Taxon name
Rousettus aegyptiacus
(E. Geoffroy, 1810)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Rousettus aegyptiacus
(E. Geoffroy, 1810)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Mammals
Species authority
(E. Geoffroy, 1810)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
The taxonomic relationship with Rousettus leschenaultii requires further review. Two geographically isolated subspecies of R. aegyptiacus occur in sub-Saharan Africa (Monadjem et al. 2010). Both subspecies occur in the southern African region: unicolor (Gray, 1870) in Angola and leachii (A. Smith, 1829) in the rest of the region (Monadjem et al. 2010). Additional subspecies: princeps is endemic to Principe Island in the Gulf of Guinea and tomensis is endemic to Sao Tome (Korine 2016).
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 appears to be moderately common in eastern parts of the UAE, and may be increasing as a result of the expansion of fruit tree cultivation. It is assessed as Least Concern because it is fairly widespread, with an expanding range and population, due to the planting of fruit trees, and no major threats are known. No regional adjustment is made to the Least Concern assessment.
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
There are two records from Abu Dhabi city and many more from the northern emirates and the Hajar Mountains and adjacent areas (Judas et al. 2018), and this species may well occur in intervening areas where suitable habitat such as fruit plantations exists. Recorded sites include Al Ain, the Fujairah coast, Sharjah, and Hatta (Dubai), on farms outside the protected area. Globally, the species is distributed across most of Africa, through the Middle East to Turkey, Iran and Pakistan (Korine 2016). It is quite widely distributed in the Arabian Peninsula (Harrison and Bates 1991).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Roosts in caves and rock crevices and feeds in date plantations, orchards and gardens (Judas et al. 2018).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
No major threats are known, but there are some cases of poisoning.
History
Whilst the species was assessed as Vulnerable for the UAE (Hornby 1996), we consider that the species would have also been Least Concern in 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
