There are many types of animals that live in Egypt, including domesticated animals such as buffalo, camels, sheep and goats as well as wild cats, gazelles, mongooses and many reptiles, amphibians and birds. The terrain, geography and climate varies widely throughout Egypt, and local conditions in turn determine the type of flora and fauna that exist in certain locations. Domesticated animals are found mostly in the farms lining Egypts rivers while other animals live in the mountains, deserts and plains.
The animals in Egypt live in the water as well as on land. Water-dwelling organisms include the hippopotamus, several types of water snakes, fish, frogs and some types of lizards. There are several types of poisonous snakes in Egypt, including multiple species of vipers and the Egyptian cobra, which reside in the fertile agricultural areas in river valleys of the Nile River.
Crocodiles and alligators are also found in rivers and streams while other animals, such as scorpions, the Dorac gazelle, and small rodents prefer to live in the dry and hot Western Desert region. The largest wild animal in Egypt is the aoudad, which is a type of sheep that also resides in the Western Desert, along with the Egyptian jackal, fennec, and the Nubian ibex. Others, such as the hyrax, live high in the Sinai mountains.
