Animal Info - Somalia

Contents

Threatened Species, Environmental and Social Data (Mammals, Biodiversity/Ecosystems, Population, Area/Land Use, Protected Lands, Economy, Education), References and Links

Threatened Species

Threatened Species: The following list includes all mammals which occur in Somalia and are rated as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU) in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. 

• Critically Endangered:
  • African Wild Ass (Equus africanus).
  • Hirola (Hunter's Antelope or Hartebeest (Damaliscus hunteri).
  • Somali Golden Mole (Chlorotalpa tytonis). (Endemic to Somalia.)
• Endangered:
  • Somali Elephant Shrew (Elephantulus revoili). (Endemic to Somalia.)
• Vulnerable:
  • African Elephant (Loxodonta africana).
  • Ammodile (Gerbil Family) (Ammodillus imbellis).
  • Beira Antelope (Dorcatragus megalotis).
  • Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).
  • Dibatag (Ammodorcas clarkei).
  • Dorcas Gazelle (Gazella dorcas). 
  • Dugong (Dugong dugon).
  • Greenwood's Shrew (Crocidura greenwoodi). (Endemic to Somalia.)
  • Lion (Panthera leo).
  • Mouse-tailed Bat Species (Rhinopoma macinnesi).
  • Red Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus palliatus).
  • Silver Dikdik (Madoqua piacentinii). (Endemic to Somalia.)
  • Soemmerring's Gazelle (Gazella soemmerringii).
  • Speke's Gazelle (Gazella spekei).

Environmental and Social Data

Mammals

Total number of species: 171 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of endemic species: 11 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of threatened species: 1996: 18 (10.5 % of total species) (IUCN 1996); 2000: 19 (11.1 % of total species) (IUCN 2000)

Biodiversity/Ecosystems

Somalia contains the Horn of Africa Deserts Global 200 Ecoregion as well as portions of the East African Coastal Forests, Ethiopian Highlands, East African Mangroves, and East African Marine Ecosystems Global 200 Ecoregions (Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999)

Population

Population in 1995: 9,250,000 (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population density in 1995: 14.5 people/sq km (37.6 people/sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population in 1998: 6,841,695 (World Almanac 1999)
Average population growth rate, 1980 - 1990: 3.1 % (World Bank 1992)

Area/Land Use

Area: 637,658 sq km (246,201 sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Percentages of primary world ecosystem types:

• Other Coastal Aquatic: 11 %
• Desert and Semi-desert: 38 %
• Grass and Shrub: 36 %
• Crop and Settlements: 1 %
• Interrupted Woods: 14 %

(Groombridge 1992)

Percent of land area classified as the following degree of human disturbance: Low: 32 %, Medium: 65 %, High: 3 % (WRI 1994)

Protected Lands

Area: 1,800 sq km (695 sq mi) (Groombridge 1992)
Percent of land protected: 0 % totally protected, 0.29 % partially protected, 0.29 % totally or partially protected (Groombridge 1992)

Economy

Per capita GDP ($ U.S.) (1996): $500 (World Almanac 1999)

Education

Percent adult literacy: Female: 14 % (1990), 1 % (1970); Male: 36 % (1990), 5 % (1970) (WRI 1994)

References and Links

References: Groombridge 1992, Groombridge & Jenkins 1994, IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, IUCN 2004, Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995, Oryx 1995d, Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999, World Almanac 1999, World Bank 1992, WRI 1994

General Links (After you get to one of these sites, click on the link for Somalia): CIA World Factbook, Foreign Embassies of Washington, D.C., Library of Congress - Country Studies, University of Texas - Country Maps, Washington Post - Countries, World Resources Institute - Country Profiles

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By: Paul Massicot; Last modified: August 3, 2006; © 1999 - 2006 Animal Info