Libya 5391 Ubari Lakes Luca Galuzzi 2007

The wildlife of Libya is spread over the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

coastline and encompasses large areas of the

Saharan desert , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

. The protection of

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...

is provided through appropriate legislation in seven national parks, five reserves, 24 protected areas, two wetlands under

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

, and also in other areas. Apart from these, there are also five

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Sites related to culture. The most important national parks are the El-Kouf National Park and

Karabolli National Park Algharabolli National Park, also Karabolli National Park, is a national park of Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North ...

. The well known nature reserves are the

Benghazi Reserve Benghazi Reserve is a protected reserve of Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterr ...

and the Zellaf Reserve. The wildlife species recorded in the country are 87 mammals and 338 species of

birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

's natural national assets are its nearly of coastline and the vast Sahara desert which is the semiarid and arid region to the south. Its hills, ponds and coastal habitats which comprise coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass beds, salt marshes, and mud flats add to its

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

. Some of the sites are important for

migratory birds Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by ...

Laws for regulation

National laws and international agreements are part of the preservation of biodiversity and wetland culture in the country. The Green Mountain Area is under protection to protect of the mountainous areas with the Green Mountain Conservation and Development Authority. It covers the coastline of , and also the ancient historical site of Greeko-Roman Cyrene. The first conservation legislation enacted in 1949 was the Law on Forestry. The purpose of this legislation was to ensure protection to forests and forest products, and also retain soil conditions, enhance water sources availability and utilization, and to prevent desertification. In 1970, the Law for the Protection of Agricultural Land was enacted as an ordinance to protect the green areas. The first national park came into existence in November 1978. This was followed by many other national parks to preserve and conserve wild animals in the reserves where the threat was real. In 1990, the Technical Committee of Wildlife and National Parks was established exclusively to ensure proper management of the protected areas, as part of the General Secretariat of Agricultural Reclamation and Land Reform. With this setup, all protected areas are now under the management control of the

Government of Libya The politics of Libya has been in an uncertain state since the collapse of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in 2011 and a recent civil war and various jihadists and tribal elements controlling parts of the country. On 10 March 2021, a national unity ...

Geography

Protected areas in Libya are under four categories of national parks, protected reserves, protected areas, and

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

, and a few others areas, which cover coastal, marine and terrestrial areas. The seven national parks are: The

Abughilan National Park Abughilan National Park is a national park of Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the M ...

, the

El Kouf National Park El Kouf National Park, established in 1975, is one of the seven national parks of Libya. El Kouf is located along Libya's northeastern Mediterranean coastline and has both marine and terrestrial biodiversity. Libya also has five other reserves, t ...

, the

, the Naggaza National Park, the

Rajma National Park Rajma National Park is a national park in Libya. It is a wetlands and protected area within the Jabal al Gharbi District of Libya, south of Tripoli and Murqub. This district is landlocked, meaning Rajma does not have the coastal diversity found in ...

and the

Sirman National Park Surman National Park or Sirman National Park (غابة صرمان والمنتزه الوطني) is a national park of Libya. It was established in 1992 and covers an area of . It lies about west of Tripoli, not far from the archaeological ruins ...

of which Karabolli and Kouf cover the coastal and marine areas. The five nature reserves are: The

, the

Bier Ayyad Reserve Bier Ayyad Reserve is a protected reserve of Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Medi ...

, the

New Hiesha Natural Reserve New Hiesha Natural Reserve is a protected reserve in Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by t ...

, the

Tripoli Reserve Tripoli Reserve is a protected reserve of Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterr ...

and the Zellaf Reserve. There are 24 protected areas: Ain Zayanah, Ajdabiya Marsh,

Al Jaghbub Oasis The Al Jaghbub Oasis is a protected area in northeastern Libya lying close to the border with Egypt. It adjoins the desert village of Jaghbub which is inhabited by Berbers with a population of about 400. Geography The Al Jaghbub Oasis is located ...

