MARSH BULLETIN 10(1) 2015 | P a g e 52 Occurrence of wild mammals at the restored East Hammar marsh - Basrah - Iraq Abbas, A.F. and Hussain, N.A. Dept of Ecology, College of Science, Basrah University Abstract The study was conducted at East Hammar marsh during the period May 2012 until May 2013. Several methods were used for the collection of specimens (live traps, camera trap, direct observations and other sings. Sixteen species were occurred including Canis aureus , Canis lupus, Felis chaus ,Herpestes javanicus, Hyaena hyaena, Lutra lutra, Mellivora capensis, Vulpes vulpes, Mus musculus, Nesokia indica, Rattus norvegicus, Suncus etruscus, Suncus murinus, Sus scrofa, Hemiechinus auritus, Lepus capensis. Observed species belong to six orders, eleven families and 14 genus. Species were distributed on the following orders as follow ratios; Carnivores (50.%), Rodentia (18.75%), Soricomorpha (12.5%), Artiodactyla (6.25%), Arinaceomorpha (6.25%), Lagomorpha (6.25%). 1-Introduction: of KBA project (Key Biological Areas) of Nature Iraq, few species Few published studies on the were recorded including Sus mammals of Iraq were traced. The scrofa, Canis aureus, Lepus most comprehensive study was europaeus, Ratus norvegicus and that of Hatt (1959),who survey Felis sp. Al-Sheikhly and Nader several habitats and regions of the (2013) and Al-Sheikhly and Malon country. During the last 30 years (2013) studied the occurrence and only few articles were published geographical distribution of especially that of Al-Robaae(1977) Lutrogale perspicillata maxewilli and Kadhim (1981) on the and Lutra lutra & Herpestes distribution of Nesokia indica and javanicus and H.edwardsi in Iraq. Tatera indica. These two species Garstecki &Amr ( 2011)reviewed were associated with marshes and the fauna of Iraqi marshes. river banks. Kadhim et al. (1979) Mohammad et al (2013) and studied the occurrence of Egyptian Mohommad (2014) surveyed the jerboa (Jaculus jaculus) . vertebrate species occurrence at Kadhim(1997&1998) studied the Bahr Al-Najaf depression and at distribution of Hystrix indica, Al-Dalmaj marshes respectively. Tatera indica and Allactaga Again Hussain (2014) review the euphratica .Recently Haba (2009) survey the restored marshes as part MARSH BULLETIN 10(1) 2015 | P a g e 52 status of mammals in restored macrophytes canopies including southern marshes . Phragmites australis , Typha The study aims to survey the domingensis Shoenoplectus occurrence of wild mammals litoralis, and Vallisneria spiralis . existed in restored East Hammar The eastern part was a desert with marsh. thick Halophytes (Alhage spp. , 2-Material and methods: Suaeda sp. and Tamarix spp.) .The sampling area represent several 2-1: Study area: The study area habitats marshland ,desert terrain, was situated at south east of East agriculture field beside several fish Hammar marsh with following co- ,chicken farms and several herds of ordinations (N: 30° 39' 1.3" , E: 47° sheep, cows and buffalos .Few 40' 25.6")(fig.1).The area is active artisanal fishermen at the permanent marsh covered by area. Shatt Al-Arab River East Hammar Marsh Study area Main Outfall Drain Al-Sallal Channel Fig.1: East Hammar marsh (study area and neighboring sites). medium(60cm×30cm×30cm) 2-2: , Several methods were used small(30cm×12cm×12cm).th to collect the data depend on ese traps used to catch small the size of the animal , and medium mammals. activity, time of activity and 2- Camera trap: used camera kind of bait as in bellow: trap module Moultrie I – 1- Live traps: used three sizes, 40XT Game Spy with large(100cm×40cm×40cm), camera resolution 5.0 MARSH BULLETIN 10(1) 2015 | P a g e 52 megapixel. It used to record SubfamilyII: Lutrinae medium and big mammals. Species : Lutra lutra 3- Direct observation: used line Linnaeus, 1758 (fig.6) transect method to record the Family III : Hyaenidae mammals during night and Species : Hyaena hyaena day activity and to determine Linnaeus, 1758 (fig.7) dispersing sites. Family IV : Felidae 4- Signs: used foot prints, feces, Species : Felis chaus voices to determine Schreber, 1777 (fig.8) mammals species especially Family V : Herpestidae the voice of gray wolf and Species : Herpestes javanicus red fox during the night. Geoffroy , 1818 (fig.9) Order I: Artidactyla Results : Family : Suidae The observed species belong to Species : Sus scrofa six orders, eleven families and 14 Linnaeus, 1758 (fig.10) genus. Species were distributed on the following orders as follow Order III : Erinaceomorpha ratios; Carnivores (50.