Thewildlife of Iran include thefauna andflora ofIran.
One of the most famous animals of Iran is the critically endangeredAsiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), which today survives only in Iran.[1]
The animals of Iran were described byHamdallah Mustawfi in the 14th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries,Samuel Gottlieb Gmelin andÉdouard Ménétries explored theCaspian Sea area and theTalysh Mountains to document Caspian fauna. Several naturalists followed in the 19th century, includingFilippo de Filippi,William Thomas Blanford, andNikolai Zarudny who documentedmammal,bird,reptile,amphibian andfish species.[2]
More than one-tenth of the country is forested. The most extensive forest is found on the mountain slopes rising from the Caspian Sea, with stands ofoak,ash,elm,cypress, and other valuable trees. On the plateau proper, areas of scrub oak appear on the best-watered mountain slopes, and villagers cultivate orchards and grow the plane tree, poplar,willow,walnut,beech,maple, andmulberry. Wildplants andshrubs spring from the barren land in the spring and afford pasturage, but the summer sun burns them away. According toFAO reports, the major types of forests that exist in Iran and their respective areas are:[3]
More than 8,200plant species are grown in Iran. The land covered by Iran's natural flora is four times that of the Europe's.
Iran's living fauna includes 34bat species,Indian grey mongoose,small Indian mongoose,golden jackal,Indian wolf,foxes,striped hyena,leopard,Eurasian lynx,brown bear andAsian black bear.[2]Ungulate species includewild boar,urial,Armenian mouflon,red deer, andgoitered gazelle.[4]Domestic ungulates are represented bysheep,goat,cattle,horse,water buffalo,donkey andcamel. Bird species likepheasant,partridge,stork,eagles andfalcons are also native to Iran.[citation needed]
_05.jpg)
As of 2001, 20 of Iran's mammal species and 14 bird species were endangered. Endangered species in Iran include theBaluchistan bear,Asiatic cheetah,Caspian seal,Persian fallow deer,Siberian crane,hawksbill turtle,green turtle,Oxus cobra,Latifi's viper,dugong,Panthera pardus tulliana,Caspian Sea wolf, anddolphin. At least 74 species of Iranian wildlife are listed on theIUCN Red List, a sign of serious threats to the country's biodiversity.Majlis have shown disregard for wildlife by passing laws and regulations such as the act that lets theMinistry of Industries and Mines exploit mines without the involvement of theDepartment of Environment, and by approving large national development projects without demanding comprehensive study of their impact on wildlife habitats.[5]The leopard's main range overlaps with that ofbezoar ibex, which occurs throughoutAlborz andZagros mountain ranges, as well as smaller ranges within theIranian Plateau. The leopard population is very sparse, due to loss of habitat, loss of natural prey, andpopulation fragmentation. Apart from bezoar ibex, wild sheep, boar, deer, and domestic livestock constitute leopard prey in Iran.[6]
