Terrestrial and marine vertebrates
3.2 Class Mammalia
Table 8: List of surviving mammals of Kuwait.
The mammals of Kuwait include some 29 species in six orders (Carnivora, Cetacea Chiroptera, Eulipotyphla, Lagomorpha and Rodentia) (Table 8, Figure 10-13). Species of order Rodentia constitutes the highest number. Cowan (2013) gave the most comprehensive review on the
mammals of Kuwait. He listed 25 species of confirmed presence, four are uncommon or rare visitors, seven used to occur and are considered by now extinct (Table 9), and two are of doubtful provenance.
Order Commmon name Species
Eulipotyphla Long-eared hedgehog Hemiechinus auritus (Gmelin 1770) Ethiopian hedgehog Paraechinus aethiopicus (Ehrenberg 1833) Chiroptera Naked-rumped tomb bat Taphozous nudiventris Cretzschmar 1830
Trident leaf-nosed bat Asellia tridens ( E. Geoffroy 1813) Kuhl,s pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl 1819)
Carnivora Red fox Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus 1758)
Honey badger Mellivora capensis (Schreber 1776) Indian grey mongoose Herpestes edwardsi (E. Geoffroy 1818)
Wildcat Felis silvestris (Schreber 1777)
Sand cat Felis margarita (Loche 1858)
Cetacea Sei whale Balaenoptera borealis Lesson 1828
Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus 1758) False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens (Owen 1846) Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin Sousa chinensis (Osbeck 1765) Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus (Ehrenberg 1833)
Finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides (G. Cuvier 1829)
Lagomorpha Cape hare Lepus capensis (Linnaeus 1758)
Rodentia Indian crested porcupine Hystrix indica Kerr 1792
Euphrates jerboa Allactaga euphratica Thomas 1881 Lesser jerboa Jaculus jaculus (Linnaeus 1758)
Black rat Rattus rattus (Linnaeus 1758)
Brown rat Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout 1769)
House mouse Mus musculus Linnaeus 1758
Baluchistan gerbil Gerbillus nanus Blanford 1875 Wagner,s gerbil Gerbillus dasyurus (Wagner 1842) Cheesman,s gerbil Gerbillus cheesmani Thomas 1919 Indian gerbil Tatera indica (Hardwicke 1807) Libyan jird Meriones libycus Lichtenstein 1823 Sundevall,s jird Meriones crassus Sundevall 1842
Figure 10: Some mammals from Kuwait. Long-eared Hedgehog, Hemiechinus auritus (Photos from Abdul Al-Azizi Al Yousef).
Table 9: Extinct mammals of Kuwait and their IUCN conservation status.
Common name Species IUCN Global
Status IUCN Regional Status
Wolf Canis lupus Linnaeus 1758 LC LC
Caracal Caracal caracal (Schreber 1776) LC NT
Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus (Schreber 1776) VU EN
Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx (Pallas 1777) VU EN
Saudi gazelle Gazella saudiya (Carruthers and Schwarz 1935) EX
Fennec fox Vulpes zerda (Zimmermann 1780) LC LC
Dugong Dugong dugon (Müller, 1776) VU
The ecology of the Lesser Jerboa, Jaculus jaculus, was studied in Al-Jalia area (Eissa et al., 1975) and Kabd (Al–Mutairi et al., 2012). Harrison
& Bates (1991) mentioned records of Pipistrellus kuhlii based on specimens at the British Museum of Natural History (BMNH). Cheesman (1921) described the subspecies Felis silvestris iraki from
northern Kuwait. Dickson (1949) reported the Caracal from Kuwait. Clayton (1991) recovered Meriones libycus, Jaculus jaculus and Gerbillus cheesmani from the Little Owl pellets in Kuwait.
Al-Khalifa et al. (2012) reported the Red Fox, vulpes vulpes, Al Wafra area. Vesey-Fitzgerald (1953) reported on the rodents of Kuwait.
Figure 12: Some mammals from Kuwait. The Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes (Photo from Faisal Al Nomas).
Table 5: Threatened marine mammals reported from Kuwait and their IUCN conservation status.