, Berjuj Valley,

Bombe gulf Bombah Gulf is a protected area of Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean ...

, Fezzan valleys, Garabulli,

Giarabub Jaghbub ( ar, الجغبوب) is a remote desert village in the Al Jaghbub Oasis in the eastern Libyan Desert. It is actually closer to the Egyptian town of Siwa Oasis, Siwa than to any Libyan town of note. The oasis is located in Butnan District ...

, Grotto de Lete, Harouj Mountain, Jalo, Kufrah Oasis, Nefhusa, Oasis of Ghat, Ouau en Namu lakes, Qaminis and Tukrah salines, Rajma plantations,

Sabratha Sabratha ( ar, صبراتة, Ṣabrāta; also ''Sabratah'', ''Siburata''), in the Zawiya DistrictSebkha el Sahel, Serir, Shahaat, Taizerbo, Taoulga islands (Thaouara), and Wadi Kham. The wetlands designated under Ramsar Convention are the Ain Elshakika Wetland and the Ain Elzarga Wetland. According to the

list of ecoregions Wikipedia has articles relating to two separate ecoregion classification systems: *Ecoregions defined by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation and partner agencies in Canada, Mexico, and the United States: **List of ecoregions in North Ame ...

classified by the

World Wide Fund for Nature The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...

(WWF), Libya is inscribed under the eco-regions of

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...

Mediterranean Forests,

Woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

s and Scrub, and

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

. The coast line of Libya, which extends over a length of is also a live house of the rich and unique, and globally important biodiversity of the Mediterranean zone.

National parks

The Algharabolli National Park, established in 1992, covers an area of . The

, which encompasses an area of , was established in 1992. The El-Kouf National Park, established in 1975, covers a land area of with coastal line of ; the total conservation area, however, is including the large basin area of Wade El Kouf. The area is bounded by Jabel Al-Akhdar Mountain (elevation and of limestone formation) forming a rectangular area bordered by the coast line of the Mediterranean Sea. It is north-east of

Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...

, near Al Bayda (Beida) town. The

El Naggaza National Park El Naggaza National Park is a national park of Libya in the Murqub district close to Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Ar ...

was established in 1993 covering an area of . The

, located in the north-west part of Libya, was established in 1992. It covers an area of . The nearest town to the park is Al Garabulli.

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...

is to its west, about away. Many streams with spring as their source drain the park area. The park habitat is made up of sand dunes, beaches, cliffs and salt lagoons. It was identified as Bird Life Sanctuary in 1992, and hosts 100 species of birds. The Sabrata National Park was established in 1995 covering an area of The Surman National Park covers an area of , and was established in 1992.

Nature reserves

There are five nature reserves in Libya. These are: the Alhesha Nature Reserve, which was established in 1984, covers an area of ; the Bier Ayyad Nature Reserve covers an area of and was established in 1992; the Msalata Nature Reserve established in 1998 has an area of ; the Nalout Nature Reserve covers and was established in 1998; and the Zulton Nature Reserve created in 1998 encompasses an area of .

Wetlands

There are two wetlands of international importance inscribed under the

. These are: The Ain Elshakika Wetland, which covers an area of , was included in the

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

on 5 April 2000. It also covers part of the Kouf National Park. It is a hypersaline coastal sebkha (''sebka'' means: "depression"). The geological formation, on its southern part, consists of limestone. Sand dunes, mudflats and large areas of shrubs are also part of this wetland. Its importance is on account of migratory and resident waterbirds, which provide ample opportunities for bird watching and also for eco-tourism. The Ain Elzarga Wetland was designated as a Ramsar Site on 5 April 2000 and it covers an area of . Its small coastal depression has link with the sea and hence water is visible in the wetland throughout the year, though saline particularly in summer. This land of marshes and mud flats is bounded on the south and east by rocky hills and sand dunes. It runs from east to west. It is part of the Kouf National Park and is important on account of the large population of migratory birds. Its potential for bird watching is also of eco-tourism interest.

