Tours - Iran Eco Tours 

Iran with 648195 km area is among one of the large countries of the world.
Enjoying variety of climatic conditions, researcher could have discovered more than 8000 different species plants, 500 birds, 160 mammals and 270 fish species in the Persian Gulf & the Caspian Sea. Some of these species and wildlife are explained briefly below:

From climatic point of view and the annual amount of rainfall, Iran is divided to five regions as follows:

 1- Iran Toorani region ( desert & semi desert it is rather dry and three fourth of country is located in this region. 69% of plants
(wild pistachio,Persian turpentine  tree, goat's-thorn) are in this region.

 2- Gulf & Omman region with semi tropical climate which most of it is sedimentary plain of Khouzestan .Hara plants & Kahoor
& Kenar are located there and are known as distinguished of this region.

 3- Zagros region or dry and temperate zone which its plants are affected by Mediterranean climate. The major plants of this region are:
Zagros acorn, maple, head downward tulip (tear flower).

 4- Hirgani region (The Caspian Sea) has temperate, mild and humid climate. The main plants of this region are: acorn,
box-tree, blue beech gospe tree.

 5- Aras Baran region which some researcher consider it as part of Hirgani region. But because of having various types of
plants and trees covering can be  considered as a separate region. The main plants of this region are: Aras Baran acorn, kind
of wild plum, types of tulip, primrose.
 

All photos in this page are taken from
www.irandoe.org

Become Familiar with Iran Wildlife

 Due to climatic, plant and wildlife varieties which very few countries may have it, Iran attracts many nature lovers. Below, the
most important of these varieties are explained briefly:

Mammals:
Three groups among Artiodactyls mammals are of main importance:

A)      Bovidae:

 which live nearly 14 years. Their males have beautiful horns and their females after 5 months pregnancy usually give birth to two
lambs as :

- Wild goat which its male is in most of the regions is known as Kal-Takeh-Pazan. It is a very beautiful animal with about 152 cm
sword-shaped horns which lives in altitudes & rocky regions such as Varvasht region in Central Alborz & Haftad Ghole in Arak.
 Forthis reason it is called as “King of rocks”.

Different wildlife regions, has resulted in different types of sheep which are divided according to their appearance and coupling season.
 Here are four main types of sheep:

Urial Sheep: They are so beautiful and have long white beard. Having 80 kg weight, they are the biggest sheep than other types in Iran. Their main living place is in north-east Iran (Khorasan) and in semi forested regions like Tandooreh & Golestan National Parks.

Western Red Sheep: They are so nimble and live in Mahoor hills of north-west Iran. Nowadays, because of turning grass fields into road and cities, has made this animal to migrate 300 km far to find grass for eating. The changes of lands has made major problem in the migration of this animal and makes it among overthrown animals. Old sheep have white spot in their two sides, for this reason they called Allah Kamar. They main living place of this type of sheep is in Angooran region of Zanjan, Marakan & Kaboodan Island of Urmieh Lake.

Larestan Sheep: They are the smallest sheep in the world. Their maximum weights are 40 kg. Their main settlement is in Lar region of Fars province and Harmood protected area.

Alborz Red sheep: They are combination of Urial & Western red Sheep. They mainly live in the altitudes of the Central Alborz such as Verjean, central Alborz, Khajir and Sorkheh Hesar.

Besides of the above mentioned divisions, considering the closeness of varieties, as much as the living place is near to one of those mentioned above, that particular sheep is more close to that division and category, for example:

-          Goiterred Gazlle: which is called as Gazelle too lives in fields. As they eat green grass, they live in prosperous fields and near men settlements. They are swift-footed and can run 110 km per hour and get tired gradually. So they can be hunted easily. Deer are becoming as overthrown animals. Their main settlement is Dasht-e-Mooteh & Gamishloo in Isfahan.

-          Jabeer Gazelle: These beautiful animals are not so friendly with men and avoid people. They live in margins of deserts. Their main living place is in Tooran protected area of Shahrood & Kavir National Park in Varamin.

 B) Family Cervidae live in forests. Their males have long and branching horns which are broken and fall at the end of each winter and again in spring they grow firstly in form of cartilage horn and gradually after some time they become hard & ivory.

Among them are: Persian Fallow Deer, Red Deer and Maral.

• Persian Fallow Deer: Once they lived in Zagros forests that due to demolition of these forests, their generation are being overthrown. Nowadays, they live the margins of Dez & Karkheh Rivers in Khuzestan. In order to avoid the overthrown of this type of deer, they have been moved to Dasht-e-Naz Wildlife Area, AshK Island in Oroumieh National Park, Arjan region in Fars and Aras Baran in Azerbayejan.
• Red deer: They are smaller in size than Persian Fallow Deer and mostly live in Golestan National Park, Jahan Nama protected area, Northern Alborz area as well as low altitudes of Khazar forests and most of them
• Maral: This kind of Deer lives in Khazar forests and Alborz altitudes which are known as Red Deer. Their males weight about 230 kg and have pretty horns. Their main living place is in Golestan National Park, Central Alborz area, Dodangeh & Jahan Nama areas.

All three types of the above mentioned deer are protected animals and their hunting is forbidden with usual license.

 Wild Boar: These are known as injurious animals in Iran. Hunting them is forbidden for Muslims and just religious minorities are allowed. Although they are injurious animals but their existences are necessary and useful for nature. In order to get their desirable bulb plants, they turn upside down the land .This action is like plough and is useful for pastures and help to save the moisture of land.

Main Family of Perrisodactyla in Iran is Persian Wild-Ass. In fact they are wild donkeys and live in the margins of desert salt-marsh like Jabeer. Unfortunately, their generation has been overthrown and there are about 500 head of them in Iran which are protected severely. Right now, they live in Tooran protected area in Shahrood & Bahram Goor in Fars.

Birds:

Among domestic birds are partridge & dull-yellow partridge that are desirable for hunters. Among main migrating birds are different types of gooses which they spend their winter in Iran. Other migrating birds are cranes which their white ones are very rare and live in Fereydoon Kenar lagoon of Mazandaran for six months and then return to Siberia. Other settlements of these migrating birds are in Gilan, Mazandaran, Fars, Booshehr, and Azerbayejan. One of the best winter settlements for cranes is Kaftar Lake in Fars. Flamingoes, swans, kinds of Abcher birds live in lagoons of Iran. Hunting-birds are of much interest for sheiks who train them for hunting bustard. For this reason, many smuggler bands have been organized for hunting these birds. Delijeh,Tarlan and Balaban are known as the main hunting  birds in Iran.