Taxon name
Ptyodactylus orlovi
Nazarov, Melnikov & Melnikova, 2013
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Ptyodactylus orlovi
Nazarov, Melnikov & Melnikova, 2013
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
Nazarov, Melnikov & Melnikova, 2013
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 in the Hajar Mountains (excluding the Musandam Peninsula) from the southern edge of the Musandam in the Hajar Mountains southwards from the Masafi/Dibba depression to Oman. The species is listed as Least Concern, due to its large distribution range with area of occupancy (AOO) 180 km<sup>2</sup> and extent of occurrence (EOO) of 5,463 km<sup>2</sup>, and with no major threats to the presumed large population that may result in it declining fast enough in the near future to qualify for listing in a 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, the range of this species is within the Hajar Mountains south of the Masafi/Dibba depression, extending down south towards Oman, from sea level to 1,000 m asl (Simó-Riudalbas et al. 2017).Globally, the species is endemic to the United Arab Emirates and Oman. It is distributed throughout the length of the Hajar Mountains (excluding the Musandam peninsula), south of the Masafi/ Dibba depression southwards into Oman, until north of Al Ashkarah on the Arabian Sea coast.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Cliffs, cave and boulders on mountains, mountain wadis and rocky outcrops (Gardner 2013). Also found in old building and forts (Gardner 2013). It is a nocturnal species that may be encountered during the cooler months outside its retreats during late afternoons (Gardner 2013). They are excellent climbers typically encountered on vertical or overhanging rock surfaces and also on rocky ground or scree (Gardner 2013). Females lay clutches of two hard-shelled eggs in summer that are glued to vertical rock surfaces within caves or in deep crevices (Gardner 2013). These egg-laying sites are often used communally and the remains of old eggs show they may have been in use over long periods of time (Gardner 2013).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There are no widespread threats to the species that are known to cause a decline in the population. Quarrying is the only known potential threat to the species within a minority of its wide distribution range.
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
