Taxon name
Pseudoceramodactylus khobarensis
Haas, 1957
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Pseudoceramodactylus khobarensis
Haas, 1957
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Genus
Pseudoceramodactylus
Species authority
Haas, 1957
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 occurs along coastal areas, on offshore islands, and some inland areas. The species is listed as Least Concern in view of its abundance within its restricted distribution, its presumed large population, and because its habitat 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 occurs along coastal areas from Umm Al Quwain to As Sila, including Abu Al Abyadh Island (Gardner 2013). Further inland, it has been recorded in the Al Khatim area and towards Um az Zumul on saline plains and sabkhas (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It occurs from sea level to 200 m asl.This species has been recorded throughout the Arabian Peninsula (Arnold 1977, 1980; Metallinou et al. 2014), and is also known from four specimens collected on Qeshm Island (Iran) in the Arabian Gulf (Dakhteh et al. 2007).
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 on saline plains, coastal and inland sabkha margins, on surfaces ranging from soft to moist salt-impregnated soil to solid salt-encrusted sabkha (Gardner 2013). It occurs commonly from sea level to 200 m asl. It is a nocturnal terrestrial species with puffy palmar surfaces of the feet and digits, which with their spinous scales, are likely to be an adaptation to prevent the feet and toes from becoming clogged with sticky, salty mud on damp sabkhas (Gardner 2013).Globally, this species is often recorded on flat coastal ground with widely spaced shrubs (salt flats) (Dakhteh et al. 2007, Metallinou et al. 2014). It is also found on semi-stable and stable dunes.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
The species is widespread, but threatened in parts of its range. For example, there is ongoing significant habitat loss in the United Arab Emirates through coastal development, including coastal redevelopment and in-filling of sabkha areas. Pollution from oil spills will also be a local threat, as well as recreation driving on dunes and coastal areas.
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
