Jaculus jaculus | UAE National Red List of Mammals: Marine and Terrestrial

Taxa
Jaculus jaculus | (Linnaeus, 1758)
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
Sparsely distributed in desert areas and not recorded in the mountains. Mostly known from the deserts of Abu Dhabi and also recorded from sites near the coast at Jebel Ali (Jongbloed et al. 2001, Aspinall et al. 2005). It is occasionally seen in Sharjah Emirate but has not been seen in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) for several years (G. Simkins pers. comm. 2018). It is most commonly seen in protected areas away from human activities and is scarce outside protected areas. It is a very difficult species to trap in Sherman traps (though easier in cage traps) and details of the distribution are unclear. This species is widespread in the Arabian Peninsula and inhabits sand desert and stony steppe (Harrison and Bates 1991), and found throughout North and Northeast Africa, to southwestern Iran (Amori et al. 2016b).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Prefers gravel and sandy plains. Not recorded in the mountains or sabkha (coastal salt flats). It is nocturnal and can survive without drinking (Harrison and Bates 1991).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Near threatened
Assessment status abreviation
NT
Assessment status criteria
A2c
Assessment rationale/justification
Loss of quality and extent of habitat over the past 10 years has increased and a 25-30% loss in extent and quality of habitat is is suspected, hence a >20% reduction in population size in the past 10 years seems reasonable, thus qualifying for an Near Threatened (NT) listing. Any rescue effect is thought to be negligible.
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.
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
Overgrazing, especially by camels, has caused extensive habitat degradation outside protected areas. An increase in numbers of feral cats and an increase in Red Fox range and numbers may also be having an impact on small mammals.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
The backcasted 1996 assessment for this species is Near Threatened which matches the listing given by Hornby (1996).
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Jaculus jaculus Animalia Chordata Mammalia Rodentia Dipodidae Jaculus