Taxon name
Scincus mitranus
Anderson, 1871
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Scincus mitranus
Anderson, 1871
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
Anderson, 1871
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Two subspecies have been described; the nominate subspecies, and S. mitranus muscatensis Murray, 1886. Scincus m. muscatensis was considered a synonym of S. mitranus mitranus by Gardner (2013) and Carranza et al. (2018).
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
Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is widespread throughout the sandy deserts. It is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, its occurrence in a number of protected areas, the general security of its habitat, 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 widespread throughout the sandy deserts, including the deep sands of the Rub' al Khali (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It occurs from sea level to 400 m asl.Globally, this species is widely distributed in the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait) (Sindaco and Jeremäenko 2008), where it is found from sea level up to around 1,000 m asl. The species has been recorded from Khuzestan and Qeshm Island in Iran (Fahmi et al. 2009, Dakhteh et al. 2007), the latter citing work then in preparation. These records are not mentioned in a subsequent checklist for Iran, which recognizes S. scincus from Khuzestan (Šmíd et al. 2014). While the Qeshm record was accepted by Housseinen et al. (2013), this record is far from the species' known range and this distribution record has never been formally published (S.S. Housseinen Yousefkhani pers. comm. 2019). It is likely that this represents a misidentification of S. scincus (S.S. Housseinen Youssefkhani pers. comm. 2019). The occurrence of S. mitranus in Iran has subsequently been confirmed with a 2015 record from Bampour-Iranshahr, close to Bampour city in Sistan-Baluchistan, but it is thought that the species' range in Iran is very restricted (S.S. Housseinen Youssefkhani pers. comm. 2019).
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 on soft, aeolian sand dunes and sandsheets, usually the leeward slip-faces of the dunes (Gardner 2013).It is a diurnal species that emerges to forage on the sand surface after sunrise and retreats under the sand surface when too hot and may re-emerge in the late afternoon and remain active after dark in summer (Gardner 2013). In winter, they emerge later and may have a prolonged diurnal activity period. They predate on insects and plant food is also taken (Gardner 2013). They are oviparous with females laying two to three elongated soft-shelled eggs.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There are unlikely to be any major threats to this species' shifting sand dune habitat, although localised minor impacts from urbanisation and industrial development are likely.
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
