United Arab Emirates
Wildlife of the Hajar Mountains
The Hajar is the spine of eastern Arabia: bare ocean-floor rock pushed up into peaks over 1,900 m at Jebel Jais, cut by wadis that hold water long after the plains have dried. Cut off from the rest of the peninsula, it has become an island of its own species, most of them geckos that only come out after dark.
- 28 species on this site
- 15 endemics
- 16 active at night
Endemic
Found nowhere else on Earth
These species live in the Hajar Mountains and nowhere else. Most are small, nocturnal and tied to one kind of rock.
Arabian TahrArabitragus jayakariالطهر العربي
Gallagher’s Leaf-toed GeckoAsaccus gallagheriوزغة غالاغر ورقية الأصابع
Gardner’s Leaf-toed GeckoAsaccus gardneriوزغة غاردنر ورقية الأصابع
Hajar Banded Ground GeckoTrachydactylus hajarensisوزغ الحجر الأرضي المخطط
Hajar Rock AgamaPseudotrapelus jensvindumiحرذون صخور الحجر
Hajar Saw-scaled ViperEchis omanensisأفعى السجاد العمانية
Orlov’s Fan-footed GeckoPtyodactylus orloviوزغ أورلوف مروحي الأصابع
Reptiles
10 of 21 on this site
Active at nightArabian Cat SnakeTelescopus dharaثعبان القط العربي- Active at nightGallagher’s Leaf-toed GeckoAsaccus gallagheriوزغة غالاغر ورقية الأصابع
- Active at nightGardner’s Leaf-toed GeckoAsaccus gardneriوزغة غاردنر ورقية الأصابع
- Active at nightHajar Banded Ground GeckoTrachydactylus hajarensisوزغ الحجر الأرضي المخطط
- Active by dayHajar Rock AgamaPseudotrapelus jensvindumiحرذون صخور الحجر
- Active by day and nightHajar Saw-scaled ViperEchis omanensisأفعى السجاد العمانية
- Active at nightOrlov’s Fan-footed GeckoPtyodactylus orloviوزغ أورلوف مروحي الأصابع
- Photo to comeActive by day and nightPersian Horned ViperPseudocerastes persicusالأفعى القرناء الفارسية
Active at nightRed Sea House GeckoHemidactylus robustusوزغ البحر الأحمر المنزلي
Active by daySchokari Sand RacerPsammophis schokariالثعبان الشقاري
Not yet on this site: 11 more reptilesRecorded here, still waiting for a photograph.
- Asian Snake-eyed SkinkAblepharus pannonicus
- Bar-tailed Semaphore GeckoPristurus celerrimusEndemic
- Bosc’s Fringe-toed LizardAcanthodactylus boskianus
- Emirati Leaf-toed GeckoAsaccus caudivolvulusEndemic
- Hajar Blue-tailed LizardOmanosaura cyanuraEndemic
- Jayakar’s LizardOmanosaura jayakariEndemic
- Margarita’s Leaf-toed GeckoAsaccus margaritaeEndemic
- Rock Semaphore GeckoPristurus rupestris
- Ruusaljibal Fan-footed GeckoPtyodactylus ruusaljibalicusEndemic
- Tessellated SkinkTrachylepis tessellata
- Wadi RacerPlatyceps rhodorachis
Amphibians
2 of 2 on this site
Active by day and nightArabian ToadSclerophrys arabicaالعلجوم العربي
Active by day and nightDhofar ToadFirouzophrynus dhufarensisعلجوم ظفار
Birds
12 of 16 on this site
Active at nightArabian Eagle-owlBubo milesiالبومة النسرية العربية
Active by dayBonelli's eagleAquila fasciataعقاب بونلي
Active by dayDesert LarkAmmomanes desertiقبرة صحراوية
Active by dayHume's WheatearOenanthe albonigraالفقاقة السوداء بيضاء البطن
Active by dayLichtenstein's SandgrousePterocles lichtensteiniiالقطا المخطط
Active by dayPale Rock MartinPtyonoprogne obsoletaسنونو الصخر الباهت
Active at nightPallid Scops-owlOtus bruceiبومة الأشجار المخططة
Active by dayRed-tailed WheatearOenanthe chrysopygiaأبلق أحمر الذيل
Active by daySand PartridgeAmmoperdix heyiحجل رملي
Active by dayStriolated BuntingEmberiza striolataدرسة مخططة
Active by dayWhite-crowned WheatearOenanthe leucopygaأبلق أبيض التاج
Active by dayWhite-spectacled BulbulPycnonotus xanthopygosبلبل أصفر العجز
Not yet on this site: 4 more birdsRecorded here, still waiting for a photograph.
- Omani OwlStrix butleri
- Plain Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus neglectus
- Streaked Scrub WarblerScotocerca inquieta
- Variable WheatearOenanthe picata
Mammals
3 of 12 on this site
Active by day and nightArabian Red foxVulpes vulpes arabicaالثعلب الأحمر العربي- Active by day and nightArabian TahrArabitragus jayakariالطهر العربي
Active at nightDesert HedgehogParaechinus aethiopicusالقنفذ الأثيوبي
Not yet on this site: 9 more mammalsRecorded here, still waiting for a photograph.
- Arabian Spiny MouseAcomys dimidiatus
- Blanford’s FoxVulpes cana
- Brandt’s HedgehogParaechinus hypomelas
- CaracalCaracal caracal
- Egyptian Fruit BatRousettus aegyptiacus
- Geoffroy’s Trident Leaf-nosed BatAsellia tridens
- Muscat Mouse-tailed BatRhinopoma muscatellum
- Naked-bellied Tomb BatTaphozous nudiventris
- Wagner’s GerbilGerbillus dayurus
Spiders & scorpions
1 of 8 on this site
Not yet on this site: 7 more spiders & scorpionsRecorded here, still waiting for a photograph.
- GadimHemiscorpius flagelliraptor
- Oman Fat TailAndroctonus omanensis
- Oman GadimHemiscorpius maindroni
- Oman NeboNebo omanensis
- Pillar TailOrthochirus glabrifrons
- Rafalus arabicus
- Sharp-ribbed ScorpionCompsobuthus maindroni
Insects
0 of 5 on this siteNot yet on this site: 5 more insectsRecorded here, still waiting for a photograph.
- Arabian Grizzled SkipperSpialia mangana
- Hajar Wadi DamselflyArabineura khalidiEndemic
- Loew’s BlueAgrodiaetus loewi
- Water ScorpionLaccotrephes fabricii
- White-edged Rock BrownHipparchia parisatis
Other
0 of 1 on this siteNot yet on this site: 1 more otherRecorded here, still waiting for a photograph.
- Mordania omanensisEndemic
Walk the wadis with us
Guided day and night trips into the Hajar: wadi pools, leaf-toed geckos on the cliff faces, and the owls after sunset.