Thewildlife of Somalia includes theflora andfauna ofSomalia, which is extremely diverse due to the country's location between thetemperate and thetropicalzones. Somalia has a long coastline, bordered by theIndian Ocean in the east andRed Sea in the north. The northwestern and central parts of the country are arid, or very dry. The southern and northeastern regions are semi-arid, receiving slightly more rainfall than the central and northwest regions. The coastal region is more humid due to its proximity to the ocean. Somalia is home to over 727 species of birds and boasts over 177 species of mammals.
TheNile crocodile, the largest crocodilian found in Africa, is very common in southern Somalia. Somalia is home to a diverse variety of flora and fauna, from acacia trees, to birds, large cats, and reptiles large and small.
In some areas, the mountains are covered with shrubs such aspyracantha,jasmine,poinsettia, and a varied assortment of evergreens.Caraway,carcade,cardamom,coriander,incense,myrrh, andred pepper are common.
There are many forms of terminology and ways of describing the subphylums, metonyms and classifications of the various animals living within Somalia. These include,bahal ('creature'),doobjoog ('domestic animal'/'pet'),duurjoog/dugaag ('wild'/'undomesticated animal'),hangaguri ('general animal'),dalanga or its determiner formdalangihi (chordate),naasley ('mammal'),cayayaan ('insect'),beribiyood ('amphibian'),xamaarato ('reptile'), andnoole ('organism').[1]
Somalia contains a variety of mammals due to its geographical and climatic diversity. Wild animals are found in every region. Among them are thelion,[2]Somali cheetah,reticulated giraffe,hamadryas baboon,civet,serval,African bush elephant,bushpig,Soemmerring's gazelle,antelope,ibex,kudu,dik-dik,oribi,reedbuck,Somali wild ass,Grévy's zebra, andhyena.
Elephants were also found inSomaliland. Since elephants are migratory, they are found in a variety of habitats, such as woodland, savanna, and tropical forests. Theyellow-spotted rock hyrax, which is found in savanna and rocky areas, looks much like a large rodent, but is actually related to elephants. Thegolden mole lives in savanna.[3]
The following mammals are found exclusively in Somalia:
Somalia is currently home to about 727 species of birds, of which eight are endemic, one has been introduced by humans and one is rare or accidental. Fourteen species are globally threatened.The following species of birds are found exclusively in Somalia:[4]
Somalia has roughly 235 species of reptiles, of which almost half live in its northern areas.TheNile crocodile is very common in southern Somalia, and is the largest crocodilian found in Africa. Adult males can grow to between 12 and 16 feet long.
Other reptiles unique to Somalia include Hughes'saw-scaled viper, the southern Somaligarter snake,Platyceps messanai, Scortecci's diadem snake (Spalerosophis josephscorteccii), the Somalisand boa, theangled worm lizard, Macfadyen's mastigure (Uromastyx macfadyeni), Lanza's gecko (Hemidactylus granchii), the semaphore gecko, and a wall lizard from eitherMesalina orEremias. The colubrid snake (Aprosdoketophis andreonei) and Haacke-Greer's skink (Haackgreerius miopus) are endemic genera.[5]
With 3300 km of coastline facing the Indian Ocean, Somalia has the longest coastline in continental Africa. Somali waters are prime fishing grounds for migratory fish such as tuna and tuna-like species, and a narrow but productive continental shelf is the home to severaldemersal fish andcrustacean species.[6]
Fish species found exclusively in Somalia include:
The highlands, which in an almost continuous line traverse East Africa, have to a great extent isolated the flora of Somalia in spite of the general resemblance of its climate and soil to the country on the western side of the band of high ground. The greater part of the country is covered either with tall coarse grasses, or more commonly with thick thorn-bush or jungle, among which rise occasional isolated, trees. The prevalent bush plants are khansa,acacias,aloes, and, especially,Boswellia andCommiphora, which yield highly fragrantresins andbalsams, such asmyrrh,frankincense (olibanum) andbalm of Gilead.
Among the larger trees are the mountain cedar, reaching to 100 ft.; the gob, which bears edible berries in appearance something like the cherry with the taste of an apple, grows to some 80 ft, and is found fringing the river beds. There are patches of dense reeds, reaching 10 ft high, and thickets oftamarisk along the river beds, and on either side the jungle is high and more luxuriant than on the open plateau. Of herbaceous plants the kissenia, the sole representative of the orderLoasaceae, which is common in America but very rare elsewhere, is found in Somalia, which also possesses forms belonging to the eastern Mediterranean flora.
The following vascular plant genera are found exclusively in Somalia:[7]
