biological diversity and tropical forests in tunisia - PART

2.4 FAUNA
Currently, about 75 species of mammals (~nnex 21, 350 species of birds
(~nnex 3) and more than 500 species of herpes and fish occur in Tunisia
(~ir. For. 1976). Exact figures are difficult to determire, since new
species continue to be discovered, others are extirpated or reintroduced,
and taxonomic classifications change. A number of species have been lost
from the mammalian fauna of Tunisia and several others are in danger.
2.4.1. Mammals
Over 7,000 years ago, a change in the climate of Tunisia resulted in
the loss of many species of animals, including rhinoceroes. Since that
time almost all extirpations of mammal species have been due to hunting
and habitat changes caused by man. Elephants Loxodocta africaca still
existed during the Roman era and were recorded in the 1st century A.D.
(IUCN 1987) at Bled Talah, near Bou Hedma. More recently, ic the 18001s,
there were still a wide variety of ungulates and large cats. Barbary
lions Pacthera leo leo lived in the Tunisian Dorsal mouctain racge in the
1850s '(Monchicourt 1906), but the last one was shot at Babouch in 1891
(~ir. For. 1931 ). Only 34 years later, the last barbary leopard Panthera
~ardus was killed (IUCN 1987) and by 1931 cheetahs Acinoryx jubatus were
reduced to a few in the extreme south, which have since been eliminated.
Duricg the French occupation of Tu~isia, ungulate populations were
decimated by hunters. Although hartebeasts Alcelaphus buselaphus were
still abundant in the south in 1870, no verified reports of their presence
were recorded after 1931. Scimitar-horned oryx Oryx dammah and addax
- Addax nasomaculatus were uncommon, but still hunted in the Sahara in 1931.
Soon after, both species were decreased to a few animals, thee extirpated.
The barbary deer Cervus elaphus barbarus is the only native species of
deer in africa. Large numbers of barbary deer were hunted and killed
(many by American soldiers during WWII), but their secretive catare and
mountain habitat protected small populations until the 1950s. After the
deer became protected, they dispersed back into Tunisia from Algeria
(where they were still hunted) in the 1960s. There are three barbary deer
reserves in Tunisia - El Feidja, Ain Baccouch and Mhibes (see Section
5.4). The total deer population of Tunisia is now somewhere around 1,500.
Tunisia's three species of gazelles were decimated by hurting,
poaching and habitat degradation, but were never completely extirpated.
Cuvier's gazelles Gazella cuvieri were reduced to a small number at the
southwest end of the Tunisian Dorsal mountain range, but once they were
protected, additional animals immigrated from Algeria and reinhabited some
of their former range. There is a reserve at Kechem el Kelb for Cuvier's
gazelles and many others find refuge ic Chambi N.P. (section 3.4.3.1 1.
Dorcas gazelles ~azella dorcas once inhabited the plains of Kairouac, but
they are cow restricted to the southern plains, where hucticg pressure is
compoucded by habitat loss to desertification. Slender-horced gazelles
Gazella leptoceros are abli to survive the harsh climatic cocditions of