Tunisia
Mammals found nowhere else include the Kerkennah Islands Gerbil (Mammal Species of the World) and James's Gerbil (IUCN Red List).
A
fringe-fingered lizard Acanthodactylus
mechriguensis (IUCN Red List)
is sometimes considered distinct from the more widespread Spotted
Fringe-fingered Lizard Acanthodactylus
maculatus (lacerta.de)
and a new species of horned viper Cerastes
boehmei (ZFMK
pdf file) was described in 2010.
Beetles unique to Tunisia include the leaf beetles Cryptocephalus jocularis
(Chrysomelidae
of Europe) and Coptocephala
kerimii (Chrysomelidae
of Europe), a click beetle Ampedus martini (Elateridae),
a skin beetle Attagenus
placitus (dermestidae.com),
a weevil Echinodera
capbonensis (curci.de), and
the darkling beetles Xanthomus
viklundi (p. 4 of tenebrionidae.net
pdf file) and Asida
punica (p. 3 of tenebrionidae.net
pdf file). Other endemic insects include a bush cricket Steropleurus tunisiense
(OSF),
a stinkbug Schiodtella
laevicollis (Dr.
Lech Borowiec pdf file), a plantbug Compsidolon eckerleini (Discover
Life), a mayfly Rhithrogena sartorii (Zootaxa pdf file), a planthopper Hysteropterum
drahamese (AMNH),
an ant Cataglyphis
hannae (Antbase
pdf file), and an endemic genus of bee Spinopasites spinotus
(p. 22 of Entomofauna
pdf file).
A
family of crustaceans, the Thermosbaenidae, consisting solely of Thermosbaena mirabilis
(ADW)(jcs.biologists.org
pdf file) is known only from hot springs at the oasis of El Hamma.
Other endemic invertebrates include a mudsnail Hydrobia djerbaensis
(NHM
Rotterdam), a freshwater mussel Anodonta lucasii (p.
52 of IUCN
6 MB pdf file),
an isopod crustacean Porcellio djahizi (MNHN
pdf file), a millipede Glomeris colorata (ZooKeys), a cave-dwelling
centipede Eupolybothrus
kahfi (ZooKeys), a wolf spider Alopecosa tunetana (flickr),
a recluse spider Loxosceles
mrazig (ZooKeys),
a huntsman spider Cerbalus ergensis (Senckenberg pdf file), and the scorpions Buthus
chambiensis (p. 6 of Euscorpius
9 MB pdf file) and Buthus
dunlopi (p. 9 of Euscorpius
9 MB pdf file).
Among about 53 endemic vascular plant species are the Dwarf Pincushion Bush Scabiosa farinosa (SCBG),
Anarrhinum brevifolium (flickr),
Teucrium radicans (JSTOR),
Teucrium sauvagei
(JSTOR),
Galium olivetorum
(JSTOR),
Silene barrattei (JSTOR),
Limonium boitardii
(JSTOR), Limonium zembrae (JSTOR), Linaria cossoni (JSTOR),
Linaria paradoxa
(JSTOR),
Calligonum arich
(JSTOR),
Crepis tunetana
(JSTOR),
Ferula tunetana
(JSTOR),
Sporobolus tourneuxii (JSTOR), Plantago tunetana (JSTOR), Thymelaea sempervirens (JSTOR), Rumex tunetanus (Internet Archive), Odontites citrinus (p. 38 of BGBM pdf file), and Anthemis carthaginis
(JSTOR).
Portions of Tunisia are part of the Mediterranean Basin
biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots). Important ecoregions for endemic species include
the Mediterranean Woodlands and Forests (EoE)
and the Mediterranean Conifer and Mixed Forests (EoE).
