Taxon name
Rhinopoma muscatellum
Thomas, 1903
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Rhinopoma muscatellum
Thomas, 1903
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Mammals
Species authority
Thomas, 1903
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Earlier the taxa muscatellum Thomas, 1903 and seianum Thomas, 1913 were treated as subspecies of Rhinopoma hardwickii Gray, 1831 (Ellerman and Morrison-Scott 1951). Individuals from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan are considered as R. muscatellum seianum based on morphometric and molecular phylogenetic analysis (Benda et al. 2012). The nominotypic subspecies is now restricted to the Arabian Peninsula (Benda and Gaisler 2015).
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Least concern
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
The species appears to be restricted to eastern parts of the UAE, in and around the Hajar Mountains and to Qarn Nazwa. It is assessed as Least Concern because it is widespread, relatively common, and there are no major threats. No regional adjustment is made to the Least Concern assessment.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
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
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
All records are from the east of UAE, in and around the Hajar Mountains and at the rocky outcrop of Qarn Nazwa. Recorded localities include Al Ain and Jebel Hafeet (Abu Dhabi); Qarn Nazwa (Dubai); Dibba and Wadi Wurayah National Park (N.P.) (Fujairah); Al Khatt, Rams (Ras Al Khaimah); Khor Kalba (Sharjah) (Judas et al. 2018). During a bat survey of the Hajar Mountains in early 2018, a total of 36 individuals were caught at four sites (Jomat et al. 2018). In Arabia, this species is restricted to Oman and UAE (Harrison and Bates 1991). Globally, its range extends to Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan (Harrison and Bates 1991, Molur et al. 2008).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Roosts in caves and rock crevices.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
No major threats are known. The increasing extent and intensity of urban lighting may have a negative impact on nocturnal flying invertebrates, the main prey base. Species in the mountains may be affected indirectly by falling water tables due to over-abstraction and reduced precipitation.
History
Whilst Hornby (1996) assessed the species as Data Deficient, we consider that Least Concern is probably the appropriate category in 1996.
Publication
Mallon, D., Hilton-Taylor, C., Allen, D., & Harding, K. (2019). UAE National Red List of Mammals: Marine and Terrestrial. A report to the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates (p. 41). IUCN Global Species Programme. https://bit.ly/2RdZCQR
