ENDANGERED SPECIES in TURKEY

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Asia Minor Ground Squirrel Asiatic Lion Bechstein's Bat Brandt's Hamster Common Bentwing Bat Cyprian Wild Sheep Dahl's Jird Dhole Euphrates Jerboa Eurasian Otter European Ground Squirrel European Marbled Polecat Giant Noctule Bat Goitered Gazelle Golden Hamster Leopard Long-clawed Mole Vole Long-fingered Bat Mediterranean Horseshoe Bat Mediterranean Monk Seal Mehely's Horseshoe Bat Roach's Mouse-tailed

Spermophilus xanthoprymnus Panthera leo persica Myotis bechsteinii Mesocricetus brandti Miniopterus schreibersii Ovis orientalis Meriones dahli Cuon alpinus Allactaga euphratica Lutra lutra Spermophilus citellus Vormela peregusna Nyctalus lasiopterus Gazella subgutturosa Mesocricetus auratus Panthera pardus Prometheomys schaposchnikowi Myotis capaccinii Rhinolophus euryale Monachus monachus Rhinolophus mehelyi Myomimus roachi 60

Dormouse 23. Striped Hyena 24. Wild Goat

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Hyaena hyaena Capra aegagrus

Amygdalus korshinskyi Flueggea anatolica Pyrus serikensis

Amygdalus korshinskyi

Audouin's Gull Black-tailed Godwit Black-winged Pratincole Caucasian Black Grouse Cinereous Bunting Cinereous Vulture Corncrake Dalmatian Pelican Dartford Warbler Egyptian Vulture Eurasian Curlew Eurasian Peregrine Falcon European Roller Ferruginous Duck Great Bustard Greater Spotted Eagle Krueper's Nuthatch Lesser Kestrel Lesser White-fronted

Larus audouinii Limosa limosa Glareola nordmanni

Flueggea anatolica Pyrus serikensis

Tetrao mlokosiewiczi Emberiza cineracea Aegypius monachus Crex crex Pelecanus crispus Sylvia undata Neophron percnopterus Numenius arquata Falco peregrinus peregrinus Coracias garrulus Aythya nyroca Otis tarda Aquila clanga Sitta krueperi Falco naumanni Anser erythropus 61

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Goose Little Bustard Marbled Teal Northern Bald Ibis Pallid Harrier Red Kite Red-breasted Goose

Acanthobrama centisquama Ala Balik Alburnus orontis Angel Shark Angular Rough Shark Aphanius transgrediens Aphanius splendens Aphanius burduricus Barbatula eregliensis Barbatula tschaiyssuensis Barbatula simavica Barbatula seyhanensis Barbatula samantica Barbus chantrei Basking Shark Bastard Sturgeon Blackchin Guitarfish Blue Skate Bronze Whaler Cape Shark Capoeta antalyensis Chondrostoma

Tetrax tetrax Marmaronetta angustirostris Geronticus eremita Circus macrourus Milvus milvus Branta ruficollis

Acanthobrama centisquama Salmo platycephalus Alburnus orontis Squatina squatina Oxynotus centrina Aphanius transgrediens Aphanius splendens Aphanius burduricus Barbatula eregliensis Barbatula tschaiyssuensis Barbatula simavica Barbatula seyhanensis Barbatula samantica Barbus chantrei Cetorhinus maximus Acipenser nudiventris Rhinobatos cemiculus Dipturus batis Carcharhinus brachyurus Squalus acanthias Capoeta antalyensis Chondrostoma meandrense 62

meandrense 23. Chondrostoma kinzelbachi 24. Chondrostoma beysehirense 25. Cicek Minnow

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Apollo Butterfly Bulgarian Emerald Cerambyx Longicorn Coenagrion syriacum Dark-winged Groundling 6. Lycaena ottomanus 7. Onychogomphus macrodon 8. Onychogomphus assimilis 9. Polyommatus dama 10. Red Chaser 11. Strongylognathus kervillei

Chondrostoma kinzelbachi Chondrostoma beysehirense Acanthorutilus handlirschi

Parnassius apollo Somatochlora borisi Cerambyx cerdo Coenagrion syriacum Brachythemis fuscopalliata Lycaena ottomanus Onychogomphus macrodon Onychogomphus assimilis Polyommatus dama Libellula pontica Strongylognathus kervillei

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Mammals: The Asiatic lion prefers grassy plains, savanna, and open woodlands as its habitat.

Like African lions, they are very social and live in groups called “prides.” Asiatic lion prides are smaller than African lion prides, and males prefer to associate with the pride when mating or during hunting. They are nocturnal creatures, and most of the day is spent resting.

