Taxon name
Duttaphrynus dhufarensis
(Parker, 1931)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Duttaphrynus dhufarensis
(Parker, 1931)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Amphibians
Species authority
(Parker, 1931)
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 is listed as Least Concern in view of its moderately wide distribution within the UAE, tolerance of a degree of habitat modification, 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 throughout the Hajar Mountains south to Al Ain (Gardner 2013, Soorae et al. 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press), from sea level to 1,500 m asl.Globally, the species ranges from the western mountains of Arabia from around Mecca, Saudi Arabia southwards; around southern peripheral Arabia, including Yemen, southern and northern Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (Gardner 2013, Soorae et al. 2013). Apparently introduced into the Riyadh area of Saudi Arabia.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The species is found throughout the Hajar Mountains (Burriel-Carranza et al. in press) on gravel plains, dry wadis and on mountain ridges. It is also encountered in gardens, oases, plantations and irrigation canals. The species is highly adapted to arid environments and in the UAE it is mainly nocturnal. During dry conditions, they are typically found as single individuals (Soorae et al. 2013) aestivating in burrows underground or under flat rocks until the rainy season. After rainfall, they appear in high densities and form breeding groups, which continue by day and night (Cunningham and Feulner 2001, 2005; Gardner 2013). They are able to breed successfully even in puddles or potholes away from permanent water. They feed on insects and other invertebrates.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There are no known widespread threats to this species; much of its range is undeveloped. 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
