Rhagerhis moilensis | UAE National Red List of Herpetofauna: Amphibians & Terrestrial Reptiles, Sea Snakes & Marine Turtles

Taxa

Rhagerhis moilensis | (Reuss, 1834)

Publication

UAE National Red List of Herpetofauna: Amphibians & Terrestrial Reptiles, Sea Snakes & Marine Turtles

Location

Countries in Assessment

United Arab Emirates

Country ISO code(s)

ARE

Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?

Off

Scope (Assessment)

National

Taxon

Taxonomic Group

Vertebrates

Taxonomic Group Level 2

Reptiles

Assessed taxon level

Species

Taxonomic Notes

This species is widely known under the generic name Malpolon (although it was included in the genus Scutophis by Geniez et al. 2004). Kelly et al. (2008) found that this species is genetically distinct from other members of Malpolon, but took no taxonomic action. Investigating the nomenclatural history of this snake, Böhme and de Pury (2011) resurrected the genus Rhagerhis for this taxon, a name previously (and erroneously) considered to be unavailable. Rhagerhis appears to be nested within Malpolon (Figueroa et al. 2016), but Uetz et al. (2019) notes that this apparent synonymy not been widely adopted.Rhamphiophis maradiensis, described from Niger, is now understood to be a junior synonym of R. moilensis (Trape and Mané 2006, I. Ineich pers. comm. 2013), although this treatment has been disputed (L. Chirio pers. comm. in Uetz et al. 2019).

Taxon distribution as listed in assessment

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species has a wide distribution from Ras al Khaimah in the north towards Sila in Abu Dhabi in the south and further inland to Al Ain (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It occurs from sea level to 300 m asl., and is not found in the Hajar Mountains.This widespread species ranges from Mauritania, Western Sahara and Morocco in the west, through much of northern and Saharan Africa to the Red Sea coast of Egypt, Sudan (where it has been recorded from Suakin; Largen 1997) and Eritrea (Hasmet; Largen 1997), Israel, southeastern Jordan, southern Syria, Iraq, southern Iran (Khuzestan Province and Hormozgan Province) and most of the Arabian Peninsula. In West Africa, it has a seemingly disjunct distribution in parts of Mauritania, central and northern Mali, and Niger, with a marginal occurrence in northwest Nigeria (Trape and Mané 2006). It can be found up to 1,500 m asl.

Habitats and Ecology

Ecological system type

Terrestrial system

Freshwater system

Marine system

Habitat

Habitat details as listed in assessment

Found in gravel and stony deserts, sandy plains, desert margins, sandy coastal regions, and in cultivated and urban areas (Gardner 2013). Apparently absent from the deep sand deserts and mountains (Gardner 2013). It is normally diurnal but crepuscular or nocturnal during the summer.This species is capable of moving large amounts of sand by active shovelling with the head and neck, pushing the sand aside with sideways movements with the head bent downwards, and can thus make shelters under stones or logs (Gardner 2013). When disturbed, the snake threatens by lifting the front third of the body off the ground and flattening the neck into a narrow hood. It predates on lizards, small mammals and other snakes (Gardner 2013). Breeding is during summer and spring, with females laying a clutch of 4-18 eggs (Gardner 2013). The species is known to polish its scales with an oily secretion from the outside of the nasal flap beside the nostrils (Gardner 2013), the purpose of which is unknown but presumed to reduce water loss or act as a chemical communication.

Is there a map available in assessment?

Yes

Assessed status

Asessment status in full

Least Concern

Assessment status abreviation

Assessment rationale/justification

This species is widespread in the northern parts of the United Arab Emirates, although absent from the Hajar Mountains. It is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population size, and because it is adaptable 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).

About the assessment

Assessment year

2018

Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed

UAE National Red List Workshop

Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment

Government

IGO

Assessor affiliation specific

Government|IGO

Criteria system

Criteria system specifics

IUCN v3.1 + Regional Guidelines v4.0

Criteria system used

IUCN

Criteria Citation

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.

Endemism

Endemic to region

Not_assigned

Endemism Notes

Is an endemic?: Not_assigned

Conservation

Threats listed in assessment

There appear to be no major threats to this species as a whole. Some animals are killed in residential areas or accidentally on roads. The species may be persecuted as with all snakes.

Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Scientific Name	Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus
Rhagerhis moilensis	Animalia	Chordata	Reptilia	Squamata	Psammophiidae	Rhagerhis