RODENTS OF LIBYA 



55 



Saharo-Sindien Region, are probably commoner in Africa south of 

 the Sahara. 



Some of the 11 genera are restricted to either the African or Asian 

 portions, but none is confined exclusively to Saudi Arabia. Genera 

 endemic to North Africa include Ctenodactylus, Massoutiera, and 

 Pachyuromys. The Asian portion of the Saharo-Sindien Region is 

 characterized by having the genera Calomyscus and Rhombomys 

 restricted to it. 



Some genera of rodents discussed above occur in adjacent parts of 

 the Eurasian (Palaearctic), Oriental, and Ethiopian (Africa south of 

 the Sahara) regions but usually are not widespread and probably 

 represent marginal invasions. On the other hand, many typical 

 Eurasian, Indian, and central African genera encroach upon various 

 parts of the Saharo-Sindien Region. In most cases, these faunal 

 encroachments have taken place in the more lush habitats provided 

 by major river systems, mountain complexes, and coastal areas or 

 have been linked with changes in the landscape wrought by man. 



The nonrodent mammalian fauna of this geographic area provides 

 strong supportive evidence for the hypothesis of a distinct Saharo- 

 Sindien Faunal Region. Of great importance is the presence in the 

 Saharo-Sindien Region of 23 endemic species of large (nonrodent) 

 mammals. Mammals that are restricted to the Saharo-Sindien Region 

 are: 



Sand fox 



Blanford's fox 



Fennec 



Libyan striped weasel 



Sand cat 



Persian fallow deer 



Addax 



Arabian oryx 



Scimitar-horned oryx 



Dorcas gazelle 



Slender-horned gazelle 



Korin or red-fronted gazelle 



Dama gazelle 



Wild goat 



Barbary sheep 



Lesser Moroccan hare 



Arabian hare 



Afghan pik;i 



Afghan hedgehog 



Ethiopian hedgehog 



Flower's shrew 



Egyptian pygmy shrew 



Egyptian giant shrew 



Vulpes ruppelli Schinz 

 Vulpes cana Blanford 

 Fennecus zerda Zimmermann 

 Poecilictis libyca Ilemprich and Ehren- 



berg 

 Felis margarita Loche 

 Dama mesopot arnica Brooke 

 Addax nasomaculatus Blainville 

 Oryx leucoryx Pallas 

 Oryx tao H. Smith 

 Gazella dorcas Linnaeus 

 Gazella leptoceros F. Cuvier 

 Gazella rufifrons Gray 

 Gazella dama Pallas 

 Capra hircus Linnaeus 

 Ammotragus lervia Pallas 

 Lepus atlanticus de Winton 

 Lepus arabicus Ehrenberg 

 Ochotona rufesccns Cray 

 Hemiechinus megalotis Blyth 

 Paraechinus aethiopicus Ehrenberg 

 Crocidura floweri Dollman 

 Crocidura religiosa Geoff roy 

 Crocidura olivieri Lesson 



