Wadi Bani Awf, eastern Oman Photograph by Francois Delmer   Southwestern Asia: Northern part of Oman Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands   9,800 square miles (25,500 square kilometers) -- about the size of Maryland Critical/Endangered

· Life on the Arabian Peaks<
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Life on the Arabian Peaks<

Just to the east of Saudi Arabia lies the country of Oman--a place where coastal regions on the Arabian Sea give way to desert and then to the highest mountain range in eastern Arabia. These spectacular mountains, called the Al Hajar al Gharbi range, feature dramatic peaks and precipices. They also support a remarkable variety of life forms, from fig trees to vultures to mountain gazelles.

Special Features

The Al Hajar mountains rise up out of the surrounding desert, reaching a maximum height of 9,834 feet (2,980 m) on Jebal Akdar, or Green Mountain. December to March are the coolest months on Jebal Akdar, and the season when violent thunderstorms, rain, hail, and even snow are common. Temperatures increase from April to September, with occasional rain and thunderstorms. In the foothills of the Al Hajar mountains, temperatures are higher than on Jebal Akdar's peaks, but rainfall is also more unpredictable.

	Egyptian vultures sometimes wait around a dead animal until lappet-faced vultures arrive. Why? Only lappet-faced vultures are strong enough to tear through the hide of a large animal.

Wild Side

If you climb up the mountains of the Al Hajar range, you'll pass from shrubby vegetation to extremely rich communities at mid-elevations to woodland vegetation between 3,630 to 8,250 feet (1,100 to 2,500 m) and finally to the high elevation zone where large junipers dot the landscape. Wild goats called Arabian tahrs scramble nimbly up and down the steep slopes. Several endemic species of geckos clamber over the rocks. Lappet-faced vultures soar overhead, while Egyptian spiny mice scurry across the ground. Small numbers of striped hyenas, wild cats, Arabian wolves, mountain gazelles, and chestnut-bellied sandgrouse are among the many other inhabitants of this high elevation ecoregion. Graceful prinias and Arabian babblers make quick flights among bushes. Purple sunbirds and Indian rollers perch colorfully in acacia trees.

Cause for Concern

Throughout the Al Hajar range, vegetation is threatened by heavy grazing by goats, domesticated camels, and feral donkeys. Housing developments, road building, and mining all threaten the native habitats. The Arabian tahr is threatened by competition from domestic goats. And illegal hunting, while on the decline, has historically reduced many populations, including the Arabian leopard, which is now extinct from this region.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.