Taxon name
Stenodactylus doriae
(Blanford, 1874)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Stenodactylus doriae
(Blanford, 1874)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
(Blanford, 1874)
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, this species is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because 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 found throughout the sand deserts from Ras Al Khaimah in the south, and west to the Saudi Arabia and Oman borders (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It occurs from sea level to 400 m asl. The global distribution of this species ranges from southwestern Israel and southern and eastern Jordan, south into the Arabian Peninsula, and east into Iraq, southwestern Iran (Fars and Kerman Provinces and the lower Mesopotamian Plain; Anderson 1999, Metallinou et al. 2014). It occurs from sea level up to 1,000 m asl.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The species is found in soft windblown sand, in areas with dunes or sand sheets and scattered vegetation (Gardner 2013). It is regularly encountered in areas with no vegetation and disturbed sandy deserts. Occurs from sea level to 399 m asl. It is a commonly encountered species that is nocturnal and ground dwelling. During the day, they shelter in burrows that they dig in relatively consolidated sand on the windward side of dunes, often far from vegetation (Gardner 2013). Burrows range from 6 to 35 cm in depth below the surface and have a narrow entrance which they seal from within by pushing sand with their feet. The breeding season is throughout the warmer months with females laying one to two oval hard-shelled eggs.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There are no major threats to this species and it occurs in several protected areas within the United Arab Emirates.
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
