Morocco Wildlife
Morocco WildlifeFew countries in the Mediterranean region can match the variety and quality of the wildlife habitats to be found in Morocco. Whether you are an expert botanist, a dedicated bird-watcher or simply a visitor with an interest in a totally diferent environment, the wildlife experience of your travels should be extremely rewarding.
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Morocco Wildlife
Wildlife in Morocco
WILDLIFE WATCHING
Morocco offers a tremendous diversity of habitats and climates which support a wide range of interesting species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, plants and, most notably, birds - there are 460 bird species, 90 reptiles (50% more than in the whole of Europe) and 3,600 recognised plants, of which 17%are endemic.
Ecosystems and species of particular interest include: the Barbary Macaque inhabiting the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas Mountains,the coastal Euphorbia heaths of the Atlantic Coast, the Argan Forest of the south west, the Atlantic coastal lagoons supporting a massive bird population, the coastal steppes, famous for the rare Bald Ibis, the alpine species on the High Atlas plateaus and the Mouflon in the High Atlas Mountains.
There are several National Parks and 2 Biosphere Reserves dedicated to protecting these endangered ecosystems.
Our Expertise
Said has been employed full time as a guide for our clients since 1997. Said holds a degree in biology and geology and is extremely knowledgeable about local wildlife and related issues.
Said has a particular passion for botany and ornithology and considerable experience in leading specialist groups. He is based at our guest house in Taroudant where we have a wide range of maps, displays and a well stocked specialist library; it is an ideal location due to easy access to areas of high biodiversity (including many endemic species) in the varied habitats of the Souss Valley, High Atlas and Anti Atlas Mountains (including a National Park and a Biosphere Reserve).
"Staying at Taroudant with our groups each year has been a wonderful experience. The hospitality and the food is first class and Said is a great companion in the field. Being close to the Atlas and right in the bird-rich Souss Valley makes it a superb base for a wildlife tour and Said's local knowledge has helped us no end. And you can pop down to the souk at the end of a long day enjoying the birds, flowers and butterflies before Fatima's superb tagines... what could be better?" Ian Green of Greentours:
Biodiversity
The internationally important reserves in the vicinity are the Argan ForestBiosphere Reserve and the Souss Massa National Park, the latter is well known for its estuarine birdlife, but most particularly for the last remaining wild breeding colonies in the world of the Bald Ibis. Day visits to the Souss Massa National Park are offered weekly as part of the "Real Morocco" experience.
For those with an interest in reptiles, tortoises, lizards, including geckoes and the spectacular Uramastix and chameleons are often spotted, especially in the south of Morocco; it is warm enough near Taroudant for tortoises to be out basking at Christmas (everywhere else this species hibernates). One hotel in Taroudant even has a collection of very large terrapins in its fountain.
Our Trips
Naturally Morocco run day trips from Taroudant for those wishing to have days out with Said investigating entire ecosystems or any particular species that interests you. Please contact us on 01239 710814 or 0845 3457195to discuss availability and your needs. For more information see our Natural History Download.
Wildlife in the Souss Massa
In Morocco there are 460 bird species, 90 reptiles (50% more than in the whole of Europe) and 3,600 recognised plants, of which 17% are endemic. The area is a "cross-roads" for flora and fauna from the Mediterranean, the Sahara & the Tropics with the addition of montane variations.
Bird Watching in the Souss Massa
Morocco enjoys a huge diversity of birds - 460 species - thanks to the vast range of habitats including a fascinating range of desert, montane and coastal habitats and the large number of migrant visitors.
Birdwatching
From our base in Taroudant we can offer a fully tailor-made birdwatching trip ranging from the internationally famous estuaries in the Souss Massa National Park and the Anti-Atlas and High Atlas Mountains, to lagoons in the north, montane sites near Oukaimden and to desert sites near Merzouga and Guelmim.
cco culture
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Marrakesh’s
Marrakesh’s is a sumptuous palace in Morocco which houses the very quintessence of Moroccan art.
On the ground floor you can find clothes, objects in beaten copper, arms and Berber jewellery.
Splendours from the past? Not at all, for many of the objects on display are still used and worn in mountain areas of Morocco.
The first floor salon impresses with its Hispano-Moorish decoration and elegant furniture in cedar wood.
The other rooms are filled with an abundance of carpets such as those originating from the Sahara region, characterised by the use of leather, and large, simple mats evoking the dry beauty of the semi-desert.
A remarkable collection of door and window frames is to be found around the courtyard, all encrusted with delicate and refined ornamentation.
And once back in the streets of Marrakesh, one can often better appreciate that the City’s inhabitants know how to keep the traditions of their culture alive.
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The Barbary Macaque of Morocco
The Barbary Macaque of Morocco
The Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus) resides chiefly in Morocco and in the mountains of Algeria, with a much smaller population making their home in Gibraltar. The species is considered one of the Old World monkeys and are the only free living primates in Europe, with the exception of humans. Often referred to as the Barbary Ape they are however true monkeys.
