Below you can find a complete list of Jordanian animals. We currently track 226 animals in Jordan and are adding more every day!
Jordan is a small nation in the Middle East. It has deserts and mountains, yet it is still home to many unique and exotic animal species. In fact, there are 150 native animal species and 220 types of birds that regularly migrate through Jordan. In fact, a total of 426 unique bird species – some of them very rare – have been observed in the region! These creatures are supported by over two thousand species of plants, many of which thrive in oases near rivers and other bodies of water.
What animals might you find on a visit to Jordan? Keep reading to learn about drought-tolerant gazelles, predatory hyenas, cats, foxes, badgers, mustelids, bats, rodents, and more.
The Official National Animal of Jordan
The Arabian Oryx is Jordan’s national animal. The oryx is an antelope with distinctive horns that curve backward from its head. Its body is mostly white or cream-colored, with dark brown or black markings on its head and legs.
Where To Find The Top Wild Animals in Jordan
Jordan’s national animal, the Arabian Oryx, can be seen roaming the deserts of the Wadi Rum. Oryx viewing tours are available through an organization called Wild Jordan. You can also view oryx at the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve. Other reserves include the Dana Biosphere Reserve and the Mujib Biosphere Reserve.
If you want to get up close and personal with rare and exotic Jordanian wildlife, pay a visit to the Al Mawa wildlife refuge. They take in animals that have been rescued from zoos, circuses, and private owners across the Middle East. There, you can see lions and Syrian brown bears, predatory species that are now extinct in the wild in Jordan.
The Gulf of Aqaba is home to upwards of 1,000 species of fish. A number of sharks live there, including the world’s largest fish, the whale shark. If you decide to snorkel or scuba dive, you may find clownfish, barracuda, groupers, frogfish, stingrays, and moray eels. Flamingos and pelicans also call this area home.
One place you will not find animals is within the Dead Sea. True to its name, the Dead Sea is too salty to support marine life. Due to evaporation, it is saltier than the ocean; even saltwater fish and plants cannot live there.
The Most Dangerous Animals in Jordan Today
Perhaps the most dangerous animals in Jordan today are the vipers, a type of venomous snake. While snake bites are rare, you should seek medical care immediately if bitten. Viper bites cause pain, swelling, and sometimes even death.
Endangered Animals in Jordan
Birds make up the majority of Jordan’s endangered animals. A number of globally threatened bird species spend part of the year in Jordan as they migrate. These include the lesser kestrel, Syrian serin, aquatic warbler, marbled duck, saker falcon, sociable lapwing, Siberian crane, MacQueen’s bustard, eastern imperial eagle, greater spotted eagle, steppe eagle, golden eagle, Pharaoh eagle-owl, lappet-faced vulture, Griffon vulture, Egyptian vulture, northern bald ibis, Atlantic petrel, and white-headed duck.
The Flag of Jordan
Jordan’s flag can be traced back to the flag used during the Arab Revolt of World War I in 1917. This flag was reportedly created by Arabs from Istanbul and was also a significant part of the Ottoman Empire, which Jordan was once a part of.
The four colors on Jordan’s flag—black, white, green, and black—are the standard Pan-Arab colors used on other flags of Arab countries. This symbolizes the unity of Arab countries.
Jordanian Animals
Stunningly beautiful wings
Each adult Angora goat produces about 12 inches of mohair annually while kids have about 8 inches.
First evolved 100 million years ago!
Renew their horns every year!
They are so named because they "march" in armies of worms from one crop to another in search of food
Extinct ancestor of all domesticated cattle!
Has a curved, upturned beak!
People spin clothing and fishing nets out of these spiders’ silk.
There are over 1768 known species!
Found everywhere around the world!
Older offspring help care for new hatchlings.
Detects prey using echolocation!
There are 8 different species!
Bed bugs feed for 4-12 minutes.
Rock paintings of bees date back 15,000 years
There are more than 350,000 different species
Not all birds are able to fly!
The biscuit beetle form a symbiotic relationship with yeast
They typically prey on insects!
These snakes have been introduced to all continents, except Antarctica!
“Mild-Mannered Minimonsters”
Can live its entire life indoors
The most common species of bee!
There are thought to be up 17,500 species!
Can survive without water for 10 months!
The camel crickets that are found in the USA are light brown in color. They also have dark streaks all over their body.
Fast, carnivorous arachnid with a painful bite.
Has a strong survival instinct!
Has 20 different muscles in it's ears!
Carpenter ants can lift up to seven times their own weight with their teeth!
The Carpet Viper probably bites and kills more people than any other species of snake.
May have been domesticated up to 10,000 years ago.
The larvae of a moth or butterfly!
There are nearly 3,000 different species!
There are about 3,000 documented species!
There are more than 160 different species!
First domesticated more than 10,000 years ago!
Cicadas have one of the longest insect lifespans
Dated to be around 300 million years old!
Pupae are able to undergo diapause to survive poor fruit yield years and winter.
The most common raptor in the UK!
The common furniture beetle feeds exclusively on wood
House spiders have the ability to eat most insects in a home.
