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Vulpes rueppellii | UAE National Red List of Mammals: Marine and Terrestrial

Publication
UAE National Red List of Mammals: Marine and Terrestrial
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Mammals
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species is considered to be confined mainly to the remoter desert regions of Abu Dhabi Emirate and its range is believed to have contracted as roads and development extend further into the desert, facilitating colonisation by, and competition with, Vulpes vulpes (Jongbloed et al. 2001, Aspinall et al. 2005). There are only 52 records since 1992 on the EAD database. The only confirmed recent site in Abu Dhabi is Al Dhafra (Murdoch et al. 2007). It has not been recorded at Umm Al Zumoul or Liwa. In Dubai, it has not been recorded at Al Marmoom. There were no records from Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve until a pair was released; recent camera trap photos may relate to descendants of these animals or to a colonising animal. There are no records from the desert of Sharjah Emirate. Globally this species is widespread in desert and semi-desert regions of North Africa (north of 17'°N) from Morocco and Mauritania to Egypt, extending south to Somalia and through the Middle East to Pakistan (Mallon et al. 2015). It is thinly distributed across the Arabian Peninsula and has also been recorded from Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen (Harrison and Bates 1991, Mallon and Budd 2011).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Inhabits arid steppe, sandy, stony and rocky deserts (Larivière and Seddon 2001). Crepuscular and nocturnal, spending the day underground in breeding and resting dens either dug themselves or enlarged burrows of Spiny-tailed Lizards (dhab) Uromastyx aegyptia (Olferman and Hendrichs 2006). They are agile and climb trees, fences and rocks (Larivière and Seddon 2001). Small mammals and birds formed 85-90% of the diet based on analysis of almost 3,000 scats (Olferman and Hendrichs 2006).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Critically endangered
Assessment status abreviation
CR
Assessment status criteria
C2a(i)
Assessment rationale/justification
Within the UAE, this species is considered to be confined mainly to the remoter desert regions of Abu Dhabi Emirate. It is assessed as Critically Endangered under criterion C2a(i) because there are estimated to be less than 250 mature individuals, there is an inferred and projected decline and no subpopulation contains >50 mature individuals. The potential rescue effect is considered negligible.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2018
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
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.
URL (link) of redlist assessment or publication
https://www.moccae.gov.ae/assets/download/b352eff1/UNRL%20of%20Mammals%20-%20Report%202019.pdf.aspx?view=true
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
Overgrazing, especially by camels, has caused extensive habitat degradation outside protected areas which likely impacts on small mammal and other prey populations. Road construction and development are extending into the desert, facilitating colonisation by, and competition with, Vulpes vulpes. Generalised persecution (trapping, poisoning) of carnivores, loss and fragmentation of desert habitat, grazing pressure, agricultural development, and off-road driving in sand dune areas are the main threats in the region and in parts of UAE at least, it has been displaced around settlements by V. vulpes (Mallon and Budd 2011).
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
There are no recent records from the deserts of the northern Emirates. Records from Abu Dhabi are very scarce, even within protected areas, and there is only one record since 2007. Desert habitats have been degraded, destroyed and fragmented by overgrazing, development and road-building which has facilitated the expansion of Red Foxes, which outcompete this species, into desert environments. The population is suspected to have now declined to below 250 mature individuals. The backcasted 1996 assessment for this species is Vulnerable under criterion D1 which matches the listing given by Hornby (1996).