The Central Plateaus of Sinai: The high limestone plateau of Gabal El Igma (1620m) in Central Sinai forms the southern end of the northward dipping El Tih Plateau. The northward limit of El Tih is marked by a series of hills ranging from 370m to 1094m in height including Gebel El-Maghara, which is one of the proposed new Protected Areas. Numerous dendritic wadis drain the plateaus northwards into the lower areas of North Sinai and the great Wadi El Arish, which flows into the northern plain. These wadis often support a rich and diverse flora, one of the dominant species being White Wormwood, Artemisia herba-alba, which is used by the Bedouins to flavor tea and for relieving stomach upsets.
A typical reptile of the plateaus is the brightly hued Starred Agama, Laudakia stellio. The rare False Horned Viper, Pseudocerastes persicus, is also found in the region.
The Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetos, is nowhere common but has been reported as a resident breeding bird of this zone. The Barbary Partridge, Alectoris barbara, also breeds here.
Among the mammals, the Indian Crested Porcupine, Hystrix indica, which is fairly common in the Hijaz and Asir of Saudi Arabia, has been reported from this area in recent years. The Marbled Polecat, Vormela peregusna, has also been recently discovered in the region. The Barbastelle, Barbastella barbastellus, a small Vespertilionid bat, has not been recorded from any other region in Egypt.
The Mediterranean coastal desert of Sinai is formed of wide sandy plains that slope towards the Mediterranean. It receives less rain than the Western Desert Mediterranean Coastal Zone and is therefore more sparsely vegetated. While this area is generally rather featureless, eolian sand dunes of 10 to 80m high are common. The broad outwash of Wadi El Arish, fed by numerous tributaries, was historically known
for its agriculture and olive and palm groves are still found here.
Among the more interesting resident birds found here is the Syrian Woodpecker, Dendrocopus syriacus, the Serin, Serinus serinus, and Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata, which are found nowhere else in Egypt. The Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis undulata, is also a resident together with the Cream-colored Courser, Cursorius cursor. During the spring and autumn migrations, the Mediterranean Coastal Desert of Sinai receives vast populations of Palearctic migrant birds.
This zone is one of the last places where the increasingly rare and endangered Egyptian Tortoise, Testudo kleinmanni, listed in the 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals, is still found. In the Zaranik Protected Area a project for the conservation of this tortoise is currently underway.
Other reptiles of this coastal desert are the Nidua Lizard, Acanthodactylus scutellatus, Desert Monitor, Varanus griseus, and the Common Chameleon, Chamaeleo chamaeleon.The presence of the Syrian Black Snake, Coluber jugularis, in the area has been questioned in the past but it is well known to the Bedouins. The endangered Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, and Loggerhead Turtle, Caretta caretta, nest sporadically on the sandy Mediterranean shore.
About twenty species of mammals are reported from this zone among them the Cape Hare, Lepus capensis, Indian Crested Porcupine, Hystrix indica, The Sand Cat, Felis margarita, Fennec Fox, Vulpes zerda, and Lesser Jerboa, Jaculus jaculus.
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