animals live in the desert morocco

animals live in the desert morocco

Morocco's Coastline
Morocco's coastline stretches along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Coastal cities like Tangiers, Casablanca, Essaouira and Safi offer plenty of opportunities for tourists to view marine life, including dolphins, porpoises, sea birds and the extremely endangered Mediterranean monk seal. Souss-Massa National Park, a bird refuge, sits along the River Massa, which runs into the Atlantic Ocean. The endangered bald ibis is one of the park's frequent visitors. The river itself is home to large populations of ducks, including the marbled duck and the red-crested pochard, as well as mammals like the Algerian hedgehog, brown hare and African wild cat and a host of reptiles and amphibians.
Desert Wildlife
The western Sahara lies within Morocco and despite its extreme heat during the daylight hours, it is home to a wide variety of animal species. Tourists taking camel-trekking tours of the Moroccan desert may get the chance to see animals like the Dorcas gazelle, the smallest gazelle in the world, or the Fennec fox, the smallest fox in the world. These animals are often most active in the early mornings and the evenings, staying hidden during the day because of the scorching temperatures. Other Moroccan desert animals include rodents, snakes, gerbils, golden jackals, addax and lizards.
Atlas and Rif Mountains
Morocco's Atlas and Rif mountains were once home to the Barbary lion, now nearly extinct. Parc Zoologique National in Morocco's capital city, Rabat has a breeding program for this lion species. If you plan to take part in a mountain trekking tour, you may get an opportunity to see other indigenous, mountain-residing creatures like the Barbary macaque, a primate; wild boars; eagles; cardinals; lizards and butterflies.
Plant Life in Morocco
Morocco is home to diverse plant species that are found all throughout the country. Visitors to the coastal regions will likely encounter plants like casuarina, eucalyptus, loquat and acacia. Morocco's mountainous areas are home to forest plants and trees, including the cork oak, evergreen oak, holm oak, juniper, cedar, fir and pine. Visit the plains to find cork oaks, olive trees, argan-thorny trees, scrub brush and alfalfa grass.

Morocco of Culture and Art

Morocco of Culture and Art


berber color palettes
Morocco is a magnificent country and it is steeped in rich culture and tradition. Many travel to Morocco to sample all of its delights which are diverse and plentiful. The arts and crafts available in Morocco reflect these traditions and the culture it has managed to keep for so many years.

When you travel to Morocco you will see in there potter and crafts that they use a variety of bold colors and bright patterns, even to this day the Moroccans use the same techniques, and the quality of produce has never been compromised. This is why the craftsman of Morocco are so highly honored all over the world.

A world famous craft is the widely known magic carpets, hand woven using fine materials and again capturing the tradition through the use of bright colors and patterns. Carpets originate in one of two different styles, based on the weaver’s Berber or Arabic roots. Carpets in the high-Islamic urban style, most closely associated with the city of Rabat, have a very high number of knots per square inch, and can take many months to complete. Outside Rabat, carpets are made by hundreds of Berber tribal groups. Each of these carpets is entirely unique, and covered with symbols of significance to the individual tribe.

Moroccans make both gold and silver jewelery; the designs are completed using a distinct Moroccan style. You will mainly find gold jewelery in the cities but silver is found all over. Jewelery is made in every form, including earrings, bracelets, necklaces and anklets. Some have semi precious stones. You will also come across many heavy solid bracelets with deeply etched designs.

Apart from Moroccan carpets, textiles and handicrafts, Morocco has also become well known for its Moroccan pottery and art culture. This includes ceramics, sculptures and paintings. The three well known regions are Safi, Fez, and Meknes, all near the capital of Rabat. Within each region is its own style and color schemes and it is argued that the best pottery comes from Safi as it is here where artistic flavor has had centuries to be perfected. Ceramic tagines and water jugs have become hot tourist items and have thus increased the demand and production. The pottery on display in certain regions tells a story about the influences of that area. The pottery of Safi, for example, comes from Andalusia because of its shiny, almost metallic look. You will find the pottery of Fez and Safi are closely related. But, pottery in Fez tends to be brown, yellow, and even green on a white background. Meknes, which adopted methods of pottery making from Fez, has the famous metallic-green pottery that is on display in many artistic institutions across Morocco.

When you travel to Morocco you will be sure to find items that you can bring home as a memory of your Moroccan holiday. In each city you may visit you are bound to find a style, color and type that will suit your own personal preferences. Take your pick of any authentic souvenir which will remind you of your time in this magnificent country.

Enjoy your travels to Morocco.

Happy and Safe Travels.

Aidi - Dog Breed

The Aidi is a muscular and yet lean dog. The head is in good proportion to the body and some say it looks similar to a bear. The muzzle tapers and it has strong jaws that have tight lips these match, in colour, the coat colouring. It has a black or brown nose; again this will match the coat. The eyes are medium in size and a dark colour with dark eye rims. The ears are slightly tipped forward and hang downward at about half way up the ear, giving an alert look. The height is 21-24 inches and the weight is 50-55 pounds. The tail is wonderfully heavily plumed. The coat is very thick and this is weather resistant, and it is course to the touch. Colours we see are black, black and white, tawny, pale red and white. Their life expectancy is about 12 years.
The Aidi is recognized as coming from Morocco, probably originating in the Sahara. The dog has never worked as a sheepdog even though the 1963 standard was published under the name Atlas Sheepdog; this was corrected in 1969. A courageous dog, the Aidi lived and worked in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, Libya, and Algeria protecting his owner and property from wildcats, other predators, and strangers. This breed has also been called the Berber, after the Berber tribes who utilized it, and bears some resemblance to the Pariah dog who is believed to share its ancestry. As a protector of the desert nomad tribes, the most alert and aggressive dogs were staked around the perimeter of the camp at night. The Aidi has not been highly regarded by the tribes historically, as are most dogs other than the Sloughi and other breeds regarded as noble. However, Moroccans have recently formed a club to protect the purity of the breed which has contributed so much in so many roles, as protector, hunter, police dog, and pet.Although the Aidi has been used primarily as a working dog, he has become more common as a house dog in the country. This breed also makes a good urban pet if he is given tasks and exercise enough to keep him satisfied and happy.
In color and flock guard work they share many characteristics of many mountain dog breeds.