Calls have been made to establish breeding programmes to arrest a decline in numbers of an under-threat species of gecko unique to the UAE.
The Emirati leaf-toed gecko has become severely inbred as its distribution has become more restricted, newly published research has found.
The reptile, the only vertebrate species unique to the country, lives in Sharjah and Fujairah in only known five sites, some of which have undergone developments that have caused its population to fall.
Scientists say that transferring genetic diversity between the existing groups, or captive-breeding programmes, could safeguard the creature.
Known scientifically as Asaccus caudivolvulus, the reptile is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as critically endangered – just one category up from being extinct in the wild.
Dr Bernat Burriel-Carranza, the first author of a study on the species published this month in Molecular Ecology, said that the distribution was now "extremely reduced".
Changing landscape puts gecko at risk
"It’s in an area that’s been heavily developed and therefore there are lots of pressures on this species," said Dr Burriel-Carranza, who is from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona and the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona.
"The populations that are in developed areas, they are very inbred. If there is less diversity, it means they have less opportunity to adapt to future threats.
"Although there might be lots of specimens in these areas, it’s important to note that the diversity is going down."
The researchers sequenced the genome – all of an organism’s genetic material – of about a dozen A. caudivolvulus individuals, mostly using tail-tip samples.
For comparison, they extracted DNA from additional gecko types, the majority of them other Arabian Asaccus species.
A. caudivolvulus had "consistently lower genetic diversity" than other Arabian Asaccus species, something that the researchers indicated was the result of ancient population declines.
Dramatic drop in diversity
However, genetic analysis indicated that among populations in heavily developed areas, there had also recently been "high levels" of inbreeding.
When a specimen from 2013 was compared with one from the same location from 2022, genetic diversity was found to have "dropped dramatically".
The Emirati leaf-toed gecko is a slightly transparent reptile that measures about 11cm in length and has long and thin legs and leaf-like pads on its toes.
A nocturnal creature, during the day it hides in humid cracks and crevices among rocks, where it is safe from predators.
The latest genetic work follows an initiative in 2022 to find wild populations of the species, with researchers having been unsure whether it still existed in the wild.
It had previously been known only in two locations, but in 2022 a total of 52 individuals were found in five areas.
One location was an inaccessible undeveloped area south of Khor Fakkan, while "relatively high numbers" were detected north of Khor Fakkan in a promontory being developed.
There were a "few specimens" on Shark Island, a small island off the east coast, while the species was also found in a heavily developed area in north Sharm in Fujairah where, in 2016, it had also been found. Here the gecko’s habitat has been "extremely reduced to a small patch of rocks".
Inland, the species was identified at Wadi Wuraya National Park, although it is thought to have been introduced there, as it was found amid rocks transported from another location.
The new study is titled Clinging on the brink: Whole genomes reveal human-induced population declines and severe inbreeding in the Critically Endangered Emirati Leaf-toed Gecko.
"Overall, results show that A. caudivolvulusis in urgent need of protection, and habitat preservation must be warranted to ensure the species’ survival," the researchers wrote in the paper.
The paper’s senior author, Prof Salvador Carranza, director of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, said that a captive-breeding programme would be "highly recommended" to protect the species.
Averting extinction
Efforts to transfer genetic diversity between the existing sites could also help to safeguard the creature.
"It’s endemic to the UAE, which makes it even more important. If it disappears from the UAE, it disappears from the world. It disappears from everywhere. It’s extinct," Prof Carranza said.
While the overall population of the Emirati leaf-toed gecko is much reduced, Prof Carranza said that in Sharjah and Fujairah some of the populations are in protected areas. He said that the gecko could survive even in developed locations if there were rocky areas for it to live in.
Prof Carranza praised the UAE authorities for their assistance with the research, saying that it would have been "impossible" to have carried it out without their help.
Co-authors of the study came from organisations including the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, part of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah.
Other researchers were from the Fujairah Research Centre and the Fujairah Genetics Centre, while the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund helped to finance the work.
The researchers said that more surveys could be undertaken to better understand the distribution of the species. The humid coastal locations that the Emirati leaf-toed gecko inhabits can be difficult to reach.
"I’ve worked a lot in Arabia and in this case because it’s on the coast you need boats to access some of the areas. It would be great if we could investigate more," Prof Carranza said.
Other gecko species have suffered population falls in the UAE, including the wonder gecko, Teratoscincus keyserlingii, a species also found in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
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Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Scoreline
Germany 2
Werner 9', Sane 19'
Netherlands 2
Promes 85', Van Dijk 90'
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Brief scores:
Barcelona 3
Pique 38', Messi 51 (pen), Suarez 82'
Rayo Vallecano 1
De Tomas Gomez 24'
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
The biog
Fast facts on Neil Armstrong’s personal life:
- Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio
- He earned his private pilot’s license when he was 16 – he could fly before he could drive
- There was tragedy in his married life: Neil and Janet Armstrong’s daughter Karen died at the age of two in 1962 after suffering a brain tumour. She was the couple’s only daughter. Their two sons, Rick and Mark, consulted on the film
- After Armstrong departed Nasa, he bought a farm in the town of Lebanon, Ohio, in 1971 – its airstrip allowed him to tap back into his love of flying
- In 1994, Janet divorced Neil after 38 years of marriage. Two years earlier, Neil met Carol Knight, who became his second wife in 1994
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
- Complete passenger locator form
- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
- 11 countries on red list quarantine
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
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The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
