Taxon name
Cerastes gasperettii
Leviton & Anderson, 1967
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Cerastes gasperettii
Leviton & Anderson, 1967
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
Leviton & Anderson, 1967
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Originally assessed for the UAE as the nominate subspecies, Cerastes gasperettii ssp. gasperettii Leviton & Anderson, 1967, but assessment moved to the species-level as only the nominate subspecies is present in the UAE. Indeed, the status of subspecies Cerastes gasperettii ssp. mendelssohni has been under dispute and the general consensus is that it might not be valid (J. Els pers. comm. 2018).
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
Within the United Arab Emirates, the species is widespread throughout the sandy regions from Ras al Khaimah to the Saudi Arabian border. The species is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, large population, presence in several Protected Areas throughout its range, and as it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. 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).
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.
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is widespread throughout the sandy regions from Ras al Khaimah to the Saudi Arabian border (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press) from sea level to 400 m asl.Globally, the species distribution range includes the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, western Iran and Iraq.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species is found in desert and semi-desert areas, preferably with some sand (Gardner 2013).It is a nocturnal and terrestrial animal that may bask on winter days. It often partially buries itself in soft sand by shuffling sand to the sides with its flattened body until only the eyes, horns and snout show above the surfaces. It moves by sidewinding and may cover distances of up to one kilometre a night in search of food (Gardner 2013). Its diet includes rodents such as jerboas and gerbils, lizards and birds (Gardner 2013). Its oviparous with females laying 4-20 eggs which are round shaped and soft leathery, with an incubation period of 60-65 days. Not all individuals have a single enlarge scale (horn) above each eye, this occurrence is not limited to any specific locality as both horned and non-horned specimens can be found within the same area.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There are no major threats to the species, although parts of its distribution range are subject to urban and road development, and it may be persecuted as with all snakes.
Publication
Els, J., Allen, D., Hilton-Taylor, C., Harding, K. (2019). UAE National Red List of Herpetofauna: Amphibians & Terrestrial Reptiles, Sea Snakes & Marine Turtles. MOCCAE, UAE
