Reptiles and amphibians of the Saudi islands in the Arabian Gulf

By

Aloufi, Abdulhadi
Al Zayer, Mohammed
Abu Baker, Mohammad A.
ʻAmr, Zuhayr Sāmī

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-12-3

Original Publication

Herpetozoa

Volume

38

Pages

379--391

Subjects

Arabian Gulf , Biogeography , Distribution , diversity , herpetofauna , Islands

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.38.e172180

 

Abstract

The herpetofauna of nine Saudi Arabian islands in the Arabian Gulf was studied. A total of 20 species of amphibians and reptiles within 12 families was reported. The number of species per island ranged from one in four islands to 11 in Tarout Island and tended to increase with island area. The colonization of species was made possible by human introduction, especially of geckos. A classification based on species presence/absence data ranked the islands according to their similarity, geographical location, size, and human use, which influenced reptile communities. A comparison between the reptiles on other islands belonging to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iran in the Arabian Gulf was also presented.