Taxon name
Heremites septemtaeniatus
(Reuss, 1834)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Heremites septemtaeniatus
(Reuss, 1834)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
(Reuss, 1834)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
This taxon was previously included within Trachylepis aurata, as the subspecies T. a. septemtaeniata and T. a. transcaucasica. Following the validation of T. septemtaeniata as a full species (Mausfeld and Schmitz 2003, Moravec et al. 2006) the western range limit of this species in Anatolia (where T. aurata also occurs) is in need of clarification. This account provisionally follows the distribution provided in Sindaco and Jeremäenko (2008).Karin et al. (2016) now place this species in the genus Heremites.
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
Data deficient
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
Within the United Arab Emirates it has only been found in anthropogenic habitats on two off-shore islands and at Al Qua'a, south of Al Ain. This species is listed as Data Deficient due to insufficient data. Its distribution is currently only associated with ornamental gardens and cultivated land, which suggests the possibility that it was introduced, and its origin in the UAE remains uncertain.
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 has only been found on Marawah and Jernain islands off the coast, and in fodder fields at Al Qua'a, south of Al Ain (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). The latter record near Al Ain is almost certainly an introduction and the origin of the species in the UAE overall is uncertain. They occur from sea level to 200 m asl.The native range of this species is uncertain due to extensive and long-term introductions. The native range is likely to include to Iran, Iraq and Syria, north to Central Asia, and southeast to the northern Arabian Peninsula.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This is a diurnal skink that lives in vegetation and its diet may include insects (Gardner 2013). On Jernain Island, the species was found living amongst irrigated ornamental plants near the shoreline, and at Al Qua'a they are around a small building in the fodder fields (Gardner 2013). There is limited information on its life history.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Threats to the species are unknown.
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
