Animals in Oman

>Plants  >Animals  >Climate   >Geology  >Water

Whoever is travelling in Oman quickly succumbs to the false impression that the animal world consists only of camels, goats and the large herds of cattle in Dhofar. Many of the animals live in hiding, some of them are even threatened with extinction.

Sultan Qaboos immediately issued a ban on hunting when he took office and reintroduced the oryx antelope, which was already extinct in the wild. Nature reserves were also established for other endangered species, such as the Arab tahr.

The sea off the coast of Oman is very rich in species. Whales and especially dolphins can often be observed here. The beaches of Masirah Island and Ras al Jinz are designated nature reserves for sea turtles.  

Many of Oman's animals are only active at night; in the desert, for example, the attentive observer can spot the tracks of many caterpillars, scorpions and snakes. Although many snake species are venomous, they are rare, very shy and therefore pose little danger. There are also wild hares, Arabian wolves, foxes and even leopards in the mountains in the various regions of Oman. However, the chance of spotting the latter is much lower than winning the lottery.

Oman's diverse world of birds is also particularly noteworthy. There are now a number of interesting specialised books on this subject.