The Sultanate of Oman is home to 111 reptiles, out of which 96 are terrestrial and 15 are marine. Interestingly the 15 marine reptiles include 10 sea snakes and five marine turtles. Out of the total number of reptile species 16 of them are endemic.
The reptiles are identified, but more resources are needed to understand climate change and its impact on them. Another concern is also man-made changes to their habitats.
The e-book, 'A field guide to the reptiles of Oman', authored by Salvador Carranza, Johannes Els and Abernathy Burriel Carranza, in coordination with the Environment Authority of Oman, described that the reptiles represent the most diverse group of terrestrial vertebrates and a major component of the global biodiversity.
They said in the book that, “The evolutionary relationships and their taxonomy have been very contentious and could not be clarified until genetic and genome data have been available. The main objective of the book, was to provide an updated account on the systematics, diversity and distribution of Oman reptiles.”
The book published last year is a result of the work spanning over 16 years. The areas that were studied include Al Hajar Mountains, adjoining areas covering the coastal Al Batinah plain and inland areas and Dhofar mountains and the islands, some of the desert areas and coastal areas of the Arabian Sea.
What they found over the years were many interesting aspects such as Sako’s Toad-headed Agama is an endemic species of the Al Sharqiyah Sands and has adapted to live in extremely arid conditions. With 41 species, Gekkota, the authors concluded, are the most diverse terrestrial reptile group in Oman.
The researchers are of the opinion that there should be more studies on the 16 endemic reptiles such as their population structure, biology, ecology and threats.
Reptiles are present in the Empty Quarter, Salt Flats and islands of Oman. The highest number of reptiles are found in Masirah Island with 21 species and two of them are endemic to Masirah Island - Hemidactylus masirahensis and Pristurus masirahensis.
Dhofar has the highest diversity with 60 species, followed by South Al Sharqiyah with 48, Musandam 21, Al Buraimi 29 and North Al Batinah 27.
They stated in the book that, “The Sultanate of Oman has approximately 50 per cent of the total number of reptile species in the Arabian Peninsula, ranking it as one of the countries with the highest reptile diversity in Arabia.”
However, the authors point out that there are gaps in the knowledge of the life history, population size and real distribution of Oman reptiles.
Another major concern is that climate change could cause heat stress and change in their natural habitats and may not be able to foresee how they will be affected.
They pointed out that the conservation of reptiles is important because they have significant role in the natural ecosystems, as predators, commensal species and as natural pest control in addition to medical health.
@lakshmioman
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