Wildlife

The Libyan coast line of is rich in flora and fauna; the interior region including the Sahara Desert Region is also fairly rich in flora and fauna.

Flora

The plants found in the coastal zone are mostly

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

with abundance of

grasses Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns and ...

. The most recorded species are the asphodel (a herb of family of

lily ''Lilium'' () is a genus of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in mu ...

bougainvillea ''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. ...

and

oleander ''Nerium oleander'' ( ), most commonly known as oleander or nerium, is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is the only species currently classified in the ge ...

. There are also many plants under cultivation such as

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

and

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

. There is a narrow buffer zone along the coast where agriculture is practiced. This zone also has grass lands. Moving away from the coast, the topography changes to the Green Mountains (Libya), which rises to a height of about . Influenced by the

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

, the region has dense forest or

maquis Maquis may refer to: Resistance groups * Maquis (World War II), predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance * Spanish Maquis, guerrillas who fought against Francoist Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War * The network ...

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...

and lentisc trees, and also

brome grass ''Bromus'' is a large genus of grasses, classified in its own tribe Bromeae. They are commonly known as bromes, brome grasses, cheat grasses or chess grasses. Estimates in the scientific literature of the number of species have ranged from 100 ...

canary grass Canary grass is a plant, ''Phalaris canariensis'', belonging to the family Poaceae. Originally a native of the Mediterranean region, it is now grown commercially in several parts of the world for birdseed. Description ''Phalaris canariensis'' ...

, bluegrass, and rye grass. Since rainfall in the area is scanty, the cultivated trees consists of

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

and olives. In the Nafusah Plateau,

grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natural ...

form the dominant vegetation. Moving towards south of the mountain range, Sahara desert environment dominates the region with limited cultivation of palm and fig trees around springs and natural oases. Date palms (near the oases), saltwort (used for making soda ash), spurge flax shrub,

goosefoot ''Chenopodium'' is a genus of numerous species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classifica ...

, wormwood, and asphodel, '' cyrenaica'' are also reported in the wild.

Sea grass Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae), all in the orde ...

meadows are reported to cover between the Gulf of Sirte in Libya and the

Gulf of Gabes A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodie ...

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. There are nearly 134

vascular plant Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They al ...

species which are specific to Libya. These include: *'' Cyclamen rohlfsianum'' *'' Arbutus pavarii'' *'' Sedum'' *'' Anacamptis cyrenaica'', an

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

*'' Echinops cyrenaicus'' *'' Linaria tarhunensis'' *''

Pallenis cyrenaica ''Pallenis'' is a small genus of flowering plants in the tribe Inuleae within the family Asteraceae. The name is derived from ''palea'' (chaff), referring to the chaffy Receptacle (botany), receptacle. This is primarily a Mediterranean genus, ...

'' *'' Allium negrianum'' *'' Silene cyrenaica'' *'' Hypericum tauberti'' *'' Cynara cyrenaica'' *'' Poa pentapolitana'' *'' Romulea cyrenaica'' *'' Satureja'' *'' Anathallis linearifolia'' *'' Nepeta cyrenaica'' *'' Crocus boulosii'' *'' Euphorbia pseudoapios'' *'' Limonium teuchirae'' *''

Asperula tragacanthoides ''Asperula'', commonly known as woodruff, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It contains 194 species and has a wide distribution area from Europe, northern Africa, temperate and subtropical Asia to Australasia. Species * ' ...

