Animals found in Qatar

Desert Fox (Fennec Fox)

The fennec fox is a small nocturnal animal that lives in the desert. Its name comes from the Arabic word for fox (fanak). It has very big ears that help dissipate heat so that it can stay cool when it is very hot. It needs very little water to survive. It also has very sharp hearing. It can hear prey moving underground. It likes to eat small mammals, birds and even insects.

Desert Hare

The desert hare has strong legs for running and jumping. It has excellent hearing and eyesight which it uses to protect itself from predators.

Jerboa

The jerboa is a hopping desert rodent. They have excellent hearing so that they can hear predators who are hunting for them. They can run over 20 kilometres an hour!

Sand Cat

The sand cat is well adapted to the extreme heat and cold of the desert. Its feet are covered with thick fur which makes it easier for it to cope with the extreme heat in the desert.

Golden Jackal

Jackals look like wolves. They live in dens and hunt at night. Jackals hunt small mammals, birds and reptiles. They usually hunt at dawn or dusk.

Arabian Oryx

The Arabian oryx is a type of antelope. It has long straight horns and a tufted tail. Unfortunately the Arabian oryx was extinct in the wild by the 1970ties. However, it was reintroduced to the wild in the 1980ties.

Camels

Camels have always been very important in Qatar. The camels in Qatar are one-humped camels. They are called dromedaries. They are domesticated animals which provide milk, meat and hair for their owners. Their dung is also burned to provide heat. They used to bring people and goods from place to place. Camels can live in hot, dry climates because they do not need much water. For that reason they are ideal for countries such as Qatar.

Dugong

The dugong is a marine mammal. It is a herbivore. This means that it eats only plants.

Dolphins

There are dolphins in the waters around Qatar.

Saluki

Long ago salukis were used as hunting dogs by the Bedu (Bedouin). They usually hunted gazelles, hares, foxes and jackals.

Birds
You can see lots of birds in Qatar. Here are pictures of some of them: gulls, terns, turnstones, sanderlings, kentish plovers, herons and Socotra cormorants.

Crested Lark

Tern

Turnstone

Sanderling

Kentish Plover

Heron

Hoopoe

Socotra Cormorant

Falcons

Falconry is very popular in Qatar. The falcons were originally used to hunt other birds. There are competitions held every year.

Reptiles
There are over 20 species of lizard in Qatar. Some of them are tiny while others are very big. Click the video to see a big one.

Scorpions

Scorpions are arachnids. They have eight legs a pair of pincers and a tail with a venomous stinger. The sting from a scorpion is very painful.