Taxon name
Jaculus jaculus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Jaculus jaculus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Mammals
Species authority
(Linnaeus, 1758)
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)
A2c
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
Loss of quality and extent of habitat over the past 10 years has increased and a 25-30% loss in extent and quality of habitat is is suspected, hence a >20% reduction in population size in the past 10 years seems reasonable, thus qualifying for an Near Threatened (NT) listing. Any rescue effect is thought to be negligible.
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.
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
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Sparsely distributed in desert areas and not recorded in the mountains. Mostly known from the deserts of Abu Dhabi and also recorded from sites near the coast at Jebel Ali (Jongbloed et al. 2001, Aspinall et al. 2005). It is occasionally seen in Sharjah Emirate but has not been seen in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) for several years (G. Simkins pers. comm. 2018). It is most commonly seen in protected areas away from human activities and is scarce outside protected areas. It is a very difficult species to trap in Sherman traps (though easier in cage traps) and details of the distribution are unclear. This species is widespread in the Arabian Peninsula and inhabits sand desert and stony steppe (Harrison and Bates 1991), and found throughout North and Northeast Africa, to southwestern Iran (Amori et al. 2016b).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Prefers gravel and sandy plains. Not recorded in the mountains or sabkha (coastal salt flats). It is nocturnal and can survive without drinking (Harrison and Bates 1991).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Overgrazing, especially by camels, has caused extensive habitat degradation outside protected areas. An increase in numbers of feral cats and an increase in Red Fox range and numbers may also be having an impact on small mammals.
History
The backcasted 1996 assessment for this species is Near Threatened which matches the listing given by Hornby (1996).
Publication
Mallon, D., Hilton-Taylor, C., Allen, D., & Harding, K. (2019). UAE National Red List of Mammals: Marine and Terrestrial. A report to the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates (p. 41). IUCN Global Species Programme. https://bit.ly/2RdZCQR