'' *'' Orobanche cyrenaica'' *'' Pachyctenium'' *'' Libyella'' The last two plant genera listed above are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Fauna

Mammals

Along the coast, the Mediterranean monk seal is a well known species. It has been listed in the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

as critically endangered in Libya. In the Jbel Acacus region, from the rock art work of animal forms seen in the far southwest of the country, it is inferred that African elephants,

giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, ''Giraffa camelopardalis ...

s and rhinos inhabited the area in the past during the ice age when the land was fertile. Now, very few animals, like the striped hyenas (''Hyaena hyaena''), fennec fox, gazelles, African wildcats and golden wolves live in the area. The cheetah is now extinct from the area. Reptiles and rodents are common in the sands of the desert. Halocaridina rubra, Red shrimp are reported from the Ubari, Ubari Lakes in the Fezan area. The faunal species recorded include ''African golden wolf, Canis anthus'', ''Vulpes vulpes'', ''Genetta genetta'', ''African wildcat, Felis libyca'', ''Hystrix cristata'', ''Delphinus delphis'' and ''Tursiops truncatus''. Mammals and reptiles found in Libya which are on the IUCN Red List are: Grobben's gerbil, the Alexandrian shrew and the Philochortus zolii, orangetail lizard (''Philochortus zolii''). Apart from the above, the mammal species identified in the reference book ''Mammal Species of the World'' are: *Grobben's gerbil (''Gerbillus grobbeni'') *Sand gerbil (''Gerbillus syrticus'') *Tarabul's gerbil (''Gerbillus tarabuli'') *Pleasant gerbil (''Gerbillus amoenus'') *Thin sand rat (''Psammomys vexillaris'') *Common gundi (''Ctenodactylus gundi'') *Val's gundi (''Ctenodactylus vali'') *Kuhl's pipistrelle (''Pipistrellus kuhlii'') *Saharan striped polecat (''Ictonyx libycus'') *Dromedary (''Camelus dromedarius'') *North African elephant shrew (''Petrosaltator rozeti'') *Rock hyrax (''Procavia capensis'') *Asian garden dormouse (''Eliomys melanurus'') *Maghreb garden dormouse (''Eliomys munbyanus'') *Four-toed jerboa (''Scarturus tetradactyla'') *Lesser Egyptian jerboa (''Jaculus jaculus'') *Greater Egyptian jerboa (''Jaculus orientalis'') *Günther's vole (''Microtus guentheri'') *Cairo spiny mouse (''Acomys cahirinus'') *Lesser short-tailed gerbil (''Dipodillus simoni'') *Anderson's gerbil (''Gerbillus andersoni'') *Lataste's gerbil (''Gerbillus latastei'') *Shaw's jird (''Meriones shawi'') *Algerian mouse (''Mus spretus'') *Mzab gundi (''Massoutiera mzabi'') *North African hedgehog (''Atelerix algirus'') *Long-eared hedgehog (''Hemiechinus auritus'') *Geoffroy's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus clivosus'') *Mehely's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus mehelyi'') *European free-tailed bat (''Tadarida teniotis'') *Greater noctule bat (''Nyctalus lasiopterus'') *Soprano pipistrelle (''Pipistrellus pygmaeus'') *Desert long-eared bat (''Otonycteris hemprichii'') *Felten's myotis (''Myotis punicus'') *Fennec fox (''Vulpes zerda'') *Hartebeest (''Alcelaphus buselaphus'') *Cuvier's gazelle (''Gazella cuvieri'') *Dorcas gazelle (''Gazella dorcas'') *Rhim gazelle (''Gazella leptoceros'') *Barbary sheep (''Ammotragus lervia'') *Addax (''Addax nasomaculatus'') *Scimitar oryx (''Oryx dammah'') *North African gerbil (''Dipodillus campestris'') *Lesser Egyptian gerbil (''Gerbillus gerbillus'') *Pygmy gerbil (''Gerbillus henleyi'') *Balochistan gerbil (''Gerbillus nanus'') *Sundevall's jird (''Meriones crassus'') *Libyan jird (''Meriones libycus'') *Lesser noctule (''Nyctalus leisleri'') *Lesser mouse-tailed bat (''Rhinopoma hardwickii'')