%), Rodentia Family : Erinaceidae (18.75%), Soricomorpha (12.5%), Species : Hemiechinus auritus Artiodactyla (6.25%), S. G. Gmelin, 1770 (fig.11) Arinaceomorpha (6.25%), Lagomorpha (6.25%). Order IV: Lagomorpha The classification of species Family : Leporidae collected from the study area were Species : Lepus capensis after Hatt,(1959) ,Harrison and Linnaeus, 1758 (fig.12) Bates (1991) as follow : Order V : Rodentia Kingdom : Animalia Family : Muridae Phylum : Chordata Species I : Rattus norvegicus Class : Mammalia Berkenhout, 1769 (fig.13) Order I : Carnivora Species II: Mus musculus Family I : Canidae Linnaeus, 1758 (fig.14) Species I : Canis lupus arab Species III: Nesokia indica Pocock, 1934 (fig.2) Gray, 1830 (fig.15) Species II : Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758 (fig.3) Order VI : Soricomorpha Species III : Vulpes vulpes Family :soricidae Linnaeus, 1758 (fig.4) Species I: suncus etruscus Family II : Mustelidae Savi, 1822 (fig.16) SubfamilyI : Mellivorinae Species II: suncus murinus Species : Mellivora capensis Linnaeus, 1766 (fig.17) Storr, 1780 (fig.5) MARSH BULLETIN 10(1) 2015 | P a g e 52 Fig.(4) Vulpes vulpes Fig.(5) Mellivora capensis Fig.(6) Lutra lutra Fig.(7) Hyaena hyaena Fig.(8) Felis chaus Fig.(9) Herpestes javanicus MARSH BULLETIN 10(1) 2015 | P a g e 52 Fig.(12) Lepus capensis Fig.(13) Rattus norvegicus Fig.(14) Mus muculus Fig.(15) Nesokia indica Fig(17) Suncus murinus Fig(16) Suncus etruscus MARSH BULLETIN 10(1) 2015 | P a g e 03 Species data collection depended medium and the large species were on the method used. Generally most collected by camera trap and direct of the small mammal species was observation(table,1). collected by live traps while the Table 1 : distribution of collected data on the methods: No. of Camera Direct Species Live trap Voice individual trap observation Canis aureus 47 1 74 6 Not counted Canis lupus 3 - - 2 1 Felis chaus 11 1 2 8 - Herpestes javanicus 33 33 3 7 - Hyaena hyaena 7 - - 7 - Lutra lutra 3 - - 3 - Mellivora capensis 3 - 2 1 - Vulpes vulpes 2 - - 1 1 Mus musculus 22 23 - 1 - Nesokis indica 1 1 - - - Rattus norvegicus 22 22 - - - Suncus etruscus 1 1 - - - Suncus murinus 3 3 - - - Sus scrofa 13 12 3 Hemiechinus auritus 13 13 - 1 - Lepus capensis 11 - 1 11 - Total 233 112 27 31 2 Discussion: Paleoarictic species distributed in North & Middle Europe ,North The number of species recorded Asia and North Africa. Asian - (Sixteen species) from the restored Indian species came in second and East Hammar marsh represent a the third the Africans species good recovery of wild mammalian .These results agreed with previous species after more than a decay of studies of Hatt (1959) ,Harrison desiccation in which only 4% of (1981), Harrison & Bates(1991) original marshes remain and Aulagnier et al.(2009). (Richardson & Hussain, 2006) Paleoarictic (Eurasian) species .Most of the species recorded from include C. lupus , L. lutra ,S. scrofa the study area belong to the ,M. musculus ,V. vulpes and S. MARSH BULLETIN 10(1) 2015 | P a g e 03 etruscus .Asian species were reveal that no alien or invader represented by C. aureus , H. species were noticed in the study auritus, H. javanicus , N. indica , area. F. chaus and S. murinus .African species represented by H. hyaena , Both studies before desiccation M. capensis and L.capensis and the present study confirmed the .European species represented by dominance of order Carnivora R. norvegicus . formed 50. 0% of total species recorded in East Hammar marsh, Recent survey of Dalmaj consisted mainly of C.lupus marsh 400 km to north of East ,C.aureus ,L.lutra, Lutrogale Hammar marsh by Nature Iraq ( perspicillata maxewilli and to less 2005-2011 ) on mammal species extent M.capensis ,H.hyenea and reveal the existence of similar F.chaus,beside few other record of species including Honey Badger M. V. rueppellii. capensis, Striped Hyena H. hyaena, Gray Wolf C. lupus, River otter L. Al-Sheikhly & Mallon (2013) lutra, Wild Boar S. scrofa , and pointed out that the species jungle cat F. chaus. Herpestes javanicus distributed in middle and south of Iraq including Previous studies from 1959 to the marshes , while H.edwardsi 2013 (Table, 2)reveals that the found only in the north . Harrison & average number of species Bates(1991) recorded H.javanicus recorded in marshes was 16 and the from the river banks of Basrah difference from that could be due to province and H.edwardsi from the habitats overlapping with other areas near Kuwaiti and Iranian associated like semi- desert or thick borders, with exception of Haba bushes . Our present record fit (2009) recorded H.edwardsi from more with species occurred in the restored marshes. proper marsh than that of the riparian marsh according to Hatt Availability of trash food (1959) species categorization. materials in the sampling area due to the establishment of several The present study failed to commercial livestock and fish register three rare species farms ,could attracted many (Lutrogale perspicillata maxewilli, carnivorous species to occurred and Tatera indica and Nesokia bunnii ) wandering in area mainly for occurred in the region before feeding. Ruin of abundant muddy desiccation as postulated by huts form a good shelter for small Harrison & Bates (1991) ,however mammals especially rodents . the first species was recently recorded from the same marsh area Scott & Evans(1993) postulated by Al- Sheikhly and Nader that desiccation of marshes during (2013).The results of this study MARSH BULLETIN 10(1) 2015 | P a g e 05 the nineties wiped out several indigenous species ( eg.