Endangered Animals in the Sahara
The life in the Sahara is not like any other. When people think of the Sahara they think of a scorching hot desert with sand and cacti. Maybe some camels but nothing really else.
The Sahara is home to just around 260 species of different animals. Whether its mammals or reptiles. Out of these animals, there are many that are going endangered or even extinct. Today we are going to focus on endangered animals in the Sahara. The definition of endangered is at risk of extinction. Basically, you go endangered before extinct. Animals become endangered from two main ways: loss of habitat, or reproduction loss.
Animals in the Sahara may become endangered in the Sahara because of loss of habitat. For this case, in the Sahara it may be because of its climate. In the beginning many became endangered then extinct shortly after due to its hot weather and little water and food in certain places. Also, reproduction is a big reason why many animals become endangered. This is when there are only females or even males, then they cannot reproduce.
Now we are going to focus on three different animals in the Sahara and see how they became endangered, and what their life is like now.
The first endangered animal is the Addax antelope. Right now, this is the most endangered animal in the Sahara. These animals are usually white and have spiral/screw horns. These animals are critically endangered. There are only three roaming around in the wild. However, there are around 2,000 in zoos and on ranches all over the world. Males tend to weigh 220 to 300 pounds. Females weigh around 170 to 200 pounds. Males and females both have long spiral horns. These horns are usually around 30 inches long. Some can even get up to 43 inches long! All Addax’s have long flat hooves that almost act as shoes. Their hooves keep them from sinking in the sand. Most Addax’s also have mostly white coats of fur which keep them cool by reflecting from the sunlight. They usually live in the parts of the Sahara where more of the flat lands are. They prefer hard packed sands that also provide vegetation. Addax’s are herbivores, they only eat plants. They don’t need to worry about finding bodies of water because they normally get water through the plants they eat.
The next endangered animal is the Saharan cheetah. They are also known as the Northwest African cheetah. These cheetahs are usually different in appearance than other African cheetahs. There coat is shorter and almost white in color. They have spots that fade black, but nearly no spots on their face. The cheetah population is estimated to only have around 457 Saharan cheetahs left. This was recorded in 2012 so we have lost more since then. Sarah Durant says it could be as low as 250 nowadays. These cheetahs have a life span from 10–12 years, and are also carnivores. They weigh 77–143 pounds. The Saharan Cheetah’s main reason on why it is becoming endangered is because they are at a loss of habitat.
The third endangered animal is the Fennec Fox. Right now, most desert foxes in the Sahara are starting to become endangered, but today we are going to focus on the Fennec Fox. It’s scientific name is the Vulpes Zerda. The fennec fox is an omnivore. They not only eat plants, but also eat rodents, eggs, reptiles, and insects. They also have the ability to go a long time without water. They also only weighs 2–3 pounds! They are the smallest fox in all of the world, but what makes the animal a little bigger is its 6 long inch ears. Their batlike ears radiate body heat and help keep them cool. Their long thick hair keeps them warm during the cold nights, and protects them from the sun in the day. Even their feet have fur to protect them from the hot sand. The fox’s feet are also like shovels, fennec fox’s dig often. They even live in underground dens. Fennec foxes are becoming endangered because of tourism and development. They are only a Least Concern according to Conservation Status.
The last endangered animal we are going to talk about today is the African Wild Dog. These animals are pretty endangered, only around 3,000 left. They are now mainly found in national parks or in the Sahara. African Wild Dogs can grow up to 110 cm in height, just like an average medium sized domestic dog. Each African Wild Dog has splotchy marks, and no dogs markings are the same. Their different marking help other dogs identify the individual. These dogs travel in packs usually up to ten. The average life span is 11 years for these dogs. They are known for being the most endangered predator. These animals are endangered because it is at a loss for habitat due to human overpopulation, diseases like rabies, and threats from lions and hyenas.
In conclusion, these are just some animals in the Sahara that are endangered and soon becoming extinct. In my next blog, I will talk about more animals that are actually extinct in the Sahara. Hopefully you learned some things about the endangered animals in the Sahara.
