Taxon name
Meriones arimalius
Cheesman & Hinton, 1924
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Meriones arimalius
Cheesman & Hinton, 1924
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Mammals
Species authority
Cheesman & Hinton, 1924
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
This information is taken from Musser and Carleton (2005). Ellerman and Morrison-Scott (1951) listed M. arimalius as a valid species, but it was later included in M. libycus (Corbet, 1978, Harrison and Bates 1991). Pavlinov et al. (1990) reinstated arimalius as a separate species and reviewed its salient characters. Even from the terse description of its diagnostic traits provided by Harrison and Bates (1991), who recognized the form as a subspecies of M. libycus, it is evident that arimalius is morphologically different from populations of lybicus north of it in Saudi Arabia. The species was also considered distinct by Nadler and Lay (1967).
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
Although the identity of records requires confirmation, the species is assessed as Least Concern because it is common and probably widespread and there are no reports of a decline. There is no need for any adjustment of the regional category.
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
This species was formerly regarded as a subspecies of Meriones libycus, with the type locality at Jabrin, Saudi Arabia and distribution restricted to the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, in Oman, UAE and parts of Saudi Arabia (Harrison and Bates 1991). Specimens have been recorded at a point along the Abu Dhabi-Buraimi road and Jebel Faiyah, Fujairah (Harrison and Bates 1991) and Sweihan, Umm Al Zummoul, and Al Khatam in Abu Dhabi (Drew and Tourenq 2005). It occurs around Al Ain and is often seen on spotlight surveys around the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Sharjah. It may occur more widely across the UAE. Casola (2016b) restricted M. arimalius to the Rub Al Khali of Oman and Saudi Arabia, stating that it may also occur in southern UAE, but this disregards the records reported above from the UAE sector of the Rub Al Khali and localities farther north. So far, all published specimens from UAE have been identified as M. arimalius, and only this species is mapped here. However, the possibility that M. lybicus also occurs in the country cannot be completely excluded.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Occurs in gravel and stabilised sand deserts, making its colonies around vegetated hummocks (Aspinall et al. 2005).
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 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 Least Concern 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