A group of ravens is called an unkindness or a conspiracy.
They can fly 35 mph and dive 150 feet below water.
There are nearly 1.5 billion worldwide!
There are 93 different crab groups
Crab Spiders can mimic ants or bird droppings
Many are critically endangered species!
Male crickets can produce sounds by rubbing their wings together
Have changed little in 200 million years!
A group of these birds is called a Murder.
There are around 40 different species!
Solitary locusts are grey while gregarious locusts are yellow with stripes.
These tiny wolves prefer to cohabitate in pairs or groups of three (generally two males and a female).
First domesticated in South-East Asia!
Dog ticks feed on dogs and other mammals
First domesticated 5,000 years ago!
Found in Europe, Africa and Asia!
It's larvae are carnivorous!
Rows of tiny plates line their teeth!
The dung beetle can push objects many times its own weight
Has exceptional eyesight!
They are hermaphrodites, which means they have male and female organs
There are nearly 2,000 different species!
Eels can be a mere few inches long to 13 feet!
They steal large ostrich eggs and use rocks and pebbles to crack the shells.
Spends around 22 hours a day eating!
They are frequent visitors to backyard feeders, especially those containing niger seeds.
Male robins are so aggressive and territorial that they will attack their own reflections.
The fastest creatures on the planet!
When it feels threatened, it mimics a cobra in an attempt to dissuade a potential attacker.
False spiders actually prey on black widow spiders and other hazardous spiders
Found across mainland Europe and Asia!
The firefly produces some of the most efficient light in the world
Adult fleas can jump up to 7 inches in the air
There are more than 240,000 different species!
Can glide up to 90 meters!
Only 12 species are considered "true foxes"
There are around 7,000 different species!
Fruit flies are among the most common research animals in the world
Named for the Arabic word for love poems
There are thought to be over 2,000 species!
Originally known as the Desert Rat!
The most common type of urban roach
The largest fish in its genus
Found inhabiting dense woodland and caves!
Males form large mating swarms at dusk
Most closely related to the Sheep!
Their calls sound like high-pitched screams, but they are quiet most of the time.
Migrates between Europe and Asia!
There are 29 different species!
There are 11,000 known species!
One of the most invasive species in the world
Able to run as quickly backwards as forwards!
Can reach speeds of over 50 mph!
Many hawk moth caterpillars eat toxins from plants, but don’t sequester them the way milkweed butterflies do. Most toxins are excreted.
Thought to be one of the oldest mammals on Earth!
Inhabits wetlands around the world!
There are only 8 recognized species!
Stunning bird with a stinky way to deter predators!
Horned vipers sidewind across the desert sands of their home.
Has evolved over 50 million years!
Horseflies have been seen performing Immelmann turns, much like fighter jets.
Thought to have orignated 200,000 years ago!
Some huntsman spiders have an interesting way of moving around. Some cartwheel while others do handsprings or backflips.
There are four different species!
Can jump over 6 feet straight up from a standstill
Found in swamps, marshes and wetlands!
There are an estimated 30 million species!
Can maintain speeds of 16 km/h!
Tiny rodent with a kangaroo-like jump!
Some can jump 50 times the length of their bodies
Inhabits wetlands and woodlands worldwide!
There are more than 5,000 species worldwide!
The offspring of a lion and tiger parents!
There are around 5,000 different species!
Each locust can eat its weight in plants each day.
Ear tufts make it look bigger!
Often hangs upside down while feeding!
They are found across Europe, Asia and Africa!
There are 2,500 known species worldwide!
They have a symbiotic relationship with ants.
Some species have a poisonous bite!
Primarily hunts and feeds on Earthworms!
Adult Mole crickets may fly as far as 5 miles during mating season and are active most of the year.
Range in size from just 1 to 3 foot!
Has characteristics of two or more breeds!
Some species are thought to carry a weak venom!
There are around 260 known species!
Feeds on aquatic insects and water-spiders!
Only the female mosquito actually sucks blood
There are 250,000 different species!
Found on every continent on Earth!
The offspring of a horse and donkey parents!
Roamed Asia and Europe for around 100,000 years!
Nematodes range in size from 1/10 of an inch to 28 feet long
Able to regrow lost or damaged limbs!
Named more than 1,000 years ago!
There are more than 5,000 species.
An onager's coat changes color with the season.
Females are about four times the size of males
They reuse nesting sites for 70 years!
There are 13 different species worldwide
The owl can rotate its head some 270 degrees
Monk parakeets are the only parakeets that actually build nests. They’re also the only parakeets to nest in great colonies.
Can live for up to 100 years!
Thought to have originated in the Middle East!
Females lay between 8 and 12 eggs per clutch!
Thought to have been domesticated in 9,000 BC!
They can find their way back to their nests from up to 1300 miles away.
Found in mountainous regions and rocky areas
There are 500 different species!
There are 30 different species worldwide!
The mantis can turn its head 180 degrees.
Inhabits woodland and forest areas worldwide!
There are more than 300 different species!
Omnivores that eat anything!
It's horns are made from keratin!
