Gerbillus dasyurus | UAE National Red List of Mammals: Marine and Terrestrial

Taxa
Gerbillus dasyurus | (Wagner, 1842)
Publication
UAE National Red List of Mammals: Marine and Terrestrial
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
Mammals
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Found in the northern UAE in mountainous areas. Recorded sites span the northern emirates and include Hatta, Masafi, Jebel Hafeet (Aspinall et al. 2005) and Jebel Al Jais (Melville and Chaber 2016), Wadi Wurayah (Judas 2016), Wadi Shawka and several sites in Ras Al Khaimah , e.g., Wadi Sfai and Wadi Daynah. The species is similar in appearance to Gerbillus nanus and may sometimes be misidentified (B. Howarth, pers. comm. 2018). The two species cannot be distinguished on dentition (Harrison and Bates 1991). The species is almost endemic to Arabia, extending marginally into the eastern desert of Egypt (Harrison and Bates 1991, Amori et al. 2016c).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
It occurs in rocky areas and mountain wadis in UAE. It occupies a wider range of habitats, including salt flats, elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula. It is strictly nocturnal. Further details of its ecology in UAE are poorly known.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Least concern
Assessment status abreviation
LC
Assessment rationale/justification
Assessed as Least Concern because the species is widespread, mainly in the northern mountainous areas of the UAE, is frequently seen, and there are no indications of a decline. There is no need for any adjustment of the regional category.
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
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.
URL (link) of redlist assessment or publication
https://www.moccae.gov.ae/assets/download/b352eff1/UNRL%20of%20Mammals%20-%20Report%202019.pdf.aspx?view=true
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
Over-gazing, quarrying, road construction and other development activities in the mountains result in habitat loss and degradation and increased fragmentation. Species in the mountains may also be affected indirectly by falling water tables due to over-abstraction and reduced precipitation. An increase in numbers of feral cats and Red Foxes may also pose a threat to all small mammals.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
Hornby (1996) assessed the species as Data Deficient, however, we consider it likely to have qualified as Least Concern in 1996.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Gerbillus dasyurus Animalia Chordata Mammalia Rodentia Muridae Gerbillus