Artifex

Blanford's Fox 
Vulpes cana 
The Blanford's fox lives in hot mountains where its large ears help dissipate heat.
They often inhabit cultivated areas where the steal food such as melons and
grapes, however they also eat insects such as locusts and small mammals.
They are solitary hunters, but are more frugivorous than other fox species.


Sindh Ibex 
C. aegagrus blythi 
The sindh ibex is a subspecies of the wild goat which inhabits the Baluchistan
Mountains of Pakistan. They are herbivores and their horns are larger and taller
than many other ibex species. They live in groups which can grow as large as
five hundred individuals.


Rock Hyrax
Procavia capensis
Rock hyraxes live in scrubby rock crevices and abandoned burrows where
they eat mainly grasses. Herds can have up to 80 individuals and they spend
most of their time resting in huddles or basking in the sun to regulate body
temperature. Two to three young are born each year from March to May.



Caspian Turtle
Mauremys caspica
The caspian turtle is native to countries east of the Mediterranean Sea
including Southern Europe down into the Arabian Peninsula and across into
Iraq, Iran and Russia. They prefer freshwater ecosystems, but are sometimes
seen in more brackish waters.


Baluchistan Bear
Ursus thibetanus gedrosianus
The baluchistan black bear is a subspecies of the Asiatic black bear and lives
in the high Baluchistan Mountains of Pakistan and other ranges in the
surrounding countries. It is slightly smaller than the Asian Black Bear, and
sometimes has coarser, browner fur. In addition, it is critically endangered and
efforts are in effect to save it. 


Arabian Horse
Equus caballus
The Arabian horse is a breed of horse with incredible stamina, intelligence and
spirit. Originating in the Middle East, the species has since traveled around the
globe through war and trade; it is commonly bred with other horses due to its
strong reputation. In the Middle East, it was adapted to a desert climate and
was frequently used by the Bedouin people.



Mugger Crocodile
Crocodylus palustris
The mugger crocodile, also known as the marsh crocodile, lives in the
wetlands of India and the surrounding nations. The babies are born a
tan color, and turn to a darker black shade as they mature. Their diet
consists mainly of reptiles, amphibians and fish, but large ones have
been known to prey on buffalo and deer.

Sand Cat
Felis margarita
The sand cat is a small feline living in deserts of North Africa and
Arabia. These cats spend much of their time digging in the sand, but
their claws are quite dull due to the lack of material to sharpen them
on. Primarily nocturnal, these cats eat small rodents and lizards they
find buried in the sand.


Caspian Seal
Pusa caspica
The Caspian seal is a pinniped which lives solely in the land-locked
Caspian Sea which is located 100ft below sea level. Primarily they
feast upon the various fish species of the Sea, but sometimes eat asp,
shrimp or crab as well. Normally solitary, during the breeding season
they form large groups and travel to the north of the sea to give birth
to pups. The baby pups have a coat called lanugo to keep them warm
until they have blubber. In the wild, these babies usually live to
around 35 years.


Small Indian Gray Mongoose
Herpestes edwardsi
The Indian gray mongoose, as its name suggests, lives in India and the
surrounding countries. They inhabit scrubs and grasslands where they
mainly feed upon small rodents, bugs and snakes, however they
sometimes eat fruits, eggs and birds. Mongooses are famed for their
fights with snakes during which they carefully jump away from the cobra's
strikes until the opportunity arrives when the mongoose can strike and
crack the cobra's skull. These mongooses are most active in the early
morning and early evening when they actively search for reptiles to eat.


Smooth Otter
Lutrogale perspicillata
Smooth-coated otters live in the wetlands of much of Southern Asia
including India and some isolated populations in Iraq, however it is
likely that their range is shrinking due to trapping and habitat loss.
To communicate they use scent glands and smell as well as varying
body positions, touch and sound. These otters frequently hunt in 
groups in order to make an easy catch of a whole school of fish, but
they also eat insects, crustaceans, some birds, reptiles and
amphibians. 


Arabian Wolf
Canis lupus arabs
This dog is the smallest subspecies of the gray wolf and lives in
desert pockets on the Arabian Peninsula. This wolf is critically
endangered, most importantly due to farmers shooting them so
they can't attack and eat their livestock. However, in Oman 
hunting has been banned and there are efforts to keep this
species alive. In addition to livestock, the Arabian wolf will
also eat small mammals, ungulates and carrion that they
find. Their coats very thin due to the heat of the area
and consist of whites, browns and grays.


Lesser Indian Civet
Vivverricula indica
The lesser Indian civet lives in non-forested temperate regions from
India east to South East Asia. Civets will eat various small animals
such as rodents, birds, reptiles and insects, as well as fruit. These
nocturnal viverrids give birth to 3-4 babies in a burrow that the
mother digs. As do many viverrids, these civets have scent glans in
their rear, and some are kept in captivity so as to collect the liquid
and make perfumes from it, despite its fowl-smelling origins.


Persian Fallow Deer
Dama dama mesopotamica
The Persian fallow deer is the largest fallow deer species and was once
abundant from North Africa east into Persia, but now is isolated mainly
in the forests of Iran due to over-hunting. Grasses consist of 60% of
their diet with fruits, nuts and leaves making up the rest of it. These
fallow deer live in herds until the breeding season when males
establish territories.

Desert Monitor
Varanus griseus
The desert monitor is a reptile from the deserts of Arabia and the Middle
East where it spends most of its time in burrows dug into the sandy
ground. The monitor changes slightly in size and color in each of its
three subspecies, but still has a brownish color with spots and bands
across its back. They consume a wide variety of animals from turtles,
other lizards, and scorpions to eggs, birds and small mammals.


Hamadryas Baboon
Papio hamadryas
The hamadryas baboon is found in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
where it lives in the deserts and dry plains. These baboons eat a wide
variety of fruits, grass, insects and roots which they manage to find even
in the drier regions. They spend most of their time on the ground where
they are very social and have a very complex social structure. The 
baboons live in groups headed by one male, the leader. He controls 
a group of females, their off-spring, and occasionally a "follower" male
thought to be related to the leader. Then these groups may come together
to form a clan and a few clans can come together to create a band, and 
finally a few bands can create a troop making a lot of baboons together
in one area. 


Indus River Dolphin
Platanista minor
The Indus river dolphin is only found in the Indus River, located in the 
country Pakistan. It used to live throughout the river, but due mainly
to human construction, their range has been severely limited. Their 
eyes are hard to see and almost useless, leading to the name of the 
"blind river dolphin". Due to the murky waters, echolocation is the
most efficient way for the dolphins to navigate, not sight. Using this
echolocation, they find and eat various fish such as herring, catfish,
and carp as well as prawns and clams.


Arabian Partridge
Alectoris melanocephala
The Arabian partridge lives in the desert regions of the Arabian
peninsula -- primarily in Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Due
to the areas in which they live, the partridge is not well studied,
but it is believed to be local common and of little concern. They
are a member of the pheasant family and eat fruits, seeds, 
berries and other vegetation. They are relatively plump birds and
spend most of their time on the ground.

Black Stork
Ciconia nigra
The black stork is a widely spread bird, living from Northern Africa across
the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East into central Asia. They are
very shy and solitary in their environments of wooded areas always near
water. They eat fish and other small aquatic wildlife which they find in
and near rivers and lakes. Humans are the only known predator of 
these birds, which mainly occurs during habitat destruction as structures
are built. However, these beautiful birds are still considered Least Concern
by the IUCN.


Beluga Sturgeon
Huso huso
The beluga sturgeon is endemic to the Caspian Sea where the delicacy
beluga caviar is harvested from its eggs. This has lead to their 
endangerment and conservation efforts have been put in place to 
keep this rare sturgeon alive. Generally these fish are solitary, only
congregating during spawning times, during which they travel into
freshwater streams. They eat a wide variety of fish as well as a few
ground-dwelling invertebrates.