Acanthodactylus blanfordii | UAE National Red List of Herpetofauna: Amphibians & Terrestrial Reptiles, Sea Snakes & Marine Turtles

Taxa
Acanthodactylus blanfordii | Boulenger, 1918
Publication
UAE National Red List of Herpetofauna: Amphibians & Terrestrial Reptiles, Sea Snakes & Marine Turtles
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Reptiles
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Within the United Arab Emirates, this species was reported from the United Arab Emirates for the first time by Gardner (2005), where it is so far known only from Khor Kalba in the Emirate of Sharjah (Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It occurs from sea level to 100 m asl in a single location.Globally, this species ranges from southeastern Iran (Sistan and Baluchistan, and Kerman provinces to southwestern Pakistan (western Baluchistan and along the Makran coast; Khan 2006), southern Afghanistan and the northern coast of Oman (Batinah region) (Anderson 1999, Carranza et al. 2018). It is found from around sea level to 1,400 m asl. In Oman, this lizard is confined to low-lying coastal areas, where it is known from fewer than ten localities over an area of around 14,450 km<sup>2</sup>.
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The species is found on sandy coastal plains and low dunes with sparse vegetation (Gardner 2013). It is a diurnal species that preys on invertebrates. Sexual maturity is reached in one year and the breeding season is during spring and summer (Gardner 2013). Burrows are mostly located near vegetation.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Vulnerable
Assessment status abreviation
VU
Assessment status criteria
D1
Assessment rationale/justification
Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is currently known from a single location, Khor Kalba in the Emirate of Sharjah. The species has an extensive distribution on the Batinah coastal plain of Oman. Significant past threats have ceased since the designation of most of its range in the UAE as a protected area, however, the threats would immediately return if the designation was removed, or if management became inadequate. The species has a very restricted area of occupancy (AOO) and extent of occurrence (EOO) and it is limited to a single locality within the United Arab Emirates which makes it prone to effects of human activities.The species is listed as Vulnerable (D1) due to the population size, which is suspected to be much less than 1,000 mature individuals. This taxon is not a non-breeding visitor, and it is presumed that any immigration from populations outside the UAE is not significant, and therefore there is no adjustment to the Category according to the IUCN regional and national Guidelines (IUCN 2012).
About the assessment
Assessment year
2018
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1 + Regional Guidelines v4.0
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
Within the UAE, the habitat of this species at Khor Kalba is now improving since designation as a protected area. Prior to that, threats included recreational activities, fisheries activities (with the beach used for access and for fish-drying), and recreational driving on the dunes and beach, which had significant impacts on the species.There are no major threats to this widespread and adaptable species globally. In Oman, where the species is localized and confined to coastal areas, it is likely to be at high risk from coastal development, for example around Muscat. Some known sub-populations may already have been lost.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Acanthodactylus blanfordii Animalia Chordata Reptilia Squamata Lacertidae Acanthodactylus