The wildlife of Algeria is composed of its flora and fauna. Mountainous, chotts, wetlands and grassy desert-like regions all support a wide range of wildlife. The most commonly seen animals include the wild boars, jackals, and gazelles, although it is not uncommon to spot fennecs and jerboas. Leopard and cheetah are seldom seen.
A variety of bird species make the country an attraction for bird watchers. Barbary macaques are the sole native monkey.
Red Gazelle
The red gazelle (Eudorcas rufina) was thought to be an extinct species of gazelle. It was formerly considered a member of the genus Gazella within the subgenus Eudorcas before Eudorcas was promoted to a full genus. It was thought to have lived in the better-watered mountain areas of North Africa rather than in deserts, because of the rich colouring on the coat.
There are no records of the red gazelle in the wild. It is known from three specimens purchased in markets in Algiers and Oran, northern Algeria, in the late 19th century. They are held in museums in Paris and London. Some authorities, such as Jonathan Kingdon, consider it a subspecies of the red-fronted gazelle (E. rufifrons or G. rufifrons). In 2008, K. de Smet reported one of the three specimens had proved on examination to be E. rufifrons, leading the IUCN Red List to revise its assessment of the species from Extinct to Data Deficient on the basis of doubts as to the validity of the taxon.
Seurat’s spiny mouse
Seurat’s spiny mouse (Acomys seurati) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Algeria. Its natural habitats are rocky areas and hot deserts.
The term spiny mouse refers to any species of rodent within the genus Acomys. Similar in appearance to mice of the genus Mus, spiny mice are small mammals with bare, scaled tails. However, their coats are endowed with unusually stiff guard hairs similar to the spines of a hedgehog; this trait is the source of the common name, spiny mouse.
Algerian Gerbil
Algerian gerbil (Gerbillus garamantis) is a species of gerbil distributed mainly in Algeria. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the dwarf gerbil.
Animal | Scientific Name | IUCN Red List Classification |
Barbary macaque | Macaca sylvanus | Endangered |
European rabbit | Oryctolagus cuniculus | Endangered |
Long-fingered bat | Myotis capaccinii | Vulnerable |
Greater noctule bat | Nyctalus lasiopterus | Vulnerable |
Mediterranean horseshoe bat | Rhinolophus euryale | Near Threatened |
Mehely’s horseshoe bat | Rhinolophus mehelyi | Vulnerable |
Fin whale | Balaenoptera physalus | Vulnerable |
Blue whale | Balaenoptera musculus | Endangered |
Sperm whale or cachalot | Physeter macrocephalus | Endangered |
Northwest African cheetah | Acinonyx jubatus hecki | Critically Endangered |
Leopard | Panthera pardus | Vulnerable |
African wild dog | Lycaon pictus | Endangered |
Eurasian otter | Lutra lutra | Near Threatened |
Mediterranean monk seal | Monachus monachus | Endangered |
Cuvier’s gazelle | Gazella cuvieri | Vulnerable |
Dorcas gazelle | Gazella dorcas | Vulnerable |
Rhim gazelle | Gazella leptoceros | Endangered |
Dama gazelle | Nanger dama | Critically Endangered |
Barbary sheep | Ammotragus lervia | Vulnerable |
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