Selja Gorges (from the traditionnal transcription fr. ''Gorges de Selja'') or the Thelja Gorges as more recently transcribed from Arabic (arabic حلق الثالجة) are located in southern Tunisia in

Gafsa Governorate Gafsa Governorate ( ') is one of the 24 governorates of Tunisia. It is situated in central Tunisia, bordering Algeria. It covers an area of 7807 km2 and has a population of 337,331 (2014 census).Redeyef Redeyef ( ar, الرّدَيِّف ') is a town and commune in the Gafsa Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 26,143.phosphate In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthophosphoric acid . The phosphate or orthophosphate ion is derived from phospho ...

deposits.

Ramsar Wetland

The Gorges are a several kilometers long natural valley with deep ravines through which the Thelja Wadi runs a very sinuous course towards the Chott El Gharsa. The surroundings are mountainous and arid and form a part of the Djebels of the Saharan Atlas (with an altitude between 210m and 450m). An area of 675 ha is protected as Ramsar wetland, where the wadi's waters are present all year around (albeit with a very small flowrate). The site contains 45 types of plants and trees among which: esparto or "alfa" grass

Macrochloa tenacissima ''Stipa tenacissima'' (esparto, esparto grass, halfah grass, alfa grass, or needle grass) is a perennial grass of northwestern Africa and the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. Distribution ''Stipa tenacissima'' is an endemic species of th ...

, compact rush

Juncus conglomeratus ''Juncus conglomeratus'', known commonly as compact rush, is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant species in the rush family Juncaceae.Tamarix gallica ''Tamarix gallica'', the French tamarisk, is a deciduous, herbaceous, twiggy shrub or small tree reaching up to about 5 meters high. It is indigenous to Saudi Arabia and the Sinai Peninsula, and very common around the Mediterranean region. It i ...

, caper

Capparis spinosa ''Capparis spinosa'', the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers. The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), used as a seasoning ...

, le Batoum, canes

Arundo donax ''Arundo donax'' is a tall perennial cane. It is one of several so-called reed species. It has several common names including giant cane, elephant grass, carrizo, arundo, Spanish cane, Colorado river reed, wild cane, and giant reed. ''Arundo'' an ...

and bridal broom Retama monosper The most noticeable animals are the endangered Golden Eagle

Aquila chrysaetos The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...

and the lizard

Uromastyx acanthinura ''Uromastyx'' is a genus of African and Asian agamid lizards, the member species of which are commonly called spiny-tailed lizards, uromastyces, mastigures, or dabb lizards. Lizards in the genus ''Uromastyx'' are primarily herbivorous, but occasi ...

, known for its ability to wistand extreme desert conditions. In addition, the following animals are encountered in the area and justify the need to protect their habitats: the spotted hyena

Crocuta crocuta The spotted hyena (''Crocuta crocuta''), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus ''Crocuta'', native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUC ...

, the extremely rare Rüppell's sand fox Vulpes rueppellii, the African wildcat Felis silvestris lybica, the Tunisian (or Nabeul) tortoise ''Testudo graeca nabeulensis'', the

desert monitor The desert monitor (''Varanus griseus'') is a species of monitor lizard of the order Squamata found living throughout North Africa and Central and South Asia. The desert monitor is carnivorous, feeding on a wide range of vertebrates and inverteb ...

''Varanus griseus'', the long-nosed leopard lizard

Gambelia wislizenii The long-nosed leopard lizard (''Gambelia wislizenii'') is a species of relatively large North American lizard in the family Crotaphytidae. ''Gambelia wislizenii'' ranges in snout-to-vent length (SVL) from . It has a large head, a long nose, a ...

, the

European turtle dove The European turtle dove (''Streptopelia turtur'') is a member of the bird family Columbidae, the doves and pigeons. It breeds over a wide area of the south western Palearctic including north Africa but migrates to northern sub-Saharan Africa t ...

''Streptopelia turtur,'' the

European bee-eater The European bee-eater (''Merops apiaster'') is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in southern and central Europe, northern and southern Africa, and western Asia. Except for the resident southern African populatio ...

''merops apiaster'', the

Montpellier snake ''Malpolon monspessulanus'', commonly known as the Montpellier snake, is a species of mildly venomous rear-fanged snake. Geographic range It is very common in Spain, Portugal and Northwest Africa, being also present in the southern Mediterranean ...

''Malpolon monspessulanus, The'' Moorish viper ''(Daboia mauritanica)'' and the Saharan horned viper ''Cerastes cerastes'' For birds, in addition to the endangered golden eagle, the gorges also host the

Eurasian eagle-owl The Eurasian eagle-owl (''Bubo bubo'') is a species of eagle-owl that resides in much of Palearctic, Eurasia. It is also called the Uhu and it is occasionally abbreviated to just the eagle-owl in Europe. It is one of the largest species of owl, ...

(Bubo bubo), the

Barbary partridge The Barbary partridge (''Alectoris barbara'') is a gamebird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae) of the order Galliformes. It is native to North Africa. Distribution The Barbary partridge has its main native range in North Africa, and is also na ...

''Alectoris barbara,'' the rock dove ''Columba livia,'' the European turtle dove (''Streptopelia turtur''), the crag martin (''Ptyonoprogne rupestris'') and the collared

sand martin The sand martin (''Riparia riparia''), also known as the bank swallow (in the Americas), collared sand martin, or common sand martin, is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the w ...

(''Riparia riparia'') The site is potentially threatened by pollution as a result of the mining activities carried out upstream and constructions related to tourism, but it is part of a presidential programme created in 2009 to preserve the biotopes, reinforce the biological diversity, encourage ecological tourism, and support scientific research and tourism.

Railway line

In 1896, a railway line was built to link the port of

Sfax Sfax (; ar, صفاقس, Ṣafāqis ) is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD849 on the ruins of Berber Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 955,421 inhabitants in 2014), and a Mediterranean ...

and the town of Gabes (where the phosphate ore was processed) with the mining town of

Métlaoui Métlaoui ( aeb, متلوي ') is a town and commune in the Gafsa Governorate, Tunisia. In 2014 it had a population of 38,634.Redeyef Redeyef ( ar, الرّدَيِّف ') is a town and commune in the Gafsa Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 26,143. File:Red butte, Selja gorges, Tunisia.jpg, Red butte along the railway line File:Selja02(js).jpg, Tourists on the "Red Lizard" train, 2012 Gorges de Selja 28.jpg, Selja Gorges 2016

References

External links

* Gallery of flooded gorges, JakPrzetrwac.p

Geography of Tunisia Ramsar sites in Tunisia {{Tunisia-geo-stub