Biodiversity of Azerbaijan: Animal Kingdom

The distribution of the animal kingdom in Azerbaijan is determined by the relief, changes in corresponding vegetation, and the presence of water bodies. The country's fauna comprises 14,000 species of insects, 104 species of fish, 11 species of amphibians, 63 species of reptiles, 405 species of birds, and 115 species of mammals.

In the Kur-Araz Lowland and areas up to 500-600 meters in height (semi-deserts and dry steppes), one can encounter animals such as hares, foxes, jackals, wolves, swift lizards, red-tailed sand lizards, Anatolian sand lizards, and Arabian sand lizards. These areas are also inhabited by hares, terrestrial turtles, vipers, coramels, wild mice, and others. Reeds and coastal areas are home to wild boars, water cats, jackals, water rats, water snakes, marsh beavers, and various bird species such as cranes, teals, avocets, white geese, partridges, ducks, and coots. Rivers flowing through the territory of the republic are inhabited by fish species such as carp, catfish, pike, roach, bream, and barbel.

Tugai forests are rich in diverse wildlife, including wild boars, hares, foxes, jackals, badgers, hedgehogs, snakes, and lizards. Here, one can also find various bird species like owls, woodpeckers, swans, and thrushes. In other plain forests and foothill thickets of the country, bears, roe deer, lynxes, squirrels, deer, wild cats, raccoons, magpies, yellow-breasted tits, and woodpeckers are found.

Forests are inhabited by numerous animal species, including deer, brown bears, mountain goats, ibexes, leopards, squirrels, lynxes, wildcats, foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, and wild boars. Forests also harbor various bird species like woodpeckers, partridges, turajis, black storks, eagles, nightingales, Caucasian grouses, Caucasian pheasants, and others. Alpine meadows and rocks are habitats for hares, foxes, mountain goats, leopards, snow voles, sousliks, wolves, jackals, Caspian deer, Caucasian deer, and hyenas. In these areas, among the birds, one can find woodpeckers, pigeons, partridges, quails, hoopoes, and among reptiles - vipers, lizard runners, and frogs. A large number of migratory and sedentary birds can be found in coastal areas, on islands, and in freshwater lakes of the Caspian Sea.

Animal resources of the republic include commercial fish, animals used for obtaining skins and meat, as well as species of animals inhabiting hunting grounds, which are bred for industrial and medical purposes (medicinal leeches). Fisheries resources, caught in the Caspian Sea, Kura River, Araz River, reservoirs, and water reservoirs, are particularly important in terms of economic value.

Hunting is carried out for birds inhabiting water bodies, wild boars, mountain goats, deer, roe deer, and partridges. On the Apsheron Peninsula, vipers are kept for the production of medicines (snake venom). The republic has 20 hunting farms, covering an area of 5.2 million hectares.

https://eco.gov.az/az/tebii-servetlerimiz/azerbaycan-heyvanat-alemi