Taxon name
Sclerophrys arabica
(Heyden, 1827)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Sclerophrys arabica
(Heyden, 1827)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Amphibians
Species authority
(Heyden, 1827)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
According to Stöck et al. (2001), the taxonomy and nomenclature of this species requires aData deficientitional research, since the specimen considered the holotype by Balletto et al. (1985) is not that one described by Heyden (1827). Bufo hadramautinus Cherchi 1963 was synonymized with Bufo arabicus by Schätti and Desvoignes (1999). This species was under the generic name Duttaphrynus but is now treated under Sclerophrys (Frost 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
This species is listed as Least Concern in view of its moderately wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed large population, 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 found in association with surface water throughout the Hajar Mountains and is especially common in areas with permanent water (Cunningham and Feulner 2005). It is recorded from sea level to 1,100 m asl within the United Arab Emirates (Gardner 2013, Soorae et al. 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press).The species lays eggs in artificial or treated sewage water-fed drains and falaj system in Al Ain Zoo and dry wadis nearby (M.A.R. Khan pers. comm. 2018), however, it is unclear if these populations are natural or introduced. The species were introduced in the Ruwais area of Abui Dhabi where it was recorded from artificial ponds within a residential complex (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2018).Globally, the species ranges from northwestern Saudi Arabia, through the western mountains south to Yemen, northern Oman (absent from southern Oman) and the United Arab Emirates (Heyden 1827, Balletto et al. 1985, Schätti and Desvoignes 1999, Stöck et al. 2001, Frost 2016).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This is an opportunistic species that is present where there are water sources available; this includes garden courtyards, oases, permanent springs, irrigation canals and permanent small rivers. Breeding takes place in stagnant and slow-moving water. These toads are active by day as well as by night. Eggs are laid throughout the year in permanent water pools and following rain in temporary pools (Gardner 2013).There is no overall decline in habitat extent and quality, however, over-utilisation of surface water (for agriculture for example) will impact the species.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There are no widespread threats to this species and much of its range is undeveloped. However, over-utilisation of surface water (for agriculture for example) will impact the species. The amphibian disease chytridiomycosis, caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, was not detected in a survey of wild populations in the UAE in 2012 (Soorae et al. 2012, Chaber et al. 2016).
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
