other wildlife 
One could safely say that Abu Simbil, or for that matter the whole of 
Lake Nasser, is ruled at night by the Horned Viper Cerastes cerastes. 
Thousands of tracks of this snake are to be found almost everwhere in 
the vicinity of the lake. 
Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus, Nile Monitor Varanus niloticus and 
Nile Soft-shelled Turtle Trionix triunguis form an important part of the 
fauna of the region. In June 1990, two large (2-3 m) Nile Crocodiles 
were seen in the vicinity of Abu Simbil, and the shells of two Soft- 
shelled Turtles were found with local fishermen (length 50-75 cm). 
At more desolate khors, some Dorcas Gazelle Gazella dorcas mi^ht 
congregate, and Jackals Canis aureus and Striped Hyaenas Hyaena 
hyaena might be found. 
References 
Baha ElDn, S and Baha El Din, M 19S9. Avian pests at Lake Nasser. Unpublished 
report presented to Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture. 
Goodman, SM and Meininger, PL (eds) 1989. The birds of Egypt. Oxford 
University Press, Oxford. 
Goodman, SM, Meininger, PL, and Mullie, WC 1986. The birds of the Egyptian 
Western Desert. Miscellaneous Publications of the University of Michigan 
Museum of Zoology, 172. 
Sherifand Mindy Baha El Din, Executive Business Services, 
Cairo Marriott Hotel PO Box 33, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt 
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