Taxon name
Pristurus minimus
Arnold, 1977
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Pristurus minimus
Arnold, 1977
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
Arnold, 1977
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 as it is moderately widespread in the UAE and locally abundant and subject to no major threats. 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 occurs inland from Sharjah south to Abu Dhabi inwards to Al Ain (Gardner 2013) from sea level to 300 m asl, with an isolated record also known from the vicinity of Khor Fakkan on the east coast (Böhme and Leptien 1990, Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press).Globally, the species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula, where it has been recorded from the United Arab Emirates, Oman (including Masirah Island) and eastern Yemen (Arnold 1977, 1980; Carranza et al. 2018). There is a questionable record from the northern Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia. It is very localised in Yemen, where only one record is known.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The species is mostly found in sandy plains with clumps of grass or other low shrubby vegetation. It has also been recorded from a rocky hillside on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (Gardner 2013).It is predominantly a diurnal species which may be active during the summer at night. It preys on small insects including termites and ants (Gardner 2013). Females lay a single egg and reproduction apparently occurs throughout the year (Gardner 2013).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There are no 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
