Syria
A mammal unique to Syria is Tsolov's Mouse-like Hamster (IUCN Red List).
A gecko Hemidactylus lavadeserticus (landesmuseum.at pdf file), previously considered a subspecies of the Mediterranean Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus, is now classified as a full species (Zootaxa pdf file) and known with certainty only from the black Syrian basalt desert.
Endemic
freshwater fish include the minnows Pseudophoxinus
hasani (FishBase) and Alburnus
qalilus (IUCN
Red List)
and an extinct cichlid Tristramella magdelainae
(fig 2 at BHL). If it
still occurs in tiny Lake Muzairib, another loach Nun galilaeus (IUCN Red List)
would represent an endemic genus as it is now extinct in Israel.
Beetles known only from Syria include the longhorned beetles Clytus kabateki (Cerambycidae)
and Coptosia sancta
(Cerambycidae),
the click beetles Dicronychus
involucer (Elateridae)
and Elathous lizleri
(Elateridae),
the scarabs Hoplia
bezdeki (glaphyridae.com)
and Pygopleurus keithi
(glaphyridae.com
pdf file), a rove beetle Leptobium
korgei (p. 90 of naturkundemuseum-bw.de
pdf file) and
the weevils Altonomus
rahmei (Attila
Podlussány) and Hypera kayali (Zootaxa
pdf file). Other endemic invertebrates include the bees Clavipanurgus gusenleitneri
(p. 2 of Gembloux
pdf file) and Dasypoda
syriensis (p. 25 of Atlas
Hymenoptera 3 MB pdf file), a jumping spider Aelurillus minutus (Salticidae
of the World), and a scorpion Birulatus astartiae
(Kasparek
Verlag pdf file).
Among over 200 endemic vascular plant species are an orchid Ophrys latakiana (AHO),
the irises Iris
antilibanotica (hort.net)
and Iris auranitica
(Plants
of Lebanon and Syria), an aroid Biarum auraniticum (IBS),
Euphorbia promecocarpa
(JSTOR),
Allium pseudophanerantherum
(JSTOR),
Ajuga chasmophila (JSTOR),
Echium pabotii
(JSTOR),
Astragalus qatmensis
(JSTOR),
Centaurea trachonitica
(JSTOR),
Salsola zenobiae
(JSTOR),
Senecio delbesianus
(JSTOR),
Thymus alfredae
(JSTOR),
Vicia kalakhensis
(JSTOR),
Minuartia parvulorum
(JSTOR),
Onobrychis gaillardotii
(JSTOR),
and Alyssum
antilibanoticum (NYBG).
Portions of Syria are included
in the Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots). Important terrestrial ecoregions include
the Eastern Mediterranean Conifer-sclerophyllous-broadleaf
Forests (EoE)
and the Southern Anatolian Montane Conifer and Deciduous
Forests (EoE).
Important freshwater ecoregions include the Coastal Levant (FEOW),
the Orontes (FEOW),
and the Jordan River (FEOW).