=Rodents

= The rodents reported are: ''Pachyuromys duprasi'' (fat-tailed gerbil), ''Meriones libycus'' (Libyan jird), ''Ctenodactylus gundi'' (gundi), ''Meriones crassus'' (Sundevall's jird), ''Meriones crassus'' (Sundevall's jird), ''Spalacidae'' (blind mole-rat, common mole-rats, zokors, and bamboo rats), ''Elephantulus rozeti'' (North African elephant shrew), ''Spalacinae'' (blind mole-rats), ''Arvicolinae'' (lemmings and voles), ''Jaculus orientalis'' (greater Egyptian jerboa), ''Massoutiera mzabi'' (Mzab gundi), and ''Spalax ehrenbergi'' (Middle East blind mole-rat).

Birds

In the coastal belt, bird species recorded are greater flamingo on the beaches, and also many birds of prey. Migratory birds pass through Libya, and are seen mostly along the coastline. The most notable ones are the flamingo, Kentish plover in the Bengazi Reserve. Houbara bustard and the European white stork are reported in the Kouf National Park and in the beaches and lagoons. In the oases, desert larks, desert sparrows, and spotted sandgrouse have been reported. Other notable species reported are ''Aquila chrysaetos'', ''Alectoris barbara'', ''Pterocles '' species and ''Chlamydotis undulata'' with herons, ducks, waders, ''Ciconia nigra'', ''Ciconia ciconia'', and ''Milvus milvus'' (red kite) from the brackish lagoons.

Invertebrates

Invertebrates exclusive to Libya are: *''Chlorophorus ringenbachi'', a longhorned beetle *''Caulostrophus ringenbachi'', a weevil *''Paratassa ringenbachi'', a jewel beetle *''Neolaphyra ritchiei'', a tiger beetle *''Pachydema peyerhimhoffi'', a cockchafer *''Onitis ringenbachi'', a dung beetle *''Tentyria cyrenaica'', a darkling beetle *''Mylabris cyrenaica'', a blister beetle *''Dictyophara merjensis'', a planthopper *''Wadkufia elegans'', a leafhopper *Bees **''Nomioides mucoreus'' **''Lasioglossum tripolitanum'' *''Buthus barcaeus'', a scorpion *''Glomeris monostriata'', a millipede found in caves *Land snails **''Barcania kaltenbachi'' **''Cochlostoma susaense''

=Molluscs

Some of the 'non-marine molluscs of Libya, which are a part of the molluscan fauna of Libya, are, ''Melanoides tuberculata'' (O. F. Müller, 1774) listed under International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN as of least concern, ''Parmacella festae'' (Gambetta, 1925 - northern Libya), and ''Parmacella olivieri'' (Cuvier, 1804 - northern Libya).

Marine fauna

The Libyan coast is rich in fish production and many edible marine organisms. The Marine Biology Research Centre (MBRC) facilitated selection of coastal areas under Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The key MPAs established were the El Kouf National Park, Ain Gazala Farwa, El Burdi, and Ain -Ziyana. Reported marine mammal species include the monk seal ''Monachus monachus'' (CR) on the coast, and ''Tursiops truncatus'' offshore. The coastal area and the Mediterranean Sea is reported as the nesting areas for the loggerhead sea turtle, loggerhead turtle (''Caretta caretta''), and juveniles of Atlantic bluefin tuna, bluefin tuna (''Thunnus thynnus''), nearing extinction. The killifish (''Aphanius desioi'') is an IUCN Red List species.

Conservation

The threats faced by the national parks, reserves and protected areas have been identified. These are due to excessive logging operations, poaching of birds, unauthorised felling of trees, alteration of the habitat status due to pollution, land use, climate change, and inadequate management measures. The measures under implementation to address the threats identified in the protected areas are in the form of protecting the ecosystems and biodiversity, conducting scientific research in identified areas, creating public awareness, ensuring sustainability of resources, promote ecotourism, creation of protected areas conforming to different ecosystems, and setting up of adequate management mechanism.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wildlife Of Libya Biota of Libya Wildlife by country, Libya