5
coastal waters of the region, and it is certain that more species will
be discovered over time. Because of the difficulty of observing these
marine creatures in the wild state, we decided reluctantly to omit
them from this book.
Mammal watching can be tricky. Many of the smaller species
- bats, shrews and small rodents – are nocturnal, secretive and
rarely seen. Yet from time to time you will encounter some of
these fascinating creatures. All the larger mammals occurring in
the region are covered here, as well as selected smaller species that
are representative and typical of their genus or family. Among the
smaller species included are diurnal animals (which are more easily
seen than nocturnal ones), and nocturnal species that are distinctive
enough to enable you to at least decide to which family your sighting
belongs. It is difficult to identify the species of, for example, a jerboa
you might see at night, but armed with this guide you will at least be
able to pin it down to the group of ‘mini-kangaroo-like’ rodents. Some
rodent groups lend themselves to this kind of coverage, but others are
nondescript, obscure and limited in their distribution – these have not
been included, although we have presented a few examples of such
groups to at least let you identify broad groupings, such as horseshoe
and free-tailed bats in the bats group.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
This book has been compiled to enable easy identification of the larger
and more conspicuous mammals of the countries in the region. A
few smaller species have also been included. Photographs illustrate
differences between the sexes where necessary, and portray young
where they differ significantly from adults.
Measurements used for the species are: total length (nose tip
to tail tip) for smaller species, shoulder height for larger mammals,
wingspan for bats and weight. Identification, habitat and behaviour, and
distribution and status are included under separate headings in all major
species descriptions. An indication of where a species is known to occur
in conservation areas is provided at the end of most accounts. Here
acronyms have been used as follows: AOS, Arabian Oryx Sanctuary; CA,
Conservation Area; FR, Forest Reserve; PA, Protected Area; NP, National
Park; NR, Nature Reserve or National Reserve; NSF, National State
Forest; R, Reserve; SF, State Forest; WR, Wildlife Reserve.
The vast majority of the parks, reserves and refuges in the region
have never been fully surveyed, so in many cases only the larger
or more obvious species are known to occur in these areas. Where
relevant, the accounts also include brief descriptions of similar species
whose status in the region is uncertain.
HABITATS
This account of the principal habitats across the region is a simplified
version of the real situation. Each area comprises many different
vegetation types, but such detail is unnecessarily complex for a book
of this scope. Many mammal species are restricted to a particular
vegetation type or habitat, while others range over several types.
Some are specialists and still others generalists.