This article is about the wild animals of the Eurasian country. For an overview of its biodiversity also including plants, fungi and human influence on the ecosystems see Wildlife of Turkey.
The fauna of Türkiye is abundant and very varied. The wildlife of Türkiye includes a great diversity of plants and animals, each suited to its own particular habitat, as it is a large country with many geographic and climatic regions About 1500 species of vertebrates have been recorded in the country and around 19,000 species of invertebrate. The country acts as a crossroads with links to Europe, Asia, and the Near East, and many birds use the country as a staging post during migration.
Overview
Türkiye has a large range of habitat types and the diversity of its fauna is very great. There are nearly 1,500 species of vertebrate recorded of which over 100 species, mostly fish, are endemic. The country is on two major routes used by migratory birds which swells the numbers in spring and autumn. The invertebrates are also very diverse, with about 19,000 species being recorded including 4,000 endemics.[1]
Eight species are endemic to Türkiye.[4] Many species have declined in numbers, for example chamois, gazelle and mouflon, with shortage of staff to protect them claimed to be a factor.[5]DNA of 15 endangered large mammals will be stored.[6]
Alburnus akili extinct species of fish formerly native to Lake Beyşehir, last seen in 1998, likely became extinct due to the introduction of invasive fish species
