Editing Saudi Arabia (section)

=== Biodiversity ===
{{main|Wildlife of Saudi Arabia}}
{{Multiple image
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| image1            = Arabian Leopard Nimr (8454247265).jpg
| caption1          = The critically endangered [[Arabian leopard]]
| image2            = Halterstandingshotarabianone.jpg
| caption2          = The [[Arabian horse]] is native to Arabia, and an important element of traditional Arabian folklore.
}}
Saudi Arabia is home to five terrestrial ecoregions: [[Arabian Peninsula coastal fog desert]], [[Southwestern Arabian foothills savanna]], [[Southwestern Arabian montane woodlands]], [[Arabian Desert]], and [[Red Sea Nubo-Sindian tropical desert and semi-desert]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=1|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287|doi-access=free}}</ref> Wildlife includes the [[Arabian leopard]],<ref name="Judas et al., 2006">{{cite journal |author1=Judas, J. |author2=Paillat, P. |author3=Khoja, A. |author4=Boug, A. |year=2006 |title=Status of the Arabian leopard in Saudi Arabia |url=http://www.catsg.org/fileadmin/filesharing/3.Conservation_Center/3.2._Status_Reports/leopard/Judas_et_al_2006_Status_of_the_Arabian_Leopard_in_Saudi_Arabia.pdf |journal=Cat News |volume=Special Issue 1 |pages=11–19 |access-date=5 August 2018 |archive-date=3 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003095616/http://www.catsg.org/fileadmin/filesharing/3.Conservation_Center/3.2._Status_Reports/leopard/Judas_et_al_2006_Status_of_the_Arabian_Leopard_in_Saudi_Arabia.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Spalton et al., 2006">{{cite journal |author1=Spalton, J.A. |author2=Al-Hikmani, H.M. |name-list-style=amp |year=2006 |title=The Leopard in the Arabian Peninsula – Distribution and Subspecies Status |journal=Cat News |issue=Special Issue 1 |pages=4–8 |url=http://www.yemenileopard.org/files/cms/reports/Cat_News_Special_Issue_1_-_Arabian_leopard.pdf |access-date=5 August 2018 |archive-date=16 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201216011835/http://www.yemenileopard.org/files/cms/reports/Cat_News_Special_Issue_1_-_Arabian_leopard.pdf |url-status=usurped }}</ref> [[Arabian wolf]], [[striped hyena]], [[mongoose]], [[baboon]], [[Cape hare]], [[sand cat]], and [[jerboa]]. Animals such as gazelles, [[oryx]], leopards and [[Asiatic cheetah|cheetahs]]<ref name=Nowell1996>{{cite book |author1=Nowell, K. |author2=Jackson, P. |chapter=Asiatic cheetah |title=Wild Cats: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan |chapter-url=http://carnivoractionplans1.free.fr/wildcats.pdf |year=1996 |publisher=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group |place=Gland, Switzerland |isbn=978-2-8317-0045-8 |pages=41–44 |access-date=5 August 2018 |archive-date=29 May 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050529182212/http://carnivoractionplans1.free.fr/wildcats.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> were relatively numerous until the 19th century, when extensive hunting reduced these animals almost to extinction. The culturally important [[Asiatic lion]] occurred in Saudi Arabia until the late 19th century before it was hunted to extinction in the wild.<ref name="Nader_al1989">{{cite book |last=Nader |first=I. A. |year=1989 |chapter=Rare and endangered mammals of Saudi Arabia |pages=220–228 |editor1-last=Abu-Zinada |editor1-first=A. H. |editor2-last=Goriup |editor2-first=P. D. |editor3-last=Nader |editor3-first=L. A |title=Wildlife conservation and development in Saudi Arabia |publisher=National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development Publishing |number=3 |location=[[Riyadh]] |chapter-url=http://www.catsg.org/cheetah/05_library/5_3_publications/N_and_O/Nader_1989_Rare_and_endangered_mammals_of_Saudi_Arabia.pdf |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=26 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126113847/http://www.catsg.org/cheetah/05_library/5_3_publications/N_and_O/Nader_1989_Rare_and_endangered_mammals_of_Saudi_Arabia.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Birds include falcons (which are caught and trained for hunting), eagles, hawks, vultures, [[sandgrouse]], and [[bulbul]]s. There are several species of snakes, many of which are venomous. Domesticated animals include the legendary [[Arabian horse]], [[Arabian camel]], sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys, chickens, etc.

The Red Sea is a rich and diverse [[ecosystem]] with more than [[List of fishes in the Red Sea|1,200 species of fish]]<ref name="fishbase">{{cite web|url=http://www.fishbase.org/TrophicEco/FishEcoList.php?ve_code=5|title=FishBase|last=Froese|first=Ranier|author2=Pauly, Daniel|access-date=12 March 2009|year=2009|archive-date=17 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217070339/http://www.fishbase.org/TrophicEco/FishEcoList.php?ve_code=5|url-status=live}}</ref> around 10% of which are [[Endemism|endemic]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Siliotti|first=A.|title=Fishes of the red sea|editor=Verona, Geodia|year=2002|publisher=Geodia Edizioni Internazionali |isbn=978-88-87177-42-8}}</ref> This also includes 42 species of [[List of deep water fish of the Red Sea|deep water fish]].<ref name="fishbase" /> The rich diversity is partly owed to the {{cvt|2000|km|mi|-1|comma=gaps}} of coral reef extending along the coastline; these [[fringing reef]]s are largely formed of stony [[acropora]] and [[porites]] corals. The reefs form platforms and sometimes lagoons along the coast and occasional other features such as cylinders (such as the [[Blue Hole (Red Sea)|Blue Hole]] at [[Dahab]]). These coastal reefs are also visited by [[Pelagic zone|pelagic]] species, including some of the [[List of sharks in the Red Sea|44 species of shark]]. There are many offshore reefs including several [[atoll]]s. Many of the unusual offshore reef formations defy classic (i.e., Darwinian) coral reef classification schemes and are generally attributed to the high levels of tectonic activity that characterize the area.

Reflecting the country's dominant desert conditions, plant life mostly consists of herbs, plants, and shrubs that require little water. The date palm (''[[Phoenix dactylifera]]'') is widespread.<ref name="Britannica" />