Taxon name
Spalerosophis diadema ssp. cliffordii
(Schlegel, 1837)
Infrarank
Spalerosophis diadema cliffordii
Infratype
Subspecies (animalia)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Spalerosophis diadema ssp. cliffordii
(Schlegel, 1837)
Assessed taxon level
Subspecies
Infrarank
Spalerosophis diadema cliffordii
Infratype
Subspecies (animalia)
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
(Schlegel, 1837)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Trape and Mané (2006) treat the West African form of this species as a full species, Spalerosophis cliffordi, however Schätti et al. (2009) note that no rationale was presented to justify this treatment. These authors adopt the traditional concept of this form as a subspecies of S. diadema, and this scheme is followed here.
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
The species is listed as Least Concern for the UAE as it has limited threats within its range, none of which caused any known population reductions, 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
Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is known to occur along the western side of the Hajar Mountains and the gravel plains surrounding the mountains from Al Ain to Ras Al Khaimah from sea level to 500 m asl (Egan 2007, Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press).Globally, this species range is known from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, western Pakistan, north India, southern Turkmenistan, south Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, and Jordan (Trape and Mané 2006, Schätti et al. 2009).
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 gravel plains and rocky areas in well-vegetated habitats along the western side of the Hajar Mountains. It adapts to altered habitats and is frequently encountered in cultivated areas and residential gardens.The species activity patterns will fluctuate throughout the seasons from diurnal to nocturnal. It is a harmless species which preys on lizards, geckos, rats, mice and small birds through constriction. Breeding occurs in summer and spring with females producing one to two clutches of 3-16 eggs in the season which will hatch after a period of 60-65 days. It is a large species known to reach a total length of 1,140 mm (Gardner 2013).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Within the species range quarrying and urban development are ongoing, but with limited impact on the species, mainly through habitat degradation and persecution. The species is known to adapt to artificial habitats such as cultivated land.
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
