Taxon name
Lytorhynchus diadema ssp. diadema
(Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)
Infrarank
Lytorhynchus diadema diadema
Infratype
Subspecies (animalia)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Lytorhynchus diadema ssp. diadema
(Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)
Assessed taxon level
Subspecies
Infrarank
Lytorhynchus diadema diadema
Infratype
Subspecies (animalia)
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Reptiles
Species authority
(Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)
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 the UAE in view of its wide distribution, 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
This species is found throughout the sandy areas of the United Arab Emirates (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). They are found in sand deserts from Ras Al Khaimah to Sila and inland to Liwa, but not found in mountainous areas (Gardner 2013). The species is found from sea level to at least 300 m asl.Globally, the species ranges from North Africa, Arabia and northwards to Syria and Jordan, Iraq and western Iran (Arnold and Gallagher 1977, van der Kooij 2001).
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 United Arab Emirates in sandy areas from sea level to 300 m asl, absent from the Hajar Mountains. It is a small nocturnal species with a sharp-edged rostral scale adapted for burrowing and digging in sand for prey. Prey include geckos and possibly invertebrates. It is oviparous, laying three to five eggs (Gardner 2013).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
A number of threats impact the species and its habitat in the UAE, however, none are thought to be significant.
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