Common name Species IUCN Global Status
Sei whale Balaenoptera borealis EN
Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus EN
False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens NT
Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin Sousa chinensis VU
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus DD
Finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides VU
Dugong Dugong dugon VU
Other studies on the ectoparasites of rodents included distributional data (Al-Taqi et al., 1983) and endoparasites, whereas the nematode, Ab-breviata kuwaitensis, was described from Gerbil-lus cheesmani and Meriones crassus (Damian &
Behbahani, 1982). Al-Karmi & Behbehani (1980)
described new species of nematodes (Seuratum kuwaitensis and Spirura auriti) from the Long-eared Hedgehog, Hemiechinus auritus, from Ku-wait. Zaghloul et al. (1986) studied the biology and parasites of the Indian Gerbil, Tatera indica. Salit et al. (1986) studied in details the morphology and Figure 13: Cheesman,s Gerbil, Gerbillus cheesmani (Photos from Abdul Al-Azizi Al Yousef).
References
Al-Abdulrazzak, D. and Pauly, D. (2017). ‘Reconstructing historical baselines for the Persian/Arabian Gulf Dugong, Dugong dugon (Mammalia: Sirena) ’. Zoology in the Middle East 63:95-102.doi.or g/10.1080/09397140.2017.1315853
Al-Karmi, T. and Behbehani, K. (1980). ‘Epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in Kuwait. II. Toxoplasma gondii in the desert rodent, Meriones crassus’. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 74:745-746.doi:10.1016/0035-9203(80)90191-1
Khalil, L.F. and Abdul-Salam, J. (1985). ‘Helminth parasites of the hedgehog, Hemiechinus auritus in Kuwait with description of two new nematodes Seuratum kuwaitensis and Spirura auriti’. Jour-nal of the University of Kuwait (Science) 12:113-127.
Al–Mutairi, M., Mata, F. and Bhuller, R. (2012).‘The effect of habitat degradation, season and gender on morphological parameters of lesser jerboas (Jaculus jaculus L.) in Kuwait’. Animal Biodiversity
& Conservation 35:119-124.
Al-Taqi, M.and Al-Ziady, S. (1983). ‘Ectoparasites of rodents in Kuwait’. Proceedings of the 1st Sympo-sium on Recent Advances in Rodent Control 107-114.
Bard, F.M. and Asker, R. L. (1984). ‘Prevalence of non-Robertsonian polymorphism in the gerbil Gerbil-lus cheesmani from Kuwait’. Genetica 52: 17–22.doi.org/10.1007/BF00121809.
Bishop, J.M. and Alsaffar, A.H. (2008). ‘Quantitative observations on marine mammals and reptiles of Kuwait’s Boubyan Island‘. Zoology in the Middle East 43:1:3-12.doi.org/10.1080/09397140.20 08.10638263
Clayton, D. and Wells, K. (1987). Discovering Kuwait’s Wildlife. Fahed Al-Marzouk Press, Kuwait.
Clayton, D. and Pilcher, C. (1983). Kuwait’s Natural History: An Introduction. Kuwait, Oil Co. Ltd., Kuwait.
Clayton, D. A. (1991). ‘The Little Owl Athene noctua and its food in Kuwait‘. Sandgrouse 13: 2-6.
Cowan, P.J. (2013). ‘An annotated checklist of the mammals of Kuwait’. Sultan Qaboos University Jour-nal for Science 18:19-24.
Damian, E. and Behbahani, B. (1982). ‘Abbreviata (Abbreviata) kuwaitensis a parasiticnematode of rodents in Kuwait’. Proceedings of the 1st Symposium on Recent Advances in Rodent Control 115-134.
Eissa, S.M., El-Ziyadi, S.M. and Ibrahim, M.M. (1975). ‘Autecology of the jerboa Jaculus jaculus inhabit-ing Al-Jalia desert area, Kuwait’. Journal of the University of Kuwait (Science) 2: 111-120.
Green, AA. (1986). ‘Status of large mammals of northern Saudi Arabia’. Mammalia 50:483-94.doi.
org/10.1515/mamm.1986.50.4.483
Harrison, D.L. and Bates, P.J.J. (1991). Mammals of Arabia. Harrison Zoological Museum. Kent, UK.
Khalil, L.F., Hassounah, O. and Behbehani, K. (1979). ‘Helminth parasites of rodents in Kuwait with the description of a new species Abbreviata kuwaitensis (Nematoda: Physalopteridae)’. Systematic Parasitology 1:67–73. doi.org/10.1007/BF00009775
Preen, A. (2004). ‘Distribution, abundance and conservation status of dugongs and dolphins in the southern and western Arabian Gulf’. Biological Conservation 118: 205-218.doi.org/10.1016/j.
biocon.2003.08.014
Salit, A.M., Omar, T. and Zaghloul, T.M. (1986). ‘The Indian Gerbil, Tatera indica, in Kuwait: morphol-ogy, ecology and control’. Proceedings of the 2nd Symposium on Recent Advances in Rodent Control 63-72.
