10 Fun Facts About Egyptian Animals

Egypt is home to a diverse range of animals. The River Nile bisects the country from south to north, and along this valley are lush and fertile lands. Outside of this region are mostly scattered oases between vast deserts, yet the country is rich in biodiversity. Read on to learn more!

10 Fun Facts About Egyptian Animals

Scarab

Scarabs are synonymous with Egypt, appearing in many Ancient Egyptian tombs and paintings. They are well-known for their habit of rolling balls of dung across the ground, in which they lay their eggs. In the Ancient Egyptian period, this was seen as a symbol of the circle of life, death, and rebirth. They are part of a wider animal family that consists of over 35,000 different beetle species.

Egyptian vulture

These birds, also known as Pharaoh’s Chickens, are the world’s only tool-using vulture. As well as using pebbles as hammers, Egyptian Vultures also use small twigs to gather wool for their nests. Sadly, they are globally endangered, with numbers declining rapidly. Conservation efforts have been ongoing since 2012, and in 2021, an Egyptian vulture was even spotted in the UK for the first time in 150 years.

Egyptian Cobra

This cobra has some impressive statistics. It is known as one of the largest on the African continent, measuring in at roughly 1.4 meters, as well as one of the most venomous species of snake in North Africa – their average venom yield is 150-300mg per bite. A recent study even found that cobra specimens from Egypt in particular have significantly more potent venom than those in other areas.

Hippopotamus

Hippos used to be the largest indigenous animal in Egypt, but have been sadly completely extinct in the area since the early 1800s. In the prehistoric period, hippos lived in the River Nile and thus Ancient Egyptians came to associate them with life itself. They can submerge themselves under water for several minutes, surface to breathe, and then sink again. They can even sleep underwater, even having a mechanism that allows them to float to the surface for air without waking up.

Sinai baton blue butterfly

Pseudophilotes sinaicus, or the Sinai baton blue, is endemic to the mountains of the Sinai Peninsula. One of the world's smallest butterflies, they have a wingspan of only 7.5mm. These butterflies have a symbiotic relationship with the black ant; in return for being fed some of the honey that it eats, the ants offer protection against predators.

African Tigerfish

The African tigerfish is usually a piscivore – meaning it feeds on other fish – however, it has been known to leap out of the water and catch barn swallows in mid-flight. The genus that they belong to, Hydrocynus, translates to “water dog” and refers to the hunting and predatory behaviours of their species.

Nile Delta Toad

These toads are endemic to Egypt, usually found from the Nile Delta down as south as Luxor, where it lives in both natural and cultivated land, as long as it’s swampy enough! They are a very new species, having only been discovered and described in the early 1990s.

Ragazzi's fan-footed gecko

The Ragazzi’s Fan-Footed Gecko was named in honour of the Italian physician Vincenzo Ragazzi and is known for its fanned-out toes. They have a comparatively small clutch size, laying two eggs per clutch and up to 6 clutches per year.

Lesser Egyptian jerboa

Jerboas are excellent jumpers, with the ability to leap around 10 times their hip height. Their three-toed feet and long tail allow them excellent balance while jumping too!. They’re sometimes described as mini kangaroos.

Fat Tailed Scorpion

Fat-tailed scorpions are some of the deadliest scorpions in the world - their venom can kill humans in under an hour! Egypt even saw a massive scorpion swarm recently that left 3 people dead and 453 wounded. The scorpions had been brought out of their nests by a heavy storm.