Morocco
Reptiles found only
in Morocco include the Atlas Mountain Viper (flickr),
the Moroccan
Worm Lizard
(flickr),
the High Atlas Day Gecko (Biodiversité
du Maroc), the Moroccan Day Gecko (GGA),
the
Small Three-toed Skink (ARKive),
Colosi's Cylindrical Skink (Morocco
Herps),
the Many-scaled Cylindrical Skink (flickr),
the Mountain Skink (ARKive),
Busack's Fringe-fingered Lizard (lacerta.de),
the Coastal Common Fringe-toed Lizard (lacerta.de),
a sand lizard Mesalina
simoni (SysTax),
and the Green
Psammodromus (ARKive).
The Atlas Dwarf Lizard (ARKive)
represents a recently described endemic genus.
Amphibians unique to Morocco include the Moroccan Midwife Toad (ARKive),
the Moroccan Painted Frog (EDGE),
and the Moroccan Spadefoot Toad (EDGE).
Endemic
mammals include Hoogstraal's
Gerbil (GERES),
the Occidental Gerbil (BHL),
the Western Gerbil (IUCN
Red List),
and the Greater Short-tailed Gerbil (Planet'
Mammiferes).
Freshwater fish known solely from Morocco include a loach Cobitis maroccana (ARKive),
the recently
described dwarf trout Salmo
akairos (Naturhistorhiska
riksmuseet), the extinct trout Salmo pallaryi (IUCN Red List),
and Varicorhinus
maroccanus (IUCN Red List).
Several barbs, Barbus
lepineyi (bibdigital.rjb.csic.es
pdf file),
Barbus issenensis
and and Barbus ksibi (both
on p. 33 of IUCN
6 MB pdf file), and Barbus
moulouyensis (p. 27 of IUCN
6 MB pdf file) are sometimes treated as species distinct from
the
more widespread Algerian Barb Barbus
callensis.
Butterflies restricted to Morocco include Vaucher’s Heath (Biodiversité
du Maroc), the Moroccan Grayling (Matt
Rowlings), the
Segonzaci Green-veined White (Michel
R. Tarrier), and the Moroccan Copper (leps.it). Other
endemic insects include a day-flying moth Zygaena maroccana (leps.it),
the Atlas Bee Hawkmoth (Sphingidae
of the Western Palaearctic), the Atlas Goldenring (ARKive),
the longhorned beetles Stictoleptura
tangeriana (Cerambycidae)
and Opisognathus
forficatus (Cerambycidae),
the jewel beetles Julodis
marmottani (Jewel
Beetles) and Julodis
nemethi (Jewel
Beetles), and a grasshopper Dociostaurus hammadae
(SysTax).
Other endemic invertebrates include the scorpions Androctonus maroccanus
(Euscorpius
pdf file)
and Buthus
bonito (p. 7 of Euscorpius
pdf file), an amphipod crustacean Pseudoniphargus
longiflagellum (Contributions
to Zoology pdf file), a freshwater mussel Margaritifera marocana
(IUCN),
and several
snails: Atlasica
atlasica (b-cabinet),
Sphincterochila
maroccana (b-cabinet),
Melanopsis mourebeyensis
(p. 47 of IUCN
6 MB pdf file),
Rossmaessleria
sicanoides (AnimalBase),
and Theba
sacchi (b-cabinet).
Among about 1350 vascular plant species exclusive to Morocco are the
Moroccan Fir (Herbarium
RNG), the Atlas Cypress (Wikipedia),
the Tree Aeonium (FloraPix),
the Resin Spurge (Wikipedia),
the Atlas Poppy (TrekNature),
Sedum modestum
(José
Quiles Hoyo),
a bindweed Convolvulus vidalii
(NHM-London),
Lavandula
mairei (Biodiversity
SW Morocco), Eryngium atlanticum
(IUCN),
and
the
Dandelion-leaved Sage (botanic.jp).
Endemic genera include Hannonia
(Pacific
Bulb Soc.), Feeria
(José
Quiles Hoyo),
Traganopsis
(Biodiversity
SW Morocco), Ismelia
(Biodiversity
SW Morocco), Nivellea
(José
Quiles Hoyo),
the Pineapple Broom Argyrocytisus
(José
Quiles Hoyo),
and Hesperolaburnum
(Biodiversity
SW Morocco).
Portions of Morocco are included in the Mediterranean
Conifer and Mixed
Forests ecoregion (EoE)
and the Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots). For an overview of Morocco's
biodiversity see (minenv.gov.ma
5 MB pdf file).