Fauna of Iran

Being given the big size of the country and the varieties climatic due to various factors the differences in altitude, the level of precipitations and evaporation, the types of grounds etc the territory of the Iran has a great quantity of Biome S and Biotope S, which amounts saying an important variety in the indigenous flora and fauna.

Climate and topography

Iran is located between the anticyclonic masses of air of the Central Asia and Siberia at north, the Mediterranean mode of the winds in the center (winds of west and depression bringing the rain and snow) and of the influences, tropical and subtropical in the south and the south-east of the country. There thus exist various types of climate in Iran, since the wet subtropical low-grounds on the southern part of the Caspian Sea to the hot and dry deserts (Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut).

The mountainous chains of the Alborz (Elbourz), of the Zagros and the North-West of Iran are characterized by surpluses of precipitations; they are thus wet for part of the year, even all the year. The remainder of the country is characterized by deficits: the lack of precipitation, the permanent strong winds or and the high temperatures are the cause of an extreme aridity.

The climate and the vegetation depend on topography, and more particularly on the relief. The Elbourz and the Zagros are probably among the examples more striking influence of topography on the natural habitats of the flora and fauna:

sarhadd , for the subtropical high areas with very cold winters and fresh summers
to sardsir , for the fairly high areas with cold winters and hot summers
the subtropical highlands, which have three hot sub-types (cold winters, summers and strong frosts; soft winters, hot summers and short period of frost; soft winters, hot summers and rare frosts)
to garmsir , for the low grounds at the hot winters and summers, without frozen and snows.

The climatic, topographic elements and the vegetation are elements which determine the distribution of the animal species.

Semi-desert deserts and zones

The desert environment is located in the central basin of Iran, including the Dasht-e Kavir, the Dasht-e Lut and the basin of the Jaz Murian in the area of the Balouchestan in the south-east of the country. One finds also areas semi-desert in the south of the country along the Persian Gulf.

Mammals

The deserts are the field of many cat-like such as the Guépard ( Acinonyx jubatus venaticus ), or cheetah of Iran, from which there would remain nothing any more but 50 to 60 individuals, mainly in the deserted extents in the neighborhoods of Dasht-e-Kavir.
Ses principal preys is the onager desert ( Equus hemionus onager ), the Indian Gazelle ( Gazella bennetti ), the Gazelle with goiter ( Gazella subgutturosa ), the Urial ( Ovis vignei ) and the bezoars ibex ( Capra aegagrus aegagrus ). The rarefaction of all its species explains why this cheetah is currently threatened of extinction.

Other cat-like, the Caracal ( Caracal caracal ), the Cat of sands ( Felis margarita thinobia ), the Cat of Pallas ( Otocolobus manul ), the Lynx of Eurasia (Lynx lynx orientalis), or lynx of the Caucasus and the Leopard ( Panthera pardus saxicolor ), or leopard of Persia can meet in this zone. The Asian Lion ( Panthera leo persica ) is regarded as missing in Iran since 1942.

The other predatory ones live in this zone, like the Chacal gilded ( Canis aureus ) and the Hyène striped ( Hyaena hyaena ).

Birds

the Outarde will houbara of Asia ( Chlamydotis maqueenii ), recently recognized as species distinct from the Bustard will houbara of Africa, niche in the very arid sandy zones. In this zone saw also the Trap with cap ( Oenanthe monacha ) and the Trap of the desert ( Oenanthe unset ), Ammomane elegant ( Ammomanes cincturus ), Sirli of the desert ( Alaemon alaudipes ), the dwarf Warbler ( Sylvia chick ) and the Roselin githagine ( Rhodopechys githagineus ).

Reptiles

Geckos

Among the Reptile S of Iran, one meets many species of geckos. Those live quasi-exclusivement in the arid regions even desert of this country, like the desert of Chagai ( Agamura femoralis ) or close to the mounts Zagros ( Eublepharis angramainyu ). Certain species live however in altitude - until nearly 2000 meters of altitude - and thus meets according to the seasons of the very cold external conditions.

One finds two great “types” of geckos in this country: geckos of the kind Eublepharis , of aspect rather squat, with a thick tail and often contrasted and varied colors, and geckos of more slender aspect, with a finer body and a tail, and colors discretes, in let us tons sand, brown or beige (for example the kinds Tropiocolotes or Cyrtopodion ). All have sizes moderated for reptiles, between 7 or 8 centimetres for the smallest species until nearly 15 centimetres for more grandes.
They all are of the night Espèce S, which are not exposed to the full heat of the days, even if certain species as Hemidactylus turcicus is exposed to it sometimes the morning and the evening. These animals all are also terrestrial, and the majority are adapted to walk on sand, with legs with broad fingers, presenting even sometimes a palmage for better a appui.
They are exclusively the insectivorous ones, which drives out the Insecte S and others Arthropode S of size adapted during the night.

They spend their day in burrows, under rocks or in the cracks, safe from the full heat and very low the external Hygrométrie. They all are Ovipare S, and the females deposit their eggs in hiding-places wet (compared to the climate) and protected from heat

Semi-arid steppe

The majority of the territory of Iran consist of semi-arid steppes with Armoise bleaches on grass white ( Artemisia bleached on grass-alba ), surrounding the vast desert areas in the center of Iran. These zones of steppes form a junction with the piémonts mountainous areas located in periphery of the country.

Mammals

Birds

One can find in the steppes several species of raptors, of which the wild Buse ( Buteo rufinus ), the Faucon kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ).

The other species characteristic of this zone are the Ganga unibande ( Pterocles orientalis arenarius ), the Rollier d' Europe ( Coracias garrulus ), Guépier d' Europe ( Merops apiaster ), several species of Alaudidae (inter alia the crested Cochevis, Galerida cristata ), the Traquet Isabelle ( Oenanthe isabellina ) and the Bruant mélanocéphale ( Emberiza melanocephala ) ^,

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