Near Sur, Oman Photograph by Chris Bannister   Arabian Peninsula: Oman and United Arab Emirates Deserts and Xeric Shrublands   24,100 square miles (62,400 square kilometers) -- about the size of West Virginia Critical/Endangered

· An Array of Arabian Habitats
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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An Array of Arabian Habitats

You can explore a wide variety of habitats if you visit the Gulf of Oman Desert and Semi-Desert ecoregion. Mangrove forests hug part of the coasts. Acacia trees dot the savanna plains. And high mountains overlook the Arabian Gulf. Not surprisingly, this diversity of habitats translates into a great diversity of wildlife inhabiting this semi-desert region.

Special Features

Temperatures in this ecoregion are generally very high, reaching up to 120° F (49° C) in July. Rainfall is low, especially in the lower elevations, but humidity is high. Most of the ecoregion lies in Oman, but a portion extends into the United Arab Emirates. The ecoregion includes large stretches of desert, a number of small islands in the Arabian Gulf, the mud flats off Bar al Hikman, sandy beaches with mangroves in inlets called khors, plains, and water courses from the mountains called wadis.

	Masirah Island, located in this ecoregion, contains the world's largest nesting population of loggerhead turtles. An estimated 23,000-30,000 females nest here every year!

Wild Side

A birdwatcher's paradise, this ecoregion has been visited by at least 400 bird species. Many of them are migratory birds traveling between Africa and Asia that find ideal nesting and feeding sites in the region's many lagoons, mud flats, khors, and mangrove stands. A subspecies of the white-collared kingfisher lives here, as does a large population of the Socotra cormorant. Mammals of the region include Arabian leopards, the Arabian tahr, Arabian wildcat, caracal, Blanford's fox, red fox, and mountain gazelle. Four sea turtles nest on the coast--green turtles, hawksbill turtles, olive ridley turtles, and loggerhead turtles. Indian bark geckos live in a few woodland areas. The region also supports many unique plants with interesting adaptations to high salt levels, high temperatures, and low rainfall.

Cause for Concern

Grazing by camels and goats has degraded much of this region's vegetation. Hunting has depleted populations of Arabian leopards, Arabian tahrs, and caracals. Oils spills threaten the entire coastline. And off-road driving damages vegetation in inland areas as well as bird and turtle nesting sites on beaches.

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