Abstract
A mounted specimen of a mustelid animal deposited in the Kurdistan Museum of Natural History, Salahaddin University, Erbil proved to be Mustela erminea (Linnaeus, 1758) and represents a new record for the mammalian fauna of Iraq. Its measurements and some biological noted are provided. Also, two passerine birds; the Red-headed bunting, Emberiza bruniceps Brandt, 1841(Family, Emberizidae) and the Variable wheatear, Oenanthe picata (Blyth, 1847) (Family, Muscicapidae) were recorded for the first time in Iraq. Furthermore, the tree frog Hyla savignyi Audouin, 1829 was found in two locations north east of Iraq with spotted dorsum and having interesting behavior in having the capability of body inflation and hiding the head downward.
Highlights
The fauna of Iraq still require further attention to collect more data from the ecosystems, for discovering more fauna and flora of this part of the world
According to Afrasiab (2007) the Iraqi Kurdistan zoogeography may be subdivided into five ecozone categories: Alpine ecozone: more than1500 m. a.s.l. covered by dwarf shrubs and rich in vegetation with prominent and specific animal diversity; Irano-Turanian ecozone: between 300-1500m
This paper is one of the results of a project undertaken to define the rare vertebrates of Kurdistan, Iraq
Summary
The fauna of Iraq still require further attention to collect more data from the ecosystems, for discovering more fauna and flora of this part of the world. Eight specimens of two collections of Hyla savignyi Audouin, 1829 from two different locations (Bakrajo south of Sulaymaniyah , 21 March 2014; and from south Diyala ,January 2014 northeastern Baghdad) were transported alive and represented the material of laboratory work observations on the tree frog, while the field observations were taken immediately at collection sites.
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