Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 133, January 2016, pp. 1-29.

2 Prof. Dr. Sc. Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher Khalaf-von Jaffa infront of the Paulus-Haus / Schmidt-Schule / Deutscher Verein vom Heiligen Lande in the old city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem), Occupied Palestine on 23.07.2014. https://www.flickr.com/photos/50022881@N00/15324697336/ The Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus Hermann, 1779) is a pinniped belonging to the Phocidae family. At some 450–510 (fewer than 600) remaining individuals, it is believed to be the world's rarest pinniped species, and one of the most endangered mammals in the world (Wikipedia). It is present in parts of the Mediterranean Sea as well as eastern Atlantic Ocean waters around the Tropic of Cancer (Wikipedia). Taxonomy Scientific name: Monachus monachus Hermann, 1779. Common names: Arab.: Fuqma, Faqma, ‫ ; فقمة الراهب المتوسطية‬Engl.: Mediterranean ُ Monk Seal; Russ.: Tyulen'; Turk.: Akdeniz foku; Ger.: Mittelmeer-Mönchsrobbe. Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Pinnipedia Family: Phocidae Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 133 – January 2016

Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 133, January 2016, pp. 1-29. | Page 2