. There are just three species ofamphibian, one of which is theDhofar toad.[7] The number of freshwater fish found in the country is limited because there are few bodies of permanent water. TheOman garra is one fish found in the northern mountains, and it also has a blind version that lives in caves.[9]
Oman is also rich in marine diversity, especiallycetaceans. There is a population ofhumpback whales that may be the most isolated, possibly the most endangered, and the only non-migratory population in the world. OffMuscat there are other humpback whales,pygmy blue whales,Bryde's whales,sperm whales,false killer whales,Risso's dolphins,spinner dolphins,bottlenose dolphins,Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins, and the occasionalkiller whale.[10]
Oman is more aware than some of its neighbors of the need to conserve its wildlife. It is a signatory to a number of treaties on global issues, and a number of areas have been set aside asnature reserves. Measures have been put in place to protect the beaches where the endangeredgreen sea turtle breed,[11] a leopard conservation trust has been set up, and theArabian Oryx Sanctuary was established and became aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 1994. However, the Omani government later reduced the size of the protected area by about 90% to allow for oil prospecting, and in 2007, the sanctuary became the first ever World Heritage Site to be delisted.[12]
