Biology
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Rarely encountered by man, the harmless and nocturnal Arabian sand boa lives almost permanently under the desert sand (2) (6). The tapering head and smooth scales allow it to burrow through the soft sand without needing to surface (2). Despite these adaptations, the Arabian sand boa's locomotion is relatively slow (6), and in order to catch prey it must rely on ambush (2). The positioning of the eyes on the uppermost part of the head allows this species to watch for prey on the surface while the rest its body remains submerged (2) (4). When prey strays too near, the Arabian sand boa strikes, coiling its muscular body around its victim and tightening its grip until the animal can no longer breathe or circulate blood (2) (5). The Arabian sand boa's prey mainly comprises small reptiles which it can easily swallow whole, such as geckoes and worm lizards (amphisbaenians) (4) (6).
Unlike most boas, which give birth to live young, the Arabian sand boa is one of only three boa species that lay eggs (7). Usually a clutch of seven eggs is laid, which take around two months to hatch (4) (7).
Conservation
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There are currently no known conservation measures in place for the Arabian sand boa.
Description
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One of the smallest boa species (3), the Arabian sand boa is the only boa found in south-east Arabia, and one of the most common snakes in the United Arab Emirates (4). The body is covered in smooth, glossy scales, and coloured yellow, with an irregular patterning of brown bars and blotches (2). The features of the head are unusual, with a chisel- shaped snout, and eyes that are positioned on the top of the head, rather than the sides (4). Boas are one of the most primitive snake groups, and retain vestigial features of the four-legged ancestors from which they evolved (5). In this species, the remnants of hind limbs are apparent as small claws towards the snake's rear (2).
Habitat
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As its name suggests, the Arabian sand boa is found in arid, sandy deserts (2).
Range
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The Arabian sand boa is found throughout the Arabian Peninsula and also in Iran (1).
Status
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Listed on Appendix II of CITES (1).
Threats
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There are currently no known threats to the Arabian sand boa. It is widespread and in many parts of its range is considered common (4).
Distribution
provided by ReptileDB
Continent: Near-East
Distribution: E Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran (SW Khuzestan), Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Type locality: Muscat
Eryx jayakari
provided by wikipedia EN
Eryx jayakari, known commonly as the Arabian sand boa or Jayakar's sand boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae.[3] The species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula and Iran where it spends the day buried in the sand.
Etymology
Both the specific name, jayakari, and one of the common names, Jayakar's sand boa, are in honor of Atmaram Sadashiv Jayakar (1844–1911), an Indian surgeon and naturalist.[4]
Description
The Arabian sand boa is a small snake growing to a total length (including tail) of about 38 cm (15 in). The eyes are very small and are located on the top of the head, which has a blunt snout and is wedge-shaped. This snake's colour is yellowish-grey or sandy-brown speckled with white flecks and transversely banded with dark marks.[5]
Geographic range
The Arabian sand boa is native to the Arabian peninsula. Its geographic range includes Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, and southern Iran, where a small number of specimens have been found in Khuzestan Province, Bushehr Province and Kerman Province.[1]
Habitat
Eryx jayakari is a desert species of snake, living semi-underground in sand or soft soil.[1]
Behaviour
The Arabian sand boa is largely nocturnal and is tolerant of a wide range of temperatures. During the day it buries itself deep in the sand but moves towards the surface at dusk. Here it remains slightly below the surface with just its eyes projecting, ready to pounce with a sideways flick of its head, on any small creature that happens to pass.[5] Its prey includes short-fingered geckos (Stenodactylus spp.), the Baluch rock gecko (Bunopus tuberculatus), and worm lizards.[6]
The female lays a small clutch of eggs which hatch in about 66 days at a temperature of 33 °C (91 °F).[6]
Conservation status
The Arabian sand boa is listed by the IUCN as being of "Least Concern". This is because it has a very wide range, is common in at least parts of that range, and no particular threats have been identified.[1]
References
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^ a b c d Behbehani, S.J.Y.; Al Johany, A.M.H.; Sharifi, M.; Papenfuss, T.; Anderson, S.; Shafiei Bafti, S. (2012). "Eryx jayakari". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T164738A1072189. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T164738A1072189.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
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^ "Eryx jayakari Boulenger, 1888". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
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^ McDiarmid, Roy W., Jonathan A. Campbell, and T'Shaka A. Touré (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, Diatrict of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series), ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
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^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Eryx jayakari, p. 134).
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^ a b Stafford, Peter J. (1986). Pythons and Boas. TFH Publications. pp. 106, 110. ISBN 9780866220842.
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^ a b Masood, Mustafa Fathy (2012). "Ecological distribution of snakes' fauna of Jazan region of Saudi Arabia". Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. 4 (1): 183–197. ISSN 2090-0759.
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Eryx jayakari: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
Eryx jayakari, known commonly as the Arabian sand boa or Jayakar's sand boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula and Iran where it spends the day buried in the sand.
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- cc-by-sa-3.0
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- Wikipedia authors and editors
