FAUNA IN

SAUDI ARABIA

Lab (1)
 Introduction
The Arabian Peninsula is surrounded by the Red
Sea to the west and the Arabian Gulf to the east.
Also, it is characterized by desert or wild
environments that have qualities and traits that
make climates are reflected in a complex natural
history and a rich, diverse and unique fauna. The
seas surrounding Arabia are among the most
important repositories of biological diversity on
earth.
Fauna is a science that searches in the animals of the world and their places

exist and their environments, breeding, breeding season, classification and

knowledge of their families and scientific names (marine animals, wild,

amphibians, birds, mammals, snakes, lizards and spiders) with study of the

nature of the earth and the climatic environments suitable for these animals.

• Benefit human in the economy and food as well as to avoid some of the

damage caused by human or his property.

Phylum : Arthropoda
The most important phylum in the kingdom is arthropods where
they make up about 75% of the invertebrate animal kingdom.

The features of Arthropoda Animals

1. The body consists of several rings arranged is known as distinct metameric

segmentation.

2 - The presence in the Arthropoda: related all rings of the body appendages as called

( jointed appendages ), one pair per segment in most cases, that act different functions

such as movement - nutrition - reproduction - defense (from their hence the name
3- Jointed appendages around the mouth are mutated into organs

that cooperate in picking up and chewing food.

4- An exoskeleton is covered the outside of the body by a solid outer

layer ( chitinous) that protects the internal organs of the body.

5- Arthropods are bilaterally symmetrical

6- The main body cavity is known coelom cavity

 Include arthropods to

Class :
Arachnida

Order: Order: Order: Solifugae Order: Acarina

Scorpionida Araneida Ex: Sun spider Ex: Soft tick
Ex: Scorpion Ex : Spider (Galeodes) (Argas)
 Phylum
Arthropoda

Sub phylum Sub phylum

Mandibulata Chelicerata

Class Class
Myriapoda Arachnida

: Sub class : Sub class : Order : Order

Clilopoda Diplopoda Scorpionidea Aranida
 The Scorpion
Animal Kingdom
• There are found 7 types in the Saudi Arabia.
Sub kingdom : Metazoa
• The scorpion is a dangerous arthropod and
Phylum : Arthropoda
widely spread in the middle Saudi Arabia ( Al-
Sub phylum: Chelicerata
Baha – Hail regions – Riyadh )
Class: Arachnida • It is nocturnal, hides away in the daytime and

Order: Scorpionidea becomes active during the night.

• It feeds on insects and spiders.
Family : Buthidae

Genus:1-Buthus Quinquestriatus /or

Leiurus quinquestriatus

2-Androctonus crassicauda
 External Features
1. The body is divided into an anterior prosoma and a posterior
opisthosoma which is subdivided in to a broad mesosoma and a slender
metasoma that ends in a sting.
2. The prosoma is covered by a dorsal shield or carapace which carries
dorsally a pair of large median eyes and two groups.
3. The prosoma carries 6 pairs of appendages: the chelicerae, the second
appendages are the large pedipalps and the 3rd – 6th pairs of
appendages are walking legs ( 4 pairs).
4. The mesosoma is consist in the adult of 6 segments.
5. The metasoma consists of 6 limbless segments , the last segment anus
ventrally and terminates with telson and two poison glands are found
within and open by a single orifice.
Leiurus quinquestriatus
• Grows up to 10 cm in length
• Straw yellow to orangish yellow color
• Metasomal segment 5 is dark in
coloration
• The most dangerous scorpions in the
world, and its venom can kill (children
and aged are most vulnerable
Androctonus crassicauda
• Large scorpions (up to 8 cm),
• Brownish-black color
• unusual powerful tail (thick tail)
• Dangerous species (usually not cause
life threatening symptoms in healthy
adults)
 Dorsal and Ventral view of Leiurus quinquestriatus
https://scialert.net/fulltextmobile/?doi=jbs.2009.96.108
Leiurus quinquestriatus

Dorsal and Ventral view of Leiurus quinquestriatus

•Leiurus quinquestriatus
•Leiurus quinquestriatus
•Leiurus quinquestriatus
•Leiurus quinquestriatus
• Androctonus crassicauda
• Androctonus crassicauda
• Androctonus crassicauda
• Androctonus crassicauda
• Androctonus crassicauda
• Androctonus crassicauda
• Androctonus crassicauda
• Androctonus crassicauda
 Spider
Animal kingdom

Sub kingdom : Metazoa • Is a large ground of a dark brown color.

Phylum : Arthropoda • It spins no web but lives on the ground

Sub phylum: Chelicerata and hunts prey.

Class : Arachnida

Order: Araneida

e.g : Lycosa ferox

 External Features
1- The body is divided into an anterior prosoma and a posterior
opisthosoma both unsegmented and connected to each other by a
narrow soft waist.
2-The prosoma is prismatic in form and covered by a dorsal shield.
3- It carries dorsally 8 simple eyes arranged in three rows.
4- The prosoma carries 6 pairs of appendages : chelicerae, pedipalps
(short legs), and 4 pairs of walking legs (very long).
4- The opisthosoma has no traces of segmentation and its skin
uniformly soft covered with hair.

Animal kingdom
Sub kingdom : Metazoa
Phylum: Arthropoda
Sub phylum: Mandibulata
Class: Myriapoda
Sub class: Chilopoda
Family: Scolopendridae
Scolopendra
• Its common in Saudi Arabia.
• It is lives in wet places and between
the cracks of the earth.
• Usually hides by the daytime below
stones, plant leaves and prey on
insects , earthworms and small
lizards (carnivores).

Genus: Scolopendra morsitans

Genus : Scutiqera immaculata

 External Features
1. The body is elongated, dorsoventrally flattened and divided
into a distinct head and a long-segmented region called the
trunk carrying 21 pairs of appendages.
2. The head consists of 6 segments. It is covered dorsally by a
single cephalic shield on which two groups of eyes each of 4
ocelli, are situated anterolaterally.
3. The trunk segments are 22 and nearly all like, each segment
from 2-22 carries one pair of walking legs ( which together
with 2 antenna make 44 by which the animal gained its
common local name).
 1- Its most common in KSA.
2- It has a pair of poisonous
claws mutated down head .
Poisonous Scolopendra
Ex : Scolopendra morsitans
1- Its less common in KSA.
There are two types in Saudi 2- It doesn’t have poisonous
Arabia glands and body thinner than
the previous example
Non-Poisonous Scolopendra
Ex: Scutiqera immaculata
They are both fed by
birds and reptiles
VIDEO