Hooved Mammals:
Camels "The Ship of the desert" as it has been referred to by successive generations of Bedouins in the Arabian deserts. This is the most important animal in the history of the Arabs. It was only after the Arabs domesticated this hooved mammal around 1000 BC that the Arab cutlure started to take off. It is because of this animal that they then went on to create one the largest empires in the history of man. As with all nomadic peoples, the Bedouins depended on this animal in every aspect of life. From drinking its milk and eating its meat, to making tents and winter clothing from its hide. It is by the number of camels that one's wealth is determined around these parts. The most important function of the camel for the Bedouin however has been transportation. Many poems were written about its stamina and the vast stretches of land it can cover in one day. The camel is also a symbol of stamina amongst all Arabs as it can endure for up to a fortnight without water or food.
In Ras Mohamed many camels can be seen roaming wild. They feed on the sparse vegetation that is found here of which the lower acacia tree leaves are a favorite.
Dorcas GazelleThe Dorcas gazelle or the gazella dorcas is from the bovidae family. It is the smallest gazelle in the world which reaches a maximum height of only 65cm at the shoulder and weighs between 15 to 20 kg. Not in the too distant past, these gazelles roamed the whole of Sinai in large herds. Hunting for food and loss of grazing land have driven this beautiful animal to the brink of extinction, along with the Arabian gazelle, gazella gazella.
Both sexes of the dorcas gazelle have long lyre-shaped horns (the longest on any gazelle), long ears and are a light fawn color to help them hide from predators in the desert landscape. Their bellies and legs are a lighter shade while the tail is very dark. Interestingly, they have the tallest limbs in comparison to their size which makes them excellent jumpers. They have also been known to reach speeds of up to 50 km an hour. The dorcas' diet here consists mainly of the lower acacias as well as some of the desert shrubs. It is a nocturnal animal to avoid the desert heat but is most active around dusk and dawn. The males are very territorial.
There is very little information about how many there are left around here but it was estimated that there were less than 40,000 left in the world (including captive populations) when they were declared endangered in 1979. It is believed that the fall in number of this gazelle as well as the Arabian gazelle has a direct adverse effect on the numbers of their predators, among of which are the larger cats that are found in the area. Since the creation of the Ras Mohamed Protectorate in 1982, hunting this animal became strictly forbidden.
Nubian Ibex This is, in fact, a wild goat that can be found in the mountainous regions of Ras Mohamed. The Nubian Ibex, otherwise known as capra ibex nubiana can live in steep sloped areas because they have split hooves that allow them to grip firmly to these rugged surfaces. It's hooves are also spongy which give it one more advantage in that it allows it to jump with comfort on almost vertical cliff walls.
Ibex males and females live in separate groups except during the fall mating season. The Nubian ibex weighs less than 100 kg with an average height at the shoulder of about 80cm. The males of this species are easily distinguished by their impressive horns which arch over their backs at a staggering overall length of up to 120 cm. The females on the other also have horns but are much shorter in length. Needless to say, the males' horns come in very handy as these males have a strong hierarchial structure were fights usually break out to ascertain dominance. Males and females live separately, meeting only during mating season. Another interesting thing about the Nubian Ibex is that older males have beards while all of them of have curiously large ears.
The Nubian Ibex is most active shortly after dawn and before sunset. Otherwise it takes shelter against the harsh desert sun in the shade of the mountains where it lives. Its diet consists of the sparse mountain vegetation but it also goes down to the wadis during the spring months to graze on the new desert grasses. This is usually the best time to see them as they otherwise inhabit the inacessible mountain areas.
Felines:
Leopard Believed by some to be extinct, still seen by others, the leopard is the biggest of the cats found in the area (although much smaller than its African cousin ). The species that occur are the Sinai Leopard, panthera pardus jarvisi, and the Arabian Leopard, panthera pardus nimr. What is for certain is that the numbers do not exceed 12. The main reason for this beautiful beast's demise is, as is almost always the case, man. Sadly, the romantic notions of indigenous Bedouin conservation do not apply to the leopard as it is seen as a menace which threatens livestock and was traditionally killed on sight. Furthermore, the spread of livestock herds have competed successfully for the grazing lands which, among many other reasons, diminished the numbers of gazelles and ibis, an important source of food for the leopard. A nocturnal animal, the leopards live in the secluded lairs in the mountainous area living off hyrax, birds, and gazelles. They are solitary animals that only meet during mating seasons . Black rosette shaped markings on their otherwise light fawn colored skin defines their appearance. The average weight of a male is 40kg.
Caracal The Caracal, also known as the Desert Lynx and African Lynx is found here in relatively higher numbers. Although not directly related to the lynx it is named so because of the dark tufts ( the longest on found on any wild cat) on its pointed ears. The caracal that occur here, is the South-West Asian lynx caracal schmitzi. It is an extremely fast animal and an excellent climber. Found mainly in the mountainous chains close to the coast, these animals are nocturnal and solitary with clearly defined ranges. It is light tan in color which helps it blend in with the desert and mountain terrain of the area. Roughly bigger than an average sized dog, it can reach length of up to one meter and averages at 15kg in weight for an adult male. A very successful hunter and a great survivor, its prey consists of birds, hyrax, gazelles, rodents, and insects. It has also been known to eat fruits and desert grasses, and can survive without water for up to fifteen days at a time, acquiring the moisture from its prey.
Sand Cat Listed as endangered, the felis margarita is small, short-legged animal with an unusually broad head and large ears set low down on the side of the head.
Sand cats are about the size of a small domestic cat and average at 45cm in length and 2.5kg in weight. They have a soft dense fur which is pale sandy brown in color. It is well suited to live in the harshest of desert climates with a dense mat of long hair between the pads of the feet. Their diet mainly consists of rodents but are also known to eat reptiles and insects. They are territorial little things and can get very aggressive amongst each other about it. They are both solitary and nocturnal. If any cat has adapted well to the desert, it is this one. The sand cat can live without drinking water as it obtains all the necessary fluids from its prey. Due to their small size, these cats fall prey to
venomous snakes and birds of prey.
Jungle cat The jungle cat, also known as felis silvestris chaus, has been reported to be seen around Ras Mohamed area although it is more prevalent in the Nile Valley and the wetlands of the North of Sinai. It can be distinguished from other wild cats by its long legs and uniform coat color, which in this area is sandy yellow. The jungle cat is generally larger than another Ras Mohamed inhabitant, the Egyptian Wildcat. It measures 75cm and an adult male can reach up to 16 KG in weight.
The jungle cat diet mainly consists of rodents but it can also eat birds, reptiles, insects and fish. This cat fares well in Egypt because it does not compete with man. On the contrary, it works to rid farm areas from rodents. Twice a year mature females give birth to an average of 6 kittens, which also helps in keeping the numbers up.
Egyptian Wildcat The last of our cats is a small one which is hardly distinguishable from the domestic cat. It is only slightly larger with a shorter, thicker tail. Believed to be the direct ancestor of the domestic cat the felis lybca, is also known as Kaffir, African desert cat, or the African Wildcat. Its coat varies from reddish or sandy yellow to tawny brown as well as grey, often with tabby markings. The coat is generally paler in the female. This cat is both nocturnal and solitary, surviving on rodents, small birds, and snakes. It is also known to eat fruit. . As was mentioned, this is a small cat which reaches lengths of up to 50cm and a weight of 5KG for the male. In the area of Ras Mohamed , it occurs in the mountains areas and the Wadis. These cats breed from January to March producing litters of up to seven kittens. Although fairly abundant, the biggest problem they face is that they readily interbreed with the domestic cat. With the nearby Sharm-el-Sheikh growing by the day. Many new residents are bring along their kitties from the Nile Valley who seem to be taking a fancy to the local wild population. This is a serious threat and unless some effective measures are taken, the pure Egyptian Wildcat in Sinai will disappear in favor of the domestic feril.
