Lebanon has a striking landscape layout. Altitudes ranging from sea level to mountain peaks of over 3000 meters above sea level give the relatively small country a diverse landscape. This divides the country into four parallel strips of land running from North to South. The country has a coastal strip, the Mount Lebanon range, the Bekaa Valley and the anti Lebanon range that borders Syria.
A variety of Animals find their natural habitat in Lebanon. These may be divided into mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.
Mammals
Mammals in Lebanon are elusive and secretive creatures. In order to see them, one needs to be patient, quiet and extremely fortunate. In Lebanon, the cat family is represented by the
wild cat and the swamp cat. The wild cat finds its home in the densely wooded areas and mountain regions. The Swamp cat is extremely rare. It is much larger than the wild cat and mostly inhabits dense reed patches in the wetlands and densely forested areas near the water.
The dog family is represented by the
Golden jackal, wolf and
Red fox. The golden jackal is fairly common and inhabits a wide range of habitats. The wolf is extremely rare in Lebanon with only a handful known to inhabit the area. The red fox on the other hand is a common inhabitant of a diverse range of habitats in the country. Badgers, stone martins and the common otter are also found in the country's deciduous woodlands.
Rodents are other mammals found in Lebanon. These are represented by a wide range of mice and voles. Two unique rodents found here are the Persian squirrel and the Indian porcupine. The former is rare and very secretive. It is found in the pine and mixed deciduous woodland habitats. The Indian porcupine is the largest rodent found in the region. It is predominantly nocturnal.
Birds
Birds are an important wildlife aspect in Lebanon as the country is an important migration corridor for many bird species. They are also the easiest animals to view in the country because they are found in almost all the different habitats. They are numerous in species, habitat, time seen, etc. The migratory route that passes though Lebanon means the country sees many different species of birds passing through over summer and winter.
Other animals that find their residence in Lebanon are reptiles, amphibians and insects. Of all these, the largest group of species by number are invertebrates or insects.