Wildlife of Iraq

Coral reef

Iraqi coastal waters boast a living coral reef, covering 28 km² in the Persian Gulf, at the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab river (29°37′00″N 048°48′00″W / 29.61667°N 48.80000°W). The coral reef was discovered by joint Iraqi–German expeditions of scientific scuba divers carried out in September 2012 and May 2013. Prior to its discovery, it was believed that Iraq lacked coral reefs as the turbid waters prevented their detection. Iraqi corals were found to be adapted to one of the most extreme coral-bearing environments in the world, as the seawater temperature in this area ranges between 14 and 34 °C. The reef harbours several living stone corals, octocorals, ophiuroids and bivalves. There are also silica-containing demosponges.

Fauna

Due to its diversity in biomes from the Mesopotamian Marshes along the Euphrates River to the semi-arid deserts, Iraq is home to a wide variety of endemic animals and animals that are well-known worldwide for their prevalent populations.

Mammals

The Eurasian otter and the smooth-coated otter are carnivorous semiaquatic mammals located in the marshes and rivers whose diets consist of primarily fish, amphibians, crustaceans, insects and birds, but their populations have seen a decline since the 1970s. The Persian leopard is a large carnivorous feline located in the northern forest whose diet consists of primarily wild goats. A small population was recorded for the first time at the beginning of the 21st century in the border region between Iraq and Turkey. The sand cat whose presence was recorded for the first time in the desert of Al-Najaf is a small carnivorous feline located in the sandy deserts (diet consists of small rodents, cape hare, greater hoopoe lark, desert monitor, sandfish, cerastes vipers). The Wildcat is a small feline located primarily in forest whose diet consist of rodents, birds, small reptiles and poultry. The Rüppell's fox is a small omnivorous canine that located in deserts north of the Euphrates river whose diet consists of insects, small mammals, lizards, and birds. The Marbled polecat is an omnivorous weasel located in deserts of N.Iraq whose diet consists of small rodents, birds, lizards, fish, frogs, fruit, and grass. The Small Indian mongoose small omnivorous weasel located in the alluvial plains whose diet consists of insects(dragonflies, grasshoppers, mole crickets, ground beetles, earwigs), rodents, amphibians, reptiles, small birds, small grasses, small fruits. The Goitered gazelle is a herbivorous antelope that is located in mountains and areas of broken terrain. The Wild boar is an omnivorous swine located in the marshes and along the numerous rivers in Iraq whose diet consists of plants(rhizomes, roots, bulbs, tubers, nuts, berries, seeds, leaves, bark, twigs, shoots), earthworms, insectivores, insects, rodents, bird eggs, lizards, snakes, frogs, and carrion. The Bactrian camel is located in varying habitats from rocky mountains to arid deserts and has a herbivorous diet that consists of various kinds of vegetation. The European hare is a herbivorous rodent located in the plateaus of Iraq and along the Tigris river.

Other mammals include:

• Indian crested porcupine
• Caucasian squirrel
• Broad-toothed field mouse
• Yellow-necked mouse
• House mouse
• Black rat
• Short-tailed bandicoot rat
• Indian gerbil
• Sundevall's jird

Extinct fauna

The only confirmed record of a Caspian tiger was a specimen killed near Mosul in 1887. The Asiatic cheetah occurred in the desert west of Basrah until 1926. The last known cheetah in the country was killed by a car. The last known Asiatic lion was killed on the lower Tigris in 1918. The last Arabian oryx was shot in 1914. Syrian elephants roamed Mesopotamia until around 700 BC.