Canines:
Fennec Fox If you do not see any other animals while in Ras Mohamed, then this is the little fellow we are most certain that you will encounter! Otherwise known as Vulpes Fennecus zerda the fennec is a tiny little fox which is endemic to the area. It is the smallest canine ever with a maximum length of 40cm. Its weight at its maximum is a mere 1.5KG
The fennec is often described as being related to bat-eared foxes, because of its large ears and round pupils. Like most foxes, the fennec has a very bushy tail and thick, luxurious fur which, as a nocturnal animal, keeps it warm in the freezing desert nights. The fennec is extremely well adapted for its environment in other aspects as well. With thick fur padding around their feet to help them tolerate the hot sand, their fur is light sand colored with a black tip on the tail and a black spot on the rump. This helps it blend in with the desert sand and reflects desert heat, while its relatively large ears help it funnel the slightest sounds to locate its prey. This usually consists of insects, small rodents, reptiles, as well as fruits and leaves. They are very agile which helps them catch their prey
Fennecs live in burrows under rocks and the roots of brushes. They live in packs consisting of a dominant male and a number of females. They are territorial, marking their range by fecal piles and urine.The fennec fox can survive for long periods without drinking water, relying instead on the moisture from its food.
Grey WolfThis wolf, which is found all over North America, Europe, the Arctic, and Asia is also found here at Ras Mohamed albeit in very few numbers. Less than forty to be more precise. The sub-species that is found here is the Eurasian canis lupus arabs. It is a very unfortunate pack animal as it has suffered, and is still suffering the same fate as all other grey wolves that competed with shepherds for their livestock and lost. To this date there is still no specific formal protection for those odd 40 wolves in Egypt.
Although the grey wolf is the largest of all wild canids, this fellow that is found here is the smallest of all the canis lupus. The average male weighs about 19kg compared to the average 55kg of the larger grey wolves. In fact it is not even grey at all. It is light sandy in color with a relatively thin coat which makes it blend in with the desert and at the same time aids it to tolerate its heat. This wolf is an extremely social animal which lives in complex structured packs which usually have an alpha male and female. It is nocturnal to avoid the heat of the sun and sustains itself on hares, smaller rodents, and hyraxes. Although this wolf can go for longer periods of time without water, it still needs to drink. This usually brings it into areas where it inevitably has contact with humans, and as a result, leads to its demise.
Sand Fox Now here is a fox that is extremely well adapted to the harshest of what the desert life has to offer. The Sand fox, also known as Rüepell's fox or vulpes rueppellii is only slightly bigger then the fennec with an average body weight of about 2.5 kg and a body length of about 50 cm. It is only about 25 cm high at the shoulder.It has a very soft, light sandy, almost silvery gray coat with a whitish belly that also helps it blend in the desert landscape. There are some distinctive black markings on its face. The Sand fox has large ears but are not as proportionally large as the fennec's. It has short legs. This fox is found in both the wadis and the open beach areas at Ras Mohamed. It is mainly a nocturnal animal but can sometimes be seen wondering on the beach in the the late afternoons. During the midday sun, the sand fox escapes the heat by resting in underground dens which they change frequently. As far as is known, this fox is monogamous but pairs sometimes live in larger family packs within a somewhat defined territorial home range. Its diet mainly consists of insects, lizards and rodents but is also known to eat some spring desert grasses which are found in the wadis.
Red FoxThis is the largest of our foxes here at Ras Mohamed. The Red Fox is a great survivor which can be found all over the northern hemisphere and were even introduced to Australia in the 19th century where they thrive today. The sub species found here is the vulpes vulpes arabica It is brownish pale red in color and averages at 4.5 kg in weight. The eyes of the mature fox are yellow in color. This fox is a solitary animal with well defined home ranges. Its diet consists of rodents, birds, as well as some desert vegetation. They are most active at night chosing to overtake larger rodents' dens to escape the desert heat in the day. However they can also been seen at the beaches of Ras Mohamed and have now become so acustomed to people that they will approach you looking for food and water. You should give them water, if you have any to spare.
