Syria

A mammal unique to Syria is the Syrian Brush-tailed Mouse (GBIF). Katinka's White-toothed Shrew (GBIF) may also survive solely in Syria (IUCN), although there is a possibility it remains more widespread.

The Syrian House Gecko Hemidactylus lavadeserticus (ZOBODAT pdf), previously considered a subspecies of the Mediterranean House Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus, is now classified as a full species (fig. 5C-D at ResearchGate) and known with certainty only from the black Syrian basalt desert.

Endemic freshwater fish include the the Marqiyah Spring Minnow Pseudophoxinus hasani (p. 157 of balkanrivers.net pdf), the Barada Spring Minnow Pseudophoxinus syriacus (fig. 3 at BHL) (GBIF), the Damascus Loach Oxynoemacheilus panthera (p. 220 of balkanrivers.net pdf), Shehab's Loach Oxynoemacheilus shehabi (GBIF), and an extinct cichlid Tristramella magdelainae (fig 2 at BHL) (IUCN). If it still occurs in tiny Lake Muzairib, the Galilean Loach Nun galilaeus (p. 216 of balkanrivers.net pdf) would be an additional endemic species as it is now extinct in Israel. The Damascus Bream Acanthobrama tricolor (p. 89 of balkanrivers.net pdf) may also be extinct. The Long-jaw Tristram Tilapia Tristramella sacra (BHL) (israquarium.co.il WM), apparently extinct in Israel, may still occur in Syria (GBIF).

Beetles known only from Syria include the click beetles Dicronychus involucer (Elateridae) and Elathous lizleri (Elateridae) and Lacon safitensis (GBIF), the longhorn beetles Clytus kabateki (Cerambycidae WM) and Mallosia baiocchii (Cerambycidae WM), the rove beetles Quedius skoupyi (GBIF) and Leptobium korgei (p. 90 of naturkundemuseum-bw.de WM pdf), a cave-dwelling ground beetle Laemostenus nusayriyahensis (p. 4 of Biospeleologica Slovaca WM pdf), the weevils Altonomus rahmei (flickr) and Hypera kayali (GBIF), and several scarabs: Hoplia bezdeki (glaphyridae.com), Pygopleurus keithi (ResearchGate), and Ammoecius naviauxi (fig. 22 at Internet Archive) (IUCN). Other endemic insects include a fairy moth Adela alurgis (BHL), a geometer moth Eupithecia weigti (BHL), a moth fly Jungiella syriaca (GBIF), the ants Monomorium syriacum (AntWiki) and Camponotus palmyrensis (AntWiki), and several bees: Clavipanurgus gusenleitneri (GBIF), Andrena parvispinae (ResearchGate), Andrena virguladivina (GBIF), and Dasypoda syriensis (p. 25 of Atlas Hymenoptera WM pdf).

Other endemic invertebrates include a crevice weaver spider Zaitunia halepensis (GBIF), a scorpion Birulatus astartiae (Kasparek Verlag WM pdf), the solifuges Rhagodeca fuscichelis (p. 13 of solpugid.com WM pdf) and Rhagoduna deserticola (p. 8 of solpugid.com WM pdf), a woodlouse Armadillo kinzelbachi (BHL), a millipede Typhloglomeris contrasta (figs. 1-5 at KMK pdf), a freshwater shrimp Caridina enbilului (WoRMS), a land snail Euchondrus adwani (GBIF), and several freshwater snails: Melanopsis germaini (GBIF) (IUCN), Melanopsis dircaena (fig. 2D at zenodo pdf) (IUCN), and Melanopsis pachya (fig. 15 B at zenodo pdf) (IUCN).

Among over 200 endemic vascular plant species are Iris assadiana (AIS), Iris auranitica (AIS) (iNaturalist), Iris nusairiensis (Wiley), Iris damascena (SIGNA WM) (IUCN), Iris swensoniana (p. 37 of SRGC pdf), Teucrium coniortodes (JSTOR), Allium birkinshawii (JSTOR), Allium azaurenum (JSTOR), Ajuga chasmophila (JSTOR), Echium pabotii (JSTOR), Astragalus roessleri (GBIF), Centaurea trachonitica (JSTOR), Salsola (or Climacoptera) zenobiae (JSTOR), Senecio delbesianus (JSTOR), Thymus alfredae (JSTOR), Vicia kalakhensis (JSTOR), Vicia qatmensis (JSTOR), Loncomelos neuneri (fig. 8 at ZOBODAT pdf), Marrubium hierapolitanum (JSTOR), Euphorbia promecocarpa (GBIF), Clinopodium syriacum (fig. 6 at ResearchGate), Ornithogalum apiculatum (JSTOR), Salvia drusica (JSTOR), and Asperula semanensis (JSTOR).

Lichens known only from Syria include Lecanora sipmanii (ResearchGate) (GBIF) and Aspicilia euphratica (GBIF).

Portions of Syria are included in the Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM). Important terrestrial ecoregions include the Eastern Mediterranean Conifer- sclerophyllous- broadleaf Forests (EoE WM) and the Southern Anatolian Montane Conifer and Deciduous Forests (EoE). Important freshwater ecoregions include the Coastal Levant (FEOW WM), the Orontes (FEOW WM), and the Jordan River (FEOW WM). Many endemic vascular plant species are listed beginning on (p. 249 of ResearchGate pdf).