KnowKi

Learn the wildlife of any country

Learn the wildlife of the United Arab Emirates

Asia

2,351 species have research-grade observations in the United Arab Emirates on iNaturalist. KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos, so you can learn a country's wildlife from home.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis1,932
  2. White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis1,733
  3. Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis1,375
  4. Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto1,026
  5. House Sparrow Passer domesticus1,011
  6. Common Hoopoe Upupa epops995
  7. House Crow Corvus splendens858
  8. Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus799
  9. Rock Pigeon Columba livia703
  10. Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus684

Plants

  1. Giant milkweed Calotropis procera749
  2. Kapok bush Aerva javanica358
  3. Zygophyllum qatarense317
  4. Umbrella thorn Vachellia tortilis280
  5. Euphorbia larica271
  6. Desert Nettle Forsskaolea tenacissima261
  7. Purple Hoarypea Tephrosia purpurea258
  8. Kheep Leptadenia pyrotechnica257
  9. Toothbrush tree Salvadora persica237
  10. Oleander Nerium oleander211

Mammals

  1. Arabian Gazelle Gazella arabica409
  2. Domestic Cat Felis catus378
  3. Sand Gazelle Gazella marica297
  4. Arabian Oryx Oryx leucoryx279
  5. Five-striped Palm Squirrel Funambulus pennantii231
  6. Red Fox Vulpes vulpes169
  7. Dromedary Camel Camelus dromedarius126
  8. Patagonian Mara Dolichotis patagonum119
  9. Cheesman's Gerbil Gerbillus cheesmani80
  10. Donkey Equus asinus60

Insects

  1. Red Dwarf Honey Bee Apis florea487
  2. Plain Tiger Butterfly Danaus chrysippus447
  3. Arabian paper wasp Polistes wattii444
  4. Slender Skimmer Orthetrum sabina411
  5. Red-veined Dropwing Trithemis arteriosa315
  6. Violet Dropwing Trithemis annulata276
  7. Blue Pansy Junonia orithya253
  8. Arabian Desert Shield Bug Phyllocephala negus245
  9. Broad Scarlet Crocothemis erythraea237
  10. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera228

Spiders and kin

  1. Black-tailed Alligatorback Scorpion Hottentotta jayakari211
  2. Argiope sector134
  3. Apistobuthus pterygocercus78
  4. Pantropical Jumping Spider Plexippus paykulli68
  5. Androctonus ammophilus61
  6. Imperial Jumping Spider Thyene imperialis56
  7. Compsobuthus arabicus56
  8. Evippa arenaria43
  9. Orthochirus glabrifrons42
  10. Vachoniolus globimanus35

Reptiles

  1. Arabian Short-fingered Gecko Trigonodactylus arabicus494
  2. Middle Eastern Short-fingered Gecko Stenodactylus doriae420
  3. Northern House Gecko Hemidactylus flaviviridis357
  4. Saw-scaled Viper Echis carinatus348
  5. Hajar Rock Agama Pseudotrapelus jensvindumi291
  6. Heyden’s gecko Hemidactylus robustus289
  7. Oman Saw-scaled Viper Echis omanensis282
  8. Feulner's Semaphore Gecko Pristurus feulneri240
  9. Southern Tuberculated Gecko Bunopus tuberculatus215
  10. Arabian Horned Viper Cerastes gasperettii204

Fish

  1. Oman Garra Garra barreimiae85
  2. Mangrove Red Snapper Lutjanus argentimaculatus78
  3. Aphaniops stoliczkanus59
  4. Halfmoon Angelfish Pomacanthus maculosus51
  5. Indo-Pacific Sergeant Major Abudefduf vaigiensis39
  6. Arabian Monocle Bream Scolopsis ghanam38
  7. Crescent Grunter Terapon jarbua31
  8. Mozambique Tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus30
  9. Amur Carp Cyprinus rubrofuscus27
  10. Undulated Moray Gymnothorax undulatus26

Mollusks

  1. Two-toned Cardita Cardites bicolor83
  2. Southern Flatcoil Polygyra cereolus54
  3. Pharaoh Cuttlefish Acanthosepion pharaonis40
  4. Swollen Olive Oliva bulbosa39

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. Free, with no ads, no account and no purchases.