Fauna of Turkey


The fauna of Turkey is abundant and very varied. The wildlife of Turkey includes a great diversity of plants and animals, each suited to its own particular habitat, as it a large country with many geographic and climatic regions About 1500 species of vertebrates have been recorded in the country and around 19,000 species of invertebrate. The country acts as a cross roads with links to Europe, Asia and the Near East, and many birds use the country as a staging post during migration.

Overview

Turkey has a large range of habitat types and the diversity of its fauna is very great. There are nearly 1,500 species of vertebrate recorded of which over 100 species, mostly fish, are endemic. The country is on two major routes used by migratory birds which swells the numbers in spring and autumn. The invertebrates are also very diverse, with about 19,000 species being recorded including 4,000 endemics.

Invertebrates

Molluscs

Insects

There are over 250 species of ant in Turkey, 48 of which are endemic.

Arachnids

Vertebrates

Amphibians

23 species are endemic to Turkey.

Reptiles

23 species are endemic.

Birds

Mammals

8 species are endemic. Many species have declined in numbers, for example chevrotain, gazelle and mountain sheep, with shortage of staff to protect them claimed to be a factor. DNA of 15 endangered large mammals will be stored.

Fish

161 species of freshwater fish are endemic.

Conservation

Conservation action plans for 100 species are due to be completed by the end of 2019.

Endangered species

The following species have reportedly become extinct in Turkey, at least since the 20th century: