Taxon name
Acanthodactylus opheodurus
Arnold, 1980
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Acanthodactylus opheodurus
Arnold, 1980
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
Arnold, 1980
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
Data deficient
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is listed as Data Deficient in view of the limited information currently available, although it may have a larger population and wider distribution within the UAE. The species should be reassessed if further data become available. 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 known from four widely-spaced localities, including one in the Sila Peninsula in western Abu Dhabi and others along the gravel plains bordering the Hajar Mountains on the west, particularly in the vicinity of Jebel Hafeet (Gardner 2013). It occurs from sea level to 400 m asl. It may have a wider distribution within suitable habitat, but be under-sampled. Known subpopulations may link to adjacent populations in Oman to the east, and to Qatar in the west. The areas on all sides of Jebel Hafeet in the UAE have been subject to substantial development for roads, residential and other purposes. An effort in 2012 to locate A. opheodurus in the area north of Jebel Hafeet, where it was studied by Cunningham (2001) was unsuccessful.Globally, this species ranges from eastern Israel to southwestern Jordan, with an apparently disjunct population ranging from eastern Jordan into Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar (Cog?lniceanu et al. 2014), Oman and the United Arab Emirates (Sindaco and Jerem?enko 2008, Carranza et al. 2018).
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 gravelly plains and in dry wadis with sparse vegetation. It may be associated with relatively hard substrates and small bushes. It generally avoids areas of soft sand and mountain areas. It is a diurnal and ground-dwelling species which preys on invertebrates. It is an oviparous species that lays a clutch of four eggs. The breeding season is unknown for the species.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Urban and infrastructure development appear to pose a major threat to the species, in particular, the population surrounding Jebel Hafeet.
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
