Taxon name
Psammophis schokari
(Forskål, 1775)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Psammophis schokari
(Forskål, 1775)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
(Forskål, 1775)
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, the species is widespread throughout the sandy deserts and mountains areas. The species is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution with an area of occupancy (AOO) of 516 km<sup>2</sup> and extent of occurrence (EOO) of 94,799 km<sup>2</sup>, presumed large population, its ability to adapt to habitat modification, 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, the species is widespread throughout the sandy deserts and mountains areas from sea level to 1,000 m asl (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It is also recorded from Sir Abu Nu'ayer and Sir Bani Yas islands (J. Els and A.S. Gardner pers. comm. 2018).This is a widespread desert species that ranges from Western Sahara, Morocco and Mauritania eastwards through northern Africa to Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea, with a southern range limit in northeast Ethiopia and northern Somalia (Largen and Rasmussen 1993, Largen 1997, Gonçalves et al. 2018).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Common in sand and gravel areas which are well-vegetated, especially with trees and shrubs (Gardner 2013). It is also found regularly in cultivated areas and urban gardens. It is seen more rarely within mountain areas, in wadis and on gravel terraces.It is a diurnal species that are found on the ground, in trees or shrubs. They are crepuscular during summer, but active throughout the year. Their diet includes lizards, geckos, agamas, birds and small rodents. Breeding is during spring and summer with females laying a clutch of four to six eggs which hatch after an incubation period of 60-65 days.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There are no major threats to this species. It is locally persecuted in some areas, and it is killed by vehicles on roads, but these are probably not major threats to this species.
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
