Taxon name
Acanthodactylus boskianus ssp. asper
(Audouin, 1829)
Infrarank
Acanthodactylus boskianus asper
Infratype
Subspecies (animalia)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Acanthodactylus boskianus ssp. asper
(Audouin, 1829)
Assessed taxon level
Subspecies
Infrarank
Acanthodactylus boskianus asper
Infratype
Subspecies (animalia)
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
(Audouin, 1829)
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
Near Threatened
Qualifying criteria (if given)
B1a+2a
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This subspecies is listed as Near Threatened for the UAE. It has a very limited distribution within the United Arab Emirates on gravel plains bordering the Hajar Mountains on the west from 100 m to 300 m asl. The area of occupancy (AOO) is just 24 km<sup>2</sup>, and the extent of occurrence (EOO) is 195 km<sup>2</sup>. There are no current major threats to the species, however, one known locality is subject to intensive recreational use, and another area faces significant potential impacts from gravel extraction. The species has restricted AOO and EOO, and occurs in fewer than ten locations, however at present, no continuing decline is known. It qualifies as NT under Criterion B (B1 and B2). This taxon is not a non-breeding visitor, and it is presumed that any immigration from populations from Oman is not significant, and therefore there is no adjustment to the Category according to the IUCN regional and national Guidelines (IUCN 2012). Further monitoring and research are required, and the species should be reassessed if new data become available.
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 subspecies is known from a small area on gravel plains bordering the western side of the Hajar Mountains (Roobas and Feulner 2013, Roobas et al. 2014) from 100 m to 300 m asl (Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). The AOO is just 24 km<sup>2</sup>, and the EOO is 195 km<sup>2</sup>.Globally, the subspecies is very widely distributed and known from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Chad, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait (Tamar et al. 2014, 2016).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The subspecies is found on hard desert surfaces such as sandy-gravel plains, dry wadis, interdunal plain and stony outwash plains (Gardner 2013).It is an active, diurnal ground-dwelling animal, with a diet that includes invertebrates and smaller lizards (Gardner 2013). In winter it is active throughout the day, but in summer may have a bimodal activity pattern, or even be active in mornings only when particularly hot. Clutch size is reported to be two to eight, and repeated clutches may be laid (Gardner 2013). The breeding season in the United Arab Emirates is observed to be from at least late summer through mid-winter (Roobas and Feulner 2013, Roobas et al. 2014).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There are at present no major threats known, however, there is quarrying (gravel extraction) near one known locality, and this has the potential to significantly impact the species in the future. A further locality is subject to intensive recreational use.
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
