Taxon name
Pristurus carteri
(Gray, 1863)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Pristurus carteri
(Gray, 1863)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
(Gray, 1863)
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
Critically endangered
Qualifying criteria (if given)
B1ab(iii,v)c(iv)+2ab(iii,v)c(iv)
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is only known from a single location in the gravel outwash of Wadi Agran near Al Ain, eastern UAE. The species is assessed as Endangered (EN B1ab(iii,v)c(iv)+2ab(iii,v)c(iv)) due to its very restricted extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) within the United Arab Emirates, which are restricted to a single known location, which is divided by the Oman and UAE border. On either side of the country borders, the habitat of this most northerly population of the species is under threat due to gravel extraction, construction, overgrazing and farms. This UAE national assessment is upgraded by one category to CR (B1ab(iii,v)c(iv)+2ab(iii,v)c(iv)) because it is a sink population supported by the adjacent population in Oman.
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 in the gravel outwash of Wadi Agran, within a few hundred meters of the Oman border (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It occurs from 300-400 m asl. The species has marginal occurrence with the UAE.This species is endemic to the southern Arabian Peninsula, where it ranges from northwestern Oman (Ibri area) and Dibab (on the Gulf of Oman coast) southwards, via Masirah Island, to Dhofar, where it is common (Carranza et al. 2018). A disjunct population occurs in north Yemen, where it is known from two records (Arnold 1980, 1986).
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 a barren alluvial outwash plain, containing cobbles and gravels from the Semail nappe of the Hajar Mountains. The general vegetation of the area falls into the Vachellia tortilis-Rhazya stricta-Fagonia indica zone typical of the foothills of northern Oman and United Arab Emirates (Gardner 2009). The species is active throughout the year and both diurnal and nocturnal and preys on invertebrates. Females lay one or two eggs in multiple clutches throughout the year.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
This species is threatened by habitat loss and degradation resulting from gravel extraction, construction, over-grazing and farms, as well as vehicle tracks.
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