Morocco’s Barbary Macaque measures somewhere between 38 and 76 cm in length and has a mass between 5 to 13 kg. They are tailless macaques and their front limbs are longer than the hind limbs. The fur of the Barbary Macaque is yellow-brown to grayish with paler undersides. Their faces are a dark pink color. In general, they are recorded to live for approximately 22 years.
So where will you find Barbary Macaques in Morocco? They are typically found at elevations between 1 600 and 2 100 m or higher, in the Atlas Mountains. They prefer forests consisting of oak, cedar and pine trees. Their waking hours, which are during the day, are spent both in the trees and on the ground. They are an herbivorous species and thus feed on fruit, leaves and roots, but are also known to nibble on insects.
Barbary Macaques are gregarious and live in troops of between 10 to 30 monkeys. It is a matriarchal system, which means that the head female leads the group. However the troop is generally a blend of males and females. The lead female is determined through family lineage and the entire troop hierarchy is also run according to lineage. Barbary’s are unique amongst the macaques in that the males play a vital role in rearing and caring for offspring. They participate in grooming and playing with the young monkeys and thus form close social bonds. They have even been noted to have favorite youngsters with whom they spend more time. It appears the females prefer to select males which show greater parental ability and willingness.
Mating season for the Barbary Macaques is between November and March. Following conception, the gestation period lasts 196 days. The female will give birth to a single offspring. These young monkeys will only reach maturity at around 3 to 4 years of age.
Sadly, the Barbary Macaque is under threat due to habitat loss and ignorance. The IUCN Red List has added the species to the “Vulnerable” list.
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New year in Marrakesh and Morocco
New year in Marrakesh and Morocco
For those people who have not yet arranged their new year’e eve and day, Morocco and Marrakesh in particular represents a great destination, only a few hours from the UK and Europe, and offering sun, clear skies (usually!) and a party atmosphere!
Most riads and hotels stay open for the Christmas and New Year season, and some of these have interesting special offers for their remaining rooms – you can read more about there in our recent article on special offers here. Remember that most of these special offers have been negotiated by Morocco Gateway and are therefore only available through ourselves.
For those people who want to get away but for peace and quiet, there are a number of riads and hotels on the outskirts of Marrakesh such as La Palmeraie area, which are always popular over the Festive season. We have listed these in a selection called “Marrakesh Borders”
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about morocco
about morocco
With thousands of kilometres of undeveloped Mediterranean and Atlantic coastline, and land borders with Algeria and Mauritania, Morocco is a rugged land of mountains, plains and desert. It's home to Africa's highest range of mountains north of the equator, a portion of the Sahara desert and is approximately twice the size of the UK, but with only half of the population. It's the most western of the North African "Maghreb" countries and lies just across the Straits of Gibraltor from Spain, just a three to four hour flight from the UK.
Morocco is an up and coming tourist destination with infrastructure and attractions to cater for a range of styles of tourism, but at the same time vast tracts of the country remain almost totally undiscovered. With a culture largely definied by religion (Islam) and geography, it has become widely recognised as the closest true "culture shock" to Europe. Whether in the ancient medinas of Fez or Marrakech where metal workers ply their trade in cave-like holes in the wall, or in remote villages where cloaked figures shuffle into tiny mountainside mosques, this difference in culture can be experienced in equal measure. Indeed Morocco is as much about atmosphere as anything else.
Of course there's more to it than that, like the heady exoticism and vernacular moorish architecture of Marrakech and Fez, the dreamy valleys, adobe villages and crisp snow-capped mountains of the High Atlas, the encroaching dunes of the Sahara desert, the virgin surf beaches of the Atlantic coast, weathered 11th century desert kasbahs rising out of date palm oases, rolling plains of wheat and high pastures of wild flowers where nomads roam, crumbling remains of ancient civilisations.......... and so on.
What's more you'll always be welcome in Morocco, something abundantly clear when you arrive in any town or village across the country. Most Moroccans judge people on their individual merits and are delighted to share a cup of mint tea with any visitor regardless of colour or creed. Indeed the Atlas mountains, already quite exceptionally picturesque, are made all the more beautiful by their inhabitants. In addition, these mountains offer visitors the luxury of space - something becoming more and more difficult to find in more developed countries - throwing up virtually limitless possibilities for discovery and adventure. And all this across a landscape as varied and enthralling as any country the size of Morocco can offer.
Whatever you decide to do in Morocco, enjoy your trip.
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Morocco for Families
Morocco for Families
back to tailor made tours
Morocco is an ideal destination to visit with children. Moroccan culture revolves around families and, for this reason, children are welcome everywhere – something which visitors find to be very appealing and refreshing. With such a rich wealth of new experiences, fun activities, and interesting encounters, more and more people are coming to Morocco with children. All of our tailor-made itinerary suggestions are possible with children, so please refer to other pages, but below is a summary of our top ideas and suggestions which should appeal to both adults and youngsters of all ages.
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