Taxon name
Acanthodactylus haasi
Leviton & Anderson, 1967
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Acanthodactylus haasi
Leviton & Anderson, 1967
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
Leviton & Anderson, 1967
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
This species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula, and within the United Arab Emirates, the species is localised and uncommon in widely scattered localities in Abu Dhabi Emirate, where it occurs from sea level to 200 m asl. The species is considered Data Deficient as it is known from only a few specimens within its wide distribution range and there is a lack of available data on the species ecology, threats, and population size and trend. 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 localised and uncommon in widely scattered localities in the Abu Dhabi Emirate (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It occurs from sea level to 200 m asl. The species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula (Haas 1957, Salvador 1982), where it is also found in central Oman and northern and eastern Saudi Arabia, around Dhahran and Sakaka (Leviton et al. 1992, Carranza et al. 2018).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The species prefers vegetated sandy plains and low dunes (Gardner 2013). A ground-dwelling and diurnal species, it is known to climb in low vegetation, which is considered unusual for the genus (Leviton et al. 1992, Gardner 2013). This behaviour may allow an extended activity duration on hot days by getting off the hot sand and getting access to prey (Gardner 2013). They dig burrows at the base of small shrubs.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There are no confirmed threats impacting this species, although based on its distribution it is presumed that some populations may be at risk due to urban development. Four of the five known localities are away from the main areas of intensive urban development.
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
