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

Taxa
Pristurus minimus | Arnold, 1977
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 occurs inland from Sharjah south to Abu Dhabi inwards to Al Ain (Gardner 2013) from sea level to 300 m asl, with an isolated record also known from the vicinity of Khor Fakkan on the east coast (Böhme and Leptien 1990, Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press).Globally, the species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula, where it has been recorded from the United Arab Emirates, Oman (including Masirah Island) and eastern Yemen (Arnold 1977, 1980; Carranza et al. 2018). There is a questionable record from the northern Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia. It is very localised in Yemen, where only one record is known.
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 mostly found in sandy plains with clumps of grass or other low shrubby vegetation. It has also been recorded from a rocky hillside on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (Gardner 2013).It is predominantly a diurnal species which may be active during the summer at night. It preys on small insects including termites and ants (Gardner 2013). Females lay a single egg and reproduction apparently occurs throughout the year (Gardner 2013).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Least Concern
Assessment status abreviation
LC
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is listed as Least Concern as it is moderately widespread in the UAE and locally abundant and subject to no major threats. 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
There are no major threats to this species.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Pristurus minimus Animalia Chordata Reptilia Squamata Sphaerodactylidae Pristurus