Iraq

Iraq has two cave fish representing genera found nowhere else: the Iraq Blind Barb Garra widdowsoni (Subterranean Fishes) and the Haditha Cavefish Caecocypris basimi (Shoal) (BHL). A loach Eidinemacheilus proudlovei (GBIF) is a cave-dwelling species from the Little Zab. The Pita Skate Okamejei pita (ResearchGate) is a marine fish known only from Iraqi waters.

The Long-tailed Bandicoot Rat Nesokia bunnii (ResearchGate), long thought to be endemic to Iraq, has recently also been recorded in adjacent marshes in Iran.

The Saffine Leaf-toed Gecko Asaccus saffinae (fig. 1 at podarcis.de) (Reptile Database) is an endemic reptile. A recently described whip snake Dolichophis mesopotamicus (Species New to Science) may be a synonym of the more widespread Large Whip Snake Dolichophis jugularis (Reptile Database). The Kurdish House Gecko Hemidactylus kurdicus (Species New to Science) has recently been been considered a subspecies of the more widespread Romeshkan House Gecko Hemidactylus romeshkanicus (Reptile Database).

Insects known exclusively from Iraq include a grasshopper Uvarovistia iraka (OSF), the moths Amata higginsi (fig. 4 at BHL) and Deserticossus curdus (fig. 27 at ResearchGate) and Lulavia mahwii (fig. 6 at Zootaxa pdf), a jewel beetle Sphenoptera svatopluki (ResearchGate), a ground beetle Platyderus irakensis (DEZ), a darkling beetle Hedyphanes mesopotamicus (p. 4 of nhmus WM pdf), the longhorn beetles Dorcadion mosulense (MUNIS pdf) and Dorcadion ringenbachi (fig. 1 at Biodiversity J. pdf), the scarab beetles Gymnopleurus naviauxi (Persée) and Tanyproctoides freyi (p. 11 of Taylor & Francis pdf), the click beetles Cardiophorus kurdistanicus (fig. 128 at Semantic Scholar) and Agriotes duhokensis (AEGA pdf), a weevil Asproparthenis (or Bothynoderes) rufotibialis (BHL), a comb-clawed beetle Mycetochara erbilensis (IASJ pdf), a flower bee Anthophora sulaimanensis (ResearchGate), a sand bee Andrena baiocchii (ZooKeys), a wasp Sphex zubaidiyanis (ResearchGate), an ant Camponotus riedeli (AntWiki), a termite Anacanthotermes sawensis (IASJ pdf), the mayflies Oligoneuriella bicaudata (BOLD) and Prosopistoma helenae (ResearchGate), and a leafhopper Oshaibahus linnavuorii (ResearchGate).

Other endemic invertebrates include a freshwater mussel Pseudodontopsis euphratica (MUSSELp), the freshwater snails Gyraulus huwaizahensis (p. 5 of malaco.de WM pdf) and Bithynia hareerensis (malaco.de WM pdf), the salt marsh snails Assiminea mesopotamica (malaco.de WM pdf) and Assiminea zubairensis (ResearchGate), the land snails Chondrula iraqensis (fig. 9 at Internet Archive) and Assyriella macfadyeni (figs. 17-19 at Internet Archive), a freshwater sponge Corvospongilla mesopotamica (IASJ pdf), an amphipod crustacean Parhyale basrensis (Inter Research pdf), the clam shrimps Eulimnadia pulchra and Leptestheriella echinata (both at Springer), a freshwater shrimp Caridina enkii (figs. 11-13 at ScienceDirect), a centipede Lithobius cuklauvus (CHILOBASE), a millipede Calyptophyllum browni (p. 78 of ResearchGate pdf), a huntsman spider Cebrennus sumer (Senckenberg WM pdf), a ground spider Pterotricha arzhantsevi (ResearchGate), a tree trunk spider Hersiliola babylonica (ResearchGate), a woodlouse hunting spider Dysdera goyzha (PLAZI), and several scorpions: Hottentotta mesopotamicus (GBIF), Leiurus maculatus (Scorpion Files), and Orthochirus iraqus (iNaturalist) (fig. F at ResearchGate).

Among about 153 vascular plant species unique to Iraq (Univ. Duhok pdf) are Iris zetterlundii (p. 58 of SRGC pdf), Tulipa kurdica (Asian flora WM), Allium notabile (IUCN), Bellevalia parva (odu.edu WM), Onosma hawramanensis (Harvard pdf), Ornithogalum kurdicum (iNaturalist) (odu.edu WM), Ornithogalum iraqense (iNaturalist), Scrophularia kollakii (Harvard pdf), Stachys babylonica (ResearchGate), Salvia ali-askaryi (Harvard pdf), Prunus longispinosa (Pak. J. Bot. pdf), Cousinia azmarensis (ResearchGate), Echinops shakrokii (Harvard pdf), Scilla kurdistanica (iNaturalist), Euphorbia shehbaziana (Harvard pdf), Arum hainesii (GBIF), Spergularia iraqensis (BINHM pdf), Vitex iraquensis and Thymus neurophyllus and Ajuga zahkoensis (all at fig. 17 at ISSUU), Heliotropium lasianthum (GBIF), a catnip Nepeta autraniana (GBIF), Stachys nephrophylla (JSTOR), Eremurus rechingeri (JSTOR), Leutea rechingeri (POWO), Centaurea foveolata (MNHN), Orobanche garatiaca (ResearchGate), and Astragalus gillettii (JSTOR). Choriantha (GBIF) (POWO) is often considered an endemic genus distinct from Onosma.

A non-vascular plant known only from Iraq is the moss Steppomitra hadacii (Wiley). Fungi known only from Iraq include Coprinopsis iraqicus (IES pdf).

Iraq includes portions of the Mesopotamian Marshes (or Tigris-Euphrates Alluvial Salt Marsh) ecoregion (EoE) and the Irano-Anatolian biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM).