ABSTRACT
The most fundamental product of the inter-relationship of climate and the surface of the earth is soil which provides a thin surficial layer upon which animals and plants ultimately depend. Soils, vegetation and animals are the subject matter of biogeography but the development of the zoological aspects has been largely limited to highly specialized studies. One general characteristic of animals is their mobility and their tolerance of a range of environments. Indeed, many of the fauna of the Middle East have been forced by urbanization and industrialization and particularly hunting from their original environments. Therefore, while there are endemic species, such as the Arabian oryx, which can sustain themselves under the harsh conditions of much of the region, they cannot be related to environmental conditions in the same way as soils or vegetation.
