Turkey has two distinct climate profiles. One is the subtropical climate of the shoreline, and the other is the drier continental climate of the Anatolian Plateau. Habitats include rugged mountains, windswept grasslands, dry plateaus, and densely populated coastal regions. As such, the animal life varies between each climate and habitat. Common Asian animal species tend to dominate, with a few European ones as well. Large carnivorous animals include wolves,
brown bears, lynxes, wildcats, hyenas, foxes and jackals. Prey animals include deer,
mountain goats, gazelle and
wild boars.
Turkey is also home to many bird species, including five species of grebe, three species of shearwater, one species of petrel, one species of tropicbird, two species of pelican, one species of gannet, three species of cormorant, one species of
darter, five species of heron, three species of egret, two species of bittern, three species of stork, two species of ibis, one species of
spoonbill, two species of flamingo, three species of swan, ten species of goose, twenty-five species of duck, the
osprey, twenty-eight species of hawks, kites and eagles, eleven species of caracaras and falcons, two species of grouse, three species of crane, nine species of owl, and much more. While there are no birds unique to Turkey, the country has long been a merging point for Asian and European species, thus the huge variety.
Animals unique to Turkey include the
Asia Minor Spiny Mouse, Taurus Ground Squirrel, Jackass Shrew, Anatolian Vole, Do'ramaci's Vole, Baran's Adder, Central Turkish
Mountain Viper, fringe-fingered lizard, Blue Rock Lizard, a kukri snake, a dwarf racer, Pamphylian Lizard, Basoglu's Racerunner, the Anatolian Rock Lizard, Anatolia Lycian Salamander, Anatolian Marsh Frog, Marmaris Lycian Salamander, Atif's Lycian Salamander, the Anatolia Newt, Fazil Lycian Salamander, Fazil Lycian Salamander, the Tavas Frog,
Taurus Frog, several species of killfish as well as several species of butterflies and insects.