Inhabits freshwater habitats around the world!
There are more than 45 species in Australia alone!
The capybara, the world’s largest rodent, likes to be in and around bodies of water. Because of this, the Catholic Church in South America decided that it was a fish, and people were allowed to eat it during Lent and First Fridays.
Will mate with the entire flock!
Ferrets were used during the Revolutionary War to keep down the rat population.
There are more than 700 different species!
The Saluki is one of the fastest dog breeds in the world.
There are around 2,000 known species!
The sea eagle tends to mate for life with a single partner
Males give birth to up to 1,000 offspring!
Around 35 million in the English countryside!
The short-eared owl is one of the most widespread owl species in the world, covering five continents.
The spinal column of the shrew Scutisorex somereni is so strong and reinforced that it can support the weight of an adult human.
There are 2,000 different species worldwide!
Some skinks lay eggs in some habitats while giving birth to skinklets in other habitats.
Found widely throughout British gardens!
They glide around on one foot, which is aided by the slime they produce
Has up to 45 eggs per egg case
There are nearly 1,000 different species!
There are around 4,000 known species worldwide
A male song thrush can have over 100 phrases in his repertoire of songs and can imitate pet birds, telephones and other man-made objects.
There are 140 different species!
They prey on spiders to feed their larvae or they parasitize other spider wasps.
Small rodents found in woodlands worldwide!
There are more than 3,000 different species!
Because of their unique venom delivery system, stiletto snakes are almost impossible to hold safely in the usual way (with fingers behind the head) without being bitten.
Average adults weigh about 200 grams!
They can’t sing like other birds.
The striped hyenas usually mark their territories with the help of the scent gland secretions from their anal pouch.
Populations have been affected by pollution!
Tarantula hawks are excellent pollinators, especially for milkweed.
Their mounds can be up to 9 meters tall!
The American robin is called the robin because its red breast reminded European settlers of the robin back in the old country.
They inject hosts with a chemical that stops them from feeling the pain of the bite
The adult tiger beetle is one of the fastest land insects in the world
Can live until they are more than 150 years old!
They make music with their wings
Found in warmer jungles and forests!
Some species of aquatic turtles can get up to 70 percent of their oxygen through their butt.
Vinegaroons can spray 19 times before the glands are depleted
Vipers are one of the most widespread groups of snakes and inhabit most
There are 30 different species worldwide!
There are around 75,000 recognised species!
Has been domesticated for thousands of years!
Spends most of it's time in the trees!
The smallest carnivorous mammal in the world!
There are two different types of white ferrets!
None have been seen in the wild for 50 years!
Males have a top tusk to sharpen the bottom one!
Thought to date back more than 300,000 years!
Carnivorous arachnid that hunts its prey.
This animal can roll up into a ball
Unlike most spiders, woodlouse spiders don’t build a web.
There are 200 different species!
There are around 75 different species!
Jordanian Animals List
About the Author
AZ Animals is a growing team of animals experts, researchers, farmers, conservationists, writers, editors, and -- of course -- pet owners who have come together to help you better understand the animal kingdom and how we interact.
Animals in Jordan FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Where in the World is Jordan?
Jordan is a small, nearly landlocked country in the Middle East. It borders Israel, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Much of the country has a desert habitat.
What Animals Live in Jordan?
Jordan is home to hundreds of animal species – some migratory, others that call Jordan home year-round.
We’ve already talked about the Arabian oryx, a type of gazelle, but other gazelle species live there as well. These include the small brown and white dorcas or ariel gazelle, the goitered or black-tailed gazelle, and the agile mountain gazelle.
Jordan’s carnivores are also diverse, but few are dangerous. The striped hyena can be found there, as can a number of large and small cats. The largest of these is the caracal. Others include the smaller African wildcat, jungle cat, and sand cat.
Canines in Jordan include the Arabian wolf and golden jackal, as well as foxes – Blanford’s, Rüppell’s, fennec, and Arabian red foxes, to be exact. You’ll also find European and honey badgers, the Egyptian mongoose, the least weasel, and the European otter.
Gerbils, hamsters, squirrels, dormice, jerboas, mole-rats, voles, hares, wild boards, hedgehogs, turtles, lizards, frogs, fish, and the Indian crested porcupine also call Jordan home.
Are There Lions in Jordan?
Both fossil records and writings contained in the Bible indicate that lions once lived in Jordan. Today, however, you’ll only find lions in animal sanctuaries in Jordan, Such as Al Mawa for Nature and Wildlife.
Which Animal Became Extinct from Jordan?
Fossil records show that predatory animals such as brown bears and Asiatic lions, and herbivores like Asian elephants, zebras, and rhinoceroses once lived in Jordan. While they are still found in other parts of the world, these animals are now extinct in Jordan. You can still view these exotic animals in Jordan’s animal sanctuaries.
More recently, the Arabian oryx became locally extinct in Jordan due to overhunting. After extensive conservation measures, the animal has been reintroduced and is no longer considered endangered. In fact, Jordan now supplies other countries with Arabian oryx for reintroduction into the wild.