Asiatic lions prey on medium to large mammals, such as wildebeest, zebra, giraffes and gazelles, and young elephants, rhinos, and hippos. Breeding can occur year-round and females give birth to one to five cubs after a gestation period of 100 to 119 days.

Asiatic lion populations have suffered due to sport hunting in the 1800s (until it was outlawed) and habitat loss due to the clearing of jungle forest for extracting wood and human settlement.

The Gir, a national park and lion sanctuary has been successful in stabilizing one of the last remaining wild populations. Also, the species does well in captivity and some are found in zoos.

The sand gazelle is a subspecies of the goitered gazelle which gets its name from the enlargement found on the neck and throat of males during the mating season. They do not have the true goiter which is caused by the enlargement of the thyroid gland. This species generally has a light brown coat with white underparts. The tail is black in color and very noticeable on its white buttocks when raised in flight. Only the males have horns which grow up to 17 inches long eventually forming an “S” shape bending backwards and turning in at the tips. Goitered gazelles can run at very high

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speeds without leaping like other gazelle species.

The sand gazelle spends most of the early morning and late afternoon walking and grazing. At midday, herds take shelter in the shade and dig oval-shaped pits to lie in. They prefer to live in family groups of up to five individuals, but in the winter they prefer larger groups of herds consisting of hundreds of gazelles. Diet consists of grasses, leaves, and shoots.

Also known as the Asiatic wild dog, the dhole is a species of wild dog found in eastern Asia from India to China and as far south as Java. Adults reach up to 45 inches in length.

Females can weigh up to 35 lb and males can weigh up to 44 lb. Their coats vary in color and can range from a deep cinnamon to a grayish brown and even a creamy-yellow shade. There are also shades of white appearing on the throat, legs, and face. Their ears are round and large and also filled with white hair. Their tails are usually tipped with black and they usually have a darker shade on the back. The dhole is also called the whistling hunter, because it has an extraordinary vocal call similar to the sound of whistling. And the whistles are said to be so distinct that they can be used to identify individuals.

It is estimated that only 2500 dholes are left in the wild. Threats to the dhole species include habitat destruction and loss of its main prey (deer) due to excessive hunting. The dhole is also persecuted and thought of as a menace to humans and their livestock, resulting in death by trapping or being shot or poisoned. Hunting of the species is currently prohibited except in selfdefense. Dholes are also found and protected in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries throughout India and Nepal.

The leopard is very adaptable and can be found in almost any habitat in its range, from rain forests to excessively dry deserts. Most of their time is spent in the trees to avoid other carnivorous mammals in the area such as lions and hyenas. The leopard also prefers to stalk its prey from the trees. Leopards eat monkeys, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, wild pigs, and gazelles. They are opportunistic hunters and will eat just about anything that is available.

After stalking and killing its prey, the leopard drags it up into the tree to prevent other predators from stealing the kill. Except when breeding, leopards prefer a solitary and secretive life and 65

they are active mostly at night. Breeding can occur year round and females give birth to two to three cubs after a 3-month gestation period. Females may only give birth to cubs once every two years.

Leopard hunting for its fur was once very popular causing a significant decline in the 1960s and 70s.

Today threats to the species include trapping and poisoning by farmers who consider the leopard a nuisance to their livestock, habitat loss, commercial hunting, and decline in prey populations. Although listed and protected, the leopard is actually doing well in the wild with the latest population estimated at over 500,000 worldwide.

Plants: In the whole of Turkey there are about 11,000 species of flowering plant, about a third of which are endemic to the country. This area played a key role in the early cultivation of wheat, other cereals and various horticultural crops. The country is divided into three main floristic areas; the Mediterranean area; the Euro-Siberian area; and the Irano-Tranian area.

The flora of the European part of Turkey is similar to that of adjoining Greece.

The ecoregions here include Balkan mixed forests dominated by oaks and containing Scots pine, Bosnian pine, Macedonian pine, silver fir and Norway spruce, and Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests where some of the main species are oaks, strawberry tree, Greek strawberry tree, Spanish broom and laurel.

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Prunus korshinskyi is a species of Prunus in the family Rosaceae. It was first discovered in Syria, and is also locally native in Turkey and southeastern Europe. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is a deciduous shrub growing to 3.5 m tall, related to the Almond.

The seeds are edible though bitter, similar to a bitter almond. They can be used either raw or cooked.

Birds:

Although difficult to classify, the evidence of declines in Europe, West Africa and Central Asia indicate that this species has experienced moderately rapid overall declines, and thus warrants Near Threatened status.

Threats are poorly understood. Where declines are occurring the key factors probably relate to changing land-use practices such as conversion of steppe to arable agriculture in some areas (although much former agricultural land in Central Asia is now becoming fallow and grazed areas provide new breeding habitat), shifts in arable land versus livestock grazing on seminatural steppe in others, and agricultural operations, such as harrowing. In the wintering grounds, agricultural practices and grassland 67

degradation may have reduced the area of available habitat, and locust control measures may also have negative impacts (Hockey and Douie 1995) both in terms of loss of a food source and the impact of pesticides (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Hunting is also likely to threaten the species (R. Sheldon in litt. 2016).

The Eurasian peregrine falcon is one of the many subspecies of the peregrine falcon. They are mainly non-migratory and are found only in western Eurasia. The peregrine falcon is a raptor or bird of prey. Most peregrine falcons are around 12 to 18 inches in body length. Like many birds, the females are much larger than the males. Peregrine falcons vary in color according to subspecies, but they generally have a bluish-black head and wings (upper), and their underparts are usually pale with spots or barred markings.

The peregrine falcon species has suffered greatly as a whole because of toxic effects of insecticides such as DDT and dieldrin. High exposures of these toxins effect their ability to reproduce. These birds also suffer because of the sport of falconry and some young falcons are even illegally taken from their nests. Pigeons are one of the main prey items of the peregrine falcon, and therefore some falcons are shot down by pigeon-lovers who consider them pests. In efforts to save the peregrine falcon species, conservationists in North America are constantly monitoring the peregrine population and all of its subspecies and the quality of their habitat.

This species has been downlisted to Least Concern. Although the population is still thought to be declining, the declines are not thought to be sufficiently rapid to warrant listing as Near Threatened. The European population is still thought to be declining but at a less severe rate and the Central Asian population is not thought to be declining significantly. Conservation actions in several

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countries have contributed to national recoveries.

Threats include persecution on migration in some Mediterranean countries and hundreds, perhaps thousands, are shot for food in Oman every spring (del Hoyo et al. 2001), and Gujarat, India. The loss of suitable breeding habitat due to changing agricultural practices, conversion to monoculture, loss of nest sites, and use of pesticides (reducing food availability) are considered to be the main threats to the species in Europe (E. Raèinskis in litt.

2005, Kovacs et al. 2008). It is sensitive to loss of hedgerows and riparian forest in Europe which provide essential habitats for perching and nesting.

This species underwent rapid declines in western Europe, equivalent to c.46% in each decade since 1950, on its wintering grounds in South Africa, equivalent to c.25% in each decade since 1971, and possibly in parts of its Asian range; however, recent evidence indicates a stable or slightly positive population trend overall during the last three generations. Consequently it has been downlisted from Vulnerable and now qualifies as Least Concern because it no longer approaches any of the thresholds for Vulnerable under the IUCN criteria.

The main cause of its decline was habitat loss and degradation in its Western Palearctic breeding grounds, primarily a result of agricultural intensification, but also afforestation and urbanisation.

In South Africa, key grasslands have been lost to agricultural intensification, afforestation and intensive pasture management (Pepler 2000). The use of pesticides may cause direct mortality, but is probably more important in reducing prey populations. The neglect or restoration of old buildings has resulted in the loss of nest-sites (Davygora 1998, J.-P. Biber in litt. 1999). At La Crau in southern France, where such nest sites are rare, a population increase in the 1990s may be linked to the progressive selection of ground nests in stone piles, reducing interspecific and intraspecific competition.

Fishes: The ala balik is a species of trout found in the Zamanti and Seyhan Rivers of Turkey. It's appearance and colorations are very similar to the brown trout (Salmo trutta), which is silvery or olive with dark spots on the sides of the body, and there is also a pale border appearing on both 69

sides. The spots are often surrounded by a lighter halo. Its tail is more fork-like unlike the brown trout's square tail.

The ala balik is a freshwater species and prefers cool mountain streams for its habitat. Little is known about its general and reproductive behavior. Generally trout diet consists of smaller fishes, insects, molluscs, and crustaceans. The ala balik is restricted to its range and not a migratory species like most other salmon species.

The ala balik population is abundant but remains threatened by illegal net fishing. Also, the introduction of the rainbow trout in the area poses a threat because it competes with the ala balik for food, and it also preys on young trout (larvae). The IUCN has listed this species as “critically endangered due to habitat decline and/or limited range of occurrence.”

This species was known from Lake Gölçük, west of Isparta, Turkey. The species was already Extinct by the 1980s (its exact date of extinction is unknown) due to the affects of introduced non-native fishes. Many surveys have taken place and the species has not been found.

The species was known from Lake Gölçük, west of Isparta. The species was already extinct in the 1980s (its exact date of extinction is unknown). This was a lacustrine species inhabiting one mountain lake.The species vanished due to alien species invasion. Alien species were stocked to improve fisheries.

This species is currently known only from Eregli marsh, which has been partly drained and water flow to the area is restricted. In addition, the habitat is threatened by pollution (agricultural, industrial and domestic pollution). The total marsh area is less than 100 km². The species is assessed as Critically Endangered based on restricted range and continuing decline in 70

habitat quality. Restricted to the Akgol-Eregli marshes in Central Anatolia, Turkey. Extent of occurrence is estimated as less than 100 km² Habitat loss as a result of the water supply to the marsh being restricted by the construction of a dam across the stream inlet. The marsh has been partly drained and water is extracted from the marsh for agricultural purposes. The marshes are also sometimes burned.

This species is known from Aksu and Koprü drainages east of Manavgat flowing into the Bay of Antalya, Turkey. In the Aksu, the headwaters are massively polluted and large dams in the middle section of the river created huge reservoirs which seem to be unsuitable for the species. These dams let no water out seasonally and therefore the river below is no longer inhabited by fish. The species is now restricted to a few tributaries in the Aksu. The situation in Köpü seems to be slightly better and the situation in the small streams east of Köprü is largely unknown and several populations seem to be impacted by (natural) hybridization with Capoeta caelestis.

There are many threats in the area. In Aksu, the headwaters are massively polluted and large dams in the middle section of the river created huge reservoirs which seem to be unsuitable for the species. These reservoirs let no water out seasonally and the river below is no longer inhabited by fish. The species is now restricted to few tributaries in Aksu.

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Insects: The current traditional activities in the area form no threat to the species. Future intensification of agriculture and of conifer plantations in connection to the extension of the European Union represent notable threats for the next 10 years. In addition, current climate warming with increased frequency, length and intensity of drought periods constitute a strong threat for the species. The species has a relatively small range with an estimated extent of occurrence of 13,750 km2.

Most of the forest areas where this species occurs are currently extensively used for traditional rearing of goats and sheep, which result in a number of clearing areas. However, intensive conifer plantations have been grown in the past and such monospecific forest areas seem to be unfavourable for S. borisi. Monospecific plantations of Robinia pseudacacia are now developed on abandoned agricultural fields, which may reduce the availability of maturation and foraging areas. Additional conifer plantations, water pollution and stream drying in relation to global warming and abnormal summer drought may be a threat for this species in the future.

Due to newly discovered localities, this species is now known over an area of about 430,000 km². However, a significant number of formerly flourishing populations have become nearly extinct during the last 10 years due to agricultural pollution (i.e., the Adana area in Turkey), probable war secondary events (destruction of the swamps area in the Persic Gulf in Iraq, but indeed a control is not a good idea in present times), or are now included in the "dam area" of the Euphrates river in South Turkey (construction

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of a series of successive barrages, among which the Birecik Barrage is the most famous due to the submersion of the Zeugma archaeological site. The implantation of the species in the gravel pits of Birecik, if not already destroyed through the construction of the Birecik dam, is threatened of flooding due to the Karkamis barrage).

The major threats are: pesticide and other pollution, drainage and destruction of swamps.

Although it has a fairly wide distribution there has been a decrease in the distribution area of between 20-50% over the last 25 years. This equates to a population reduction of 20% in ten years. Found in wet valleys and wet areas near the coast in Mediterranean evergreen woodlands and maquis, broad-leaved woodlands, heathland and scrubland.

Feeds on species of Rumex (Polygonaceae).

It is threatened by any coastal developments and human activity. There is legal protection for some important butterfly habitats in three countries and has been a research subject in at least one country.

Onychogomphus macrodon is currently assessed as Vulnerable as it is confined to only three river systems (Orontes, Ceyhan and the Jordan north of Lake Tiberias) which are all heavily influenced by pollution; grind mining and the creation of barrage lakes. It is inferred that this already led to a severe decline of 30% in the last decade and it is likely that this decline will continue unless measures are taken.The species is found in larger lowland rivers. Details on its habitat preferences are lacking.

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Its habitat is heavily influenced by pollution, grind mining, and the creation of barrage lakes. The paucity of recent records suggests that the species has declined both in numbers and localities. Research on its distribution and its habitat requirements is therefore much needed.

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