Threatened land species of the UAE

Scientific name: Panthera pardus nimr

Habitat: High Mountains, deep valleys.

Key threats: Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmenting, illegal wildlife trade.

Fun Fact: The Arabian Leopard is the largest cat in the Arabian Peninsula but are also famous for their incredible agility and strength to climb trees while dragging a kill that is sometimes heavier than their body weight.

Scientific name: Uromastyx aegyptia leptieni

Habitat: Deserts, bushes and burrows.

Key threats: Recreation activities, such as dune bashing and real estate development, unsustainable collection for food, traditional medicine, and pet trade.

Fun fact: Spiny-tail Lizards are survivors, tolerating incredibly intense temperatures and using its razor sharp spines on its tail to defend itself from predators like desert monitors and eagles.

Status: Vulnerable

Scientific name: Oryx leucoryx

Habitat: Deserts, stony plains, wadis.

Key threats: Habitat loss due to construction and development, illegal wildlife trade, pollution.

Fun fact: Oryx’ can detect rainfall and fresh plant growth from up to 90km away.

Status: Vulnerable

Scientific name: Gazella marica

Habitat: Desert regions, e.g., sand dunes and coastal flats.

Key threats: Uncontrolled hunting and habitat degradation.

Fun fact: Arabian Sand Gazelles are the only gazelle species in the region that birth twins.

Status: Vulnerable