Vesey-Fitzgerald, D. (1953). ‘Notes on some rodents from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait’. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society 51: 424-428.
Zaghloul, T.M., Zakaria, M. and Salit, A.M. (1986). ‘The Indian Gerbil, Tatera indica, in Kuwait: Biotoxic studies, ectoparasites and endoparasite infection’. Proceedings of the 2nd Symposium on Re-cent Advances in Rodent Control 53-62.
Perhaps the birds of Kuwait were the most investigated group. This is mostly due to interest of local and foreign birdwatchers in Kuwait. Several papers included data on the Kuwait birds (Haynes, 1979; Pilcher, 1992, 1994 &1996; Cleere et al., 2000; Cowan & Pilcher, 2003; Ramadan et al., 2004). The birds of Al Jahara Protected area was
studied with details on migrant and resident birds (Al–Saqer, 2003). A comprehensive study on four species of desert larks in Kuwait was published by Brown (2009). Cowan (1990) and Bom & al-Nasrallah (2015) and studied the biology the Crab Plovers on Bubiyan Islands.
Figure 14: Books on the birds of Kuwait.
)Photo from Faisal Al Nomas(
Year Title in Arabic Authors Publisher
1987 ةيعيبرلا تيوكلا رويط زيافلا ردب تيوكلا ،ةلاسرلا عباطم
1999 تيوكلا رويط يويرلجا لعشم قورشلا عباطم
2002 روصم لجس-تيوـكلا روـيط يواريدسلا زيزعلا دبع ةيزوف و دادلحا قداص هللا دبع ةيتيوكلا تاساردلاو ثوحبلا زكرم 2008 تيوكلا رويط نانسلا ةمطاف جارخإو موسر , نماغلا لمأ ةيتيوكلا تاساردلاو ثوحبلا زكرم So far, 412 species, including 18 subspecies
of birds in 65 families (Figures 15-19) have been recorded from Kuwait according to observations published by BirdLife International and Kuwait Birds (www.kuwaitbirds.org/birds) (Annex 1). Only 33 species are considered resident. In 2013, Al Sareea’ et al (2013) listed 384 species of birds in Kuwait. Pope & Zogaris (2012) listed 390 species and 17 subspecies in Kuwait. The most recent book on the birds of Kuwait was published by Daunicht (2018). It includes accounts and details
on the conservation status for each species (Figure 14).
Several books were published on the birds of Kuwait. Local books were published on the birds of Kuwait (Table 11). The first book in Arabic and English was published by Alfadhel (2005). Gregory (2005) published at the same time his book on the birds of the Sate of Kuwait. Al Nasrallah (2011) published a book of birds of the Sabah Al-Ahmad Natural Reserve.
Table 11: Books on the birds of Kuwait in Arabic.
Of the 415 bird species reported from Kuwait, 27 have IUCN conservation status (Figures 15-19). The Sociable Lapwing is listed as critically endangered, Egyptian Vulture, the Saker Falcon
and Basra Reed Warbler are listed as endangered, 14 are considered as near threatened while nine are vulnerable (Table 12). For regional assessment see (Symes et al., 2015).
Figure 15: Birds of Kuwait. A female feeding its chicks (Photos from Abdul Al-Azizi Al Yousef).
Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis
ليذلا ليوط طبلا
VUSooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus
محافلا ءالما ملج
NTLesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor
ريغصلا ماحنلا
NTEgyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
ةيرصلما ةمخرلا
ENCinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus
دوسلأا رسنلا
NTPallid Harrier Circus macrourus
ةتهابلا ةزرلما
NTRed-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus
عئاشلا قيزبلا
NTSooty Falcon Falco concolor
مخسلأا رقصلا
NTSaker Falcon Falco cherrug
رلحا رقصلا
ENSociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius
يعامتجلإا قازقزلا
CEGreat Snipe Gallinago media
ريبكلا بقنشلا
NTBlack-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
ةيناطلس ةقيوقب
NTEurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
ريبكلا ءالما ناورك
NTBlack-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni
حانلجا دوسأ رسيلا وبأ
NTEuropean Roller Coracias garrulus
يبرولأا قارقشلا
NTBasra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis
ةيرصبلا بصقلا ةلخد
EN Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquataقوطلما هبش بابذلا فطاخ
NT Eastern Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea semenowiيقرشلا يروسلا ريعشلا لبلب
NTDalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus
ءاردكلا ةعجبلا
VULappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos
نوذلأا رسن
VUGreater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga