Moroccan animals life is as diverse as the terrain, climate, and landscape. Plants and trees can be found in Morocco’s Sahara desert. Animals that have adapted to this peculiar habitat of hard terrains, less rain (annually 100mm or less), temperatures above 50°F in the summer, and very cold nights in the winter. This one-of-a-kind wild Morocco made an exemption for animals native to the Sahara desert environment. Some of these desert Moroccan creatures are completely wild and on their way to extinction. This rare Moroccan desert Fauna is not often visible.
There is a surprisingly abundant Sahara desert Fauna that you can’t always see, but nonetheless lives around the dunes of the Moroccan Sahara desert, such as at Erg Chebbi and Erg Chegaga dunes.
We believe that walking or Sahara camel trekking is the greatest approach to see wild creatures in the Sahara desert. If you’ve opted to spend more time in the Sahara desert during your Moroccan trip, keep your eyes peeled and don’t be afraid to ask your guide to stop for you if you see a Moroccan animals.
Animals that are regularly visible during a Morocco desert tour include:
Camel Dromedary
This remarkable animal used to be the main animal used for transportation in the Desert for years, they are an amazing animal that can stay without water for a few days, making it the ideal animal that can serve the hash of the desert. Riding camels is now one of the activities available on Morocco desert trips.
Beetles
Have you ever noticed a track in the sand? It’s largely to keep track of this little mammal that roams the sand dunes. Beetles are abundant in Sahara nature. Beetles are prevalent in Moroccan dunes, regardless of which desert excursion you took to Erg Chebbi.
Barbary ground squirrel
It is the only species that lives in North Africa, and its habitat is rocky land, thus you can locate it in the Anti Atlas mountains and little rocky oasis in the Sahara. This squirrel’s primary food consists of seeds and fruits, particularly almonds and Argan.
Desert Moroccan spiny-tailed lizard
This variety of lizard, also known as Uromastyx, exists in large numbers in the southeast of Morocco. They are largely herbivorous, but will occasionally consume insects and other small animals. Uromastyx is easy to spot in the Sahara because they prefer to settle in a mountainous, rocky area and bask in the sun throughout the spring and summer months.
Like many reptiles, the color of this lizard changes with temperature; in cold weather, it seems drab and dark, but in warm weather, it gets lighter (green and orange at times).
Animals are rare to see, although they exist in the Sahara desert:
Fennec/desert fox
Desert fox, Qrchan in Amazigh. This charming of Moroccan animals resides in numerous sections of Morocco’s Sahara desert, and they prefer to move more at night, making them difficult to see. The desert fox in Morocco has a cream-colored coat that deflects sun radiation. The fennec lives underground and feeds on insects, reptiles, and small animals.
However, in Erg Chebbi, children frequently keep them as pets, giving you the opportunity to observe them during your Sahara desert tour.
Saharan striped polecat
Locals in the Moroccan desert name it Tadghagha, and it is also known as the Saharan striped weasel. It’s difficult to think that this species can survive in such a harsh environment, but it’s on the list of animals on the verge of extinction, and its numbers are dwindling. Striped polecats are one of the African Nocturna that are becoming increasingly difficult to see.
The Saharan striped polecat prefers steppe-like habitat and lives on the outskirts of deserts, notably in mountains, arid, stony terrain, and sandy semi-deserts.
The Berber skink (Sandfish)
Also known as sandfish Most desert residents refer to it as Tashershmant because of its extraordinary ability to swim inside the sand dunes. This desert little mammal is easy to spot after a few hours of strolling in the sand.
Saharan Horned Viper Snake
They are short (30-60cm) and burrow themselves in the sand to hide themselves from the heat and ambush their prey of lizards and small mammals. When frightened, they may generate a sound simply by rubbing their coils together. The desert horned snake, like other snakes, is the same color as its surroundings. During the spring and summer, they tend to move at night.
Desert Mice (Idwi or Jerboa)
One of the most common Mice in Morocco’s sand dunes, they resemble miniature kangaroos with long tile, small front legs, and long hind legs. Jarboas and Kangaroos move similarly, hopping and saltation. They spend the day in burrows and are usually active at night. These are the kind of animals that are commonly seen while trekking in Morocco’s Chegaga Dunes and Erg Chebbi.
Desert Hedgehog
One of the mammals of Morocco’s Sahara desert. It is the smallest hedgehog, measuring between 140-280 cm (5,5 to 11 inches). They are not globally threatened creatures, however road traffic is thought to reduce the population of hedgehogs in some areas.
The female hedgehog gives birth to up to six young, who are born deaf and bling, their quills hidden beneath their skin to protect the female during the birth. The quills emerge within a few hours of birth, but their eyes take around 20 days to open. The Saharan Hedgehog is a rare species that only moves at night in the Sahara desert.
Desert monitor lizard
One of the most endangered species in Morocco’s Sahara desert. They are typically 1-2 meters long and range in color from grey to brilliant orange.
Other Endangered Animals in Morocco:
Some of our favorite species that live in Morocco’s Sahara desert are mentioned above. Some of them are critically endangered. However, we cannot describe all of the rich fauna of the Sahara, but we do wish to provide travelers to Morocco with a list of Endangered species in Morocco and encourage them to be aware of how the wildlife in Morocco. This last one should be saved and safeguarded. Because of global climate change, overgrazing, and overhunting, wildlife animals in Morocco’s Sahara desert and Atlas Mountains are declining year after year. Here are some more Endangered Moroccan animals.
- African golden wolf desert cat
- Gazelles
- Rabbits and palm rats
- Apes of Barbary
- Genets ( they live largely in the Atlas mountains ) ( they live mostly in the Atlas mountains )
- The elephant shrew
- The Golden Jackal
- Berber frog