Taxon name
Trapelus flavimaculatus
Rüppell, 1835
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Trapelus flavimaculatus
Rüppell, 1835
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
Rüppell, 1835
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
Trapelus flavimaculatus is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution within the UAE, 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
In the United Arab Emirates, this species has been recorded from the Sila area through the coastal deserts of Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah, and further inland around Sweihan and Al Ain (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). The species has also been recorded along the east coast of the United Arab Emirates but is absent from the Hajar Mountains. The species is found from sea level to 400 m asl.This species is present in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
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 open areas, where it basks in the branches of small Acacia and Prosopis trees, and on the ground in sandy areas. In the United Arab Emirates, this species occurs on stable sand and gravelly surfaces, usually with bushes and shrubs, on which it is found sunning itself (Arnold 1980, Gardner 2013). The species is also found in urban and rural gardens. In disturbed areas, heaps of stones and earth may be used for sunning (Arnold 1980). The breeding season is spring and summer. The females lay four to six eggs.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There are no widespread threats to this species, but there will be localised impacts from development, to which its habitat is particularly susceptible.
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
