Musandam leaf-toed gecko  (Asaccus caudivolvulus)

This species has not yet been classified on the IUCN Red List.

Described as a particularly colourful species, the Musandam leaf-toed gecko is a slender, medium-sized gecko with a relatively flattened head, broad snout and distinctive, heart-shaped toes (2). Like other geckos, its skin is soft, with small scales, and the eyes are large, with pupils that contract to vertical slits in bright light (2) (3). The toes of this species each have a pair of specialised scales, known as ‘scansors’ (2), which are covered in thousands of microscopic hair-like structures called setae. Each of these in turn branches into hundreds of saucer-shaped tips, creating an enormous surface area in contact with the ground, giving the gecko remarkable grip and enabling it to climb even smooth, vertical surfaces (2) (3).

The Musandam leaf-toed gecko was only described as a separate species as recently as 1994 (4). The body of this species is pinkish in colour, almost translucent, with darker bands running down the body and onto the tail, and small tubercles covering the back.

As its common name suggests, the Musandam leaf-toed gecko is endemic to the Musandam region of Oman, and to the Hajar Mountains of the eastern United Arab Emirates (1) (2).

This species inhabits caves and crevices in mountain wadis (2).

The Musandam leaf-toed gecko is active at night (2) and, like most other geckos, is likely to feed on a variety of insects and other small invertebrates (3). This species lays a single, hard-shelled, spherical egg, which is glued to rock deep within crevices in caves or cliffs. A number of individuals may lay their eggs in the same traditional, communal laying sites. In captivity, one egg may be laid around every three to four weeks (2).

Relatively little is known about the threats faced by the Musandam leaf-toed gecko, and its conservation status has yet to be formally assessed (5). However, general threats to the region’s wildlife include habitat loss due to increasing urbanisation and development, as well as overgrazing by livestock, mining, pollution, and over-extraction of ground water (6) (7). Although the mountains of the United Arab Emirates have so far not been subject to the same degree of habitat loss as many lowland regions, the available habitat in these areas is limited, and some isolated reptile populations may potentially be threatened. Of particular concern is a population of the Musandam leaf-toed gecko in Jebel Ras, south of Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates. This area has been subject to high levels of urban and industrial development, and the continued survival of this small population is uncertain (8).

There are no known specific conservation measures currently in place for the Musandam leaf-toed gecko. However, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) is working within the United Arab Emirates to protect and conserve the region’s valuable biodiversity (9), while the use of traditional, protected, livestock-free areas by local people in some parts of the Hajar Mountains may help to slow habitat loss to some degree (7). This colourful gecko would be likely to benefit from further research into its populations, biology and ecology, and from a proper assessment of its conservation status.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi is a principal sponsor of ARKive. EAD is working to protect and conserve the environment as well as promoting sustainable development in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

To find out more about geckos of the Arabian Peninsula, see:

• Hellyer, P. and Aspinall, S. (2005) The Emirates: A Natural History. Trident Press Limited, London.
• The Reptile Database:
  http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/

For more information on conservation in this region, see:

• WWF: Al Hajar montane woodlands:
  http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/at/at0801_full.html
• The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi:
  http://www.ead.ae/en/