Beira frequent rocky or stony hillsides, and slopes, where the dominant vegetation is a woody steppe of mixed Acacia scrub (Giotto et al. 2013). In Somaliland many sites are on flat-topped hills with steep stony sides (Mallon and Jama 2015).

Endemic to northeast Africa, from the far south of Djibouti across northern Somalia and extending marginally into Ethiopia. Most of the distribution lies in northern Somalia [Somaliland], from the western border with Djibouti, east into the Puntland region and the Nogaal Valley. From historical and recent information the core areas of the population are: Asse hills-Lahan Sheik, Garoowe area (Bur Cobohille), Wagar, Buuraha, Araweina, Ali Haidh and Guban region, but it may occur widely in suitable habitat across this region (Giotto et al. 2013, Mallon and Jama 2015).

The species’ existence in Djibouti was only confirmed in 1993, when they were observed on hillsides at two sites in the southeast, close to the borders with Somalia and Ethiopia (Künzel and Künzel 1998). Recent surveys have shown that the area of distribution in Djibouti is about 250 km² and located in the mountainous Ali Sabieh - Arrey - Assamo region (Künzel et al. 2000, Laurent and Laurent 2002, Heckel et al. 2004).

In Ethiopia, the species is known from the Marmar mountains along the border with north-west Somalia (Bolton 1973). No recent information is available on its status in this part of the country, where large numbers of armed pastoralists and their livestock now reside.

In Somaliland it remains widely distributed and may occur at many sites with suitable habitat (Mallon and Jama 2015).

There are no protected areas within Beira range or active in situ conservation programmes for the species. There was a successful captive-breeding population at Al Wabra, Qatar, but numbers here have decreased considerably.