Wildlife of Djibouti
It covers an area of 3.5 square kilometres (1.4 sq mi) of Juniperus procera forest, with many of the trees rising to 20 metres (66 ft) height.
This forest area is the main habitat of the critically endangered and endemic Djibouti spurfowl,[1] and another recently noted vertebrate, Platyceps afarensis.
Thus, in Djibouti's wildlife, in the harsh terrain, forests account for less than one percent of its total land area of 23,200 square kilometres (9,000 sq mi).
[3][5][6] Pans, foothills and tidal wetlands, and Djibouti areas under the Eritrean Coastal Desert Ecoregion, though not brought under protection laws, also have some degree of wildlife of vegetation and fauna.
The Goda mountain's forests, the east face of which is part of the park, is considered a "spectacular natural oddity ... rare species of green on Djibouti's parched map like a giant oasis".
The Goda Mountains, which rise to a height of 1,783 metres (5,850 ft), lie northwest of the Gulf of Tadjoura, Afar Region and forms Djibouti's largest vegetated area.
Vegetation below 950 metres (3,120 ft), which has the benefit of better water sources, consists of Buxus hildebranti, Terminalia brownie[11] and Acacia spp.
Loss is attributed to climate change and human destruction, including fires, cattle grazing, tree felling and military exercises.
Lake Abbe, at the southern end of Djibouti, is fed by the Awash River and its tributaries, which flows from Ethiopia and local ephemeral streams.
[5] The Eritrean Coastal Desert Ecoregion stretches along the southern coast of the Red Sea from Balfair Assoli in Eritrea to Ras Bir; it forms the shores of Yemen and Djibouti funnel.
This ecoregion in Djibouti's Ras Siyyan consists of rocky terrain, old coral reefs seen during low tide, and sandy beaches.
[8] This region lies below 200 metres (660 ft), and is generally flat with sand or gravel plains interspersed with occasional outcrop of rocks.
The coastline near Ras Siyyan is a mix of rocky areas, old coral reefs that are exposed only at low tide, and sandy beaches.
The ecoregion has remained undisturbed, but degraded near populated areas and, due to hunting, is now proposed to be brought under protection laws.
Eleusine compressa), Halopeplis perfoliata, Heliotropum pterocarpum, Panicum turgidum, Salsola forskalii, Sporobolus spicatus, Suaeda monoica, Trianthema crystalline and Urochondra setulosa.
These consists mainly of three near-endemic species of reptiles, the Ogaden burrowing asp (Atractaspis leucomelas), Ragazzi's cylindrical skink (Chalcides ragazzii), and Indian leaf-toed gecko (Hemidactylus flaviviridis).
In the southern mountain range of Aser-Jog, in Djibouti, the beira antelope (Dorcatragus megalotis), an endemic and vulnerable species is reported.
The Djibouti spurfowl preferred dense African juniper woodland with a closed canopy on a plateau when this tree was in abundance.
[19] The endangered species reported are:[17] Atlantic petrel (Pterodroma incerta), Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) and saker falcon (Falco cherrug).
The near-threatened bird species are:[17] ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca), lesser flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor), Jouanin's petrel (Bulweria fallax), white-backed vulture (Gyps africanus), pallid harrier (Circus macrourus), Rueppell's griffon (Gyps rueppellii), red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus), sooty falcon (Falco concolor), corn crake (Crex crex), Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata), black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa), white-eyed gull (Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus) and European roller (Coracias garrulus).
The invertebrates species reported are: Eunidia djiboutiana; a dung beetle, Trichonotulus secquorum; Lophothericles popovi, a grasshopper; Cryncus dmitrievi, a cricket; and Euprosthenopsis vachoni, a nursery web spider.
