A week in the United Arab Emirates
Moderator: Scott Waters
A week in the United Arab Emirates
Just a really quick write up of a week herping the deserts of UAE. I was actually in the region for 2 weeks, with the first spent doing the boring touristy stuff in Dubai, then the second week spent in the deserts, mostly in Sharjah. Much thanks and pretty much all credit for the critters below go to Johannes Els - a true gent with a superb knowledge of the local area.
First the boring tourist/architectural/city shots...
Cityscape Skyline by Kris Bell, on Flickr
At The Top by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Ultra-Urban by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Level43 by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Pillars of Society by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Sheikh Zayed Mosque by Kris Bell, on Flickr
..now on to the good stuff. First animals out and about on the dunes during the day are usually the small lizards. These toad headed agamas were my favourite lizards of the trip, tiny little animals with so much attitude. They are fiercely territorial with one another and have a range of cool behaviours such as curling their black-tipped tails over in the circle as if to mimic a scorpion.
Arabian Toad Head Agama (Phrynocephalus arabicus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Toad-headed agama by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Schmidt’s fringe-toed lizard (Acanthodactylus schmidti) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Without question, my favourite snake species of the trip...
Arabian sand/horned viper (Cerastes gasperettii) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Eastern Sandfish (Scincus mitranus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Once extinct in the wild, thanks to reintroductions and protected reserves, these ungulates are making a comeback...
Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Oryx Landscape by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Desert monitor (Varanus griseus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Last out in the day were these Uromastyx, that absolutely loved the heat and were active throughout the intense heat of the middle of the day, long after every other animal had headed for the shade.
Leptein's spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia lepteini) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Heading up into the streams that cut through the rocky cliffs (wadis) resulted in a different collection of reptiles...
Sinai agama (Pseudotrapelus sinaitus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Sinai agama (Pseudotrapelus sinaitus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Blue-tailed Oman Lizard (Omanosaura cyanura) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Bagworm moth caterpillar by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian Toad (Bufo arabicus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
As soon as night fell in the wadis, these guys came crawling out of cracks and crevices in significant numbers...
Oman saw-scaled viper (Echis omanensis) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
...meanwhile back in the desert and scrub, the nocturnal animals looked something like the below.
Desert hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian Sand Gecko (Stenodactylus arabicus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Venomous land mine by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Domino Beetle (Anthia duodecimguttata) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian horned viper (Cerastes gasperettii) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Urchin beetle (Prionotheca cornata) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Zarudny's Worm Lizard (Diplometopon zarudnyi) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Middle Eastern short-fingered gecko (Stenodactylus doriae) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Awl-headed snake (Lytorhynchus diadema) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Persian Wonder Gecko (Teratoscincus keyserlingii) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian sand boa (Eryx jayakari) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
And a few other odds and ends...
Common fan-footed gecko (Ptyodactylus hasselquistii) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Hoopoe (Upupa epops) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Eastern Sand Gecko (Stenodactylus leptocosymbotus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes arabica) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian fox at dawn by Kris Bell, on Flickr
First the boring tourist/architectural/city shots...
Cityscape Skyline by Kris Bell, on Flickr
At The Top by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Ultra-Urban by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Level43 by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Pillars of Society by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Sheikh Zayed Mosque by Kris Bell, on Flickr
..now on to the good stuff. First animals out and about on the dunes during the day are usually the small lizards. These toad headed agamas were my favourite lizards of the trip, tiny little animals with so much attitude. They are fiercely territorial with one another and have a range of cool behaviours such as curling their black-tipped tails over in the circle as if to mimic a scorpion.
Arabian Toad Head Agama (Phrynocephalus arabicus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Toad-headed agama by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Schmidt’s fringe-toed lizard (Acanthodactylus schmidti) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Without question, my favourite snake species of the trip...
Arabian sand/horned viper (Cerastes gasperettii) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Eastern Sandfish (Scincus mitranus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Once extinct in the wild, thanks to reintroductions and protected reserves, these ungulates are making a comeback...
Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Oryx Landscape by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Desert monitor (Varanus griseus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Last out in the day were these Uromastyx, that absolutely loved the heat and were active throughout the intense heat of the middle of the day, long after every other animal had headed for the shade.
Leptein's spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia lepteini) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Heading up into the streams that cut through the rocky cliffs (wadis) resulted in a different collection of reptiles...
Sinai agama (Pseudotrapelus sinaitus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Sinai agama (Pseudotrapelus sinaitus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Blue-tailed Oman Lizard (Omanosaura cyanura) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Bagworm moth caterpillar by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian Toad (Bufo arabicus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
As soon as night fell in the wadis, these guys came crawling out of cracks and crevices in significant numbers...
Oman saw-scaled viper (Echis omanensis) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
...meanwhile back in the desert and scrub, the nocturnal animals looked something like the below.
Desert hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian Sand Gecko (Stenodactylus arabicus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Venomous land mine by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Domino Beetle (Anthia duodecimguttata) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian horned viper (Cerastes gasperettii) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Urchin beetle (Prionotheca cornata) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Zarudny's Worm Lizard (Diplometopon zarudnyi) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Middle Eastern short-fingered gecko (Stenodactylus doriae) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Awl-headed snake (Lytorhynchus diadema) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Persian Wonder Gecko (Teratoscincus keyserlingii) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian sand boa (Eryx jayakari) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
And a few other odds and ends...
Common fan-footed gecko (Ptyodactylus hasselquistii) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Hoopoe (Upupa epops) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Eastern Sand Gecko (Stenodactylus leptocosymbotus) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes arabica) by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Arabian fox at dawn by Kris Bell, on Flickr
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Awesome! Do you have additional pictures of the wonder gecko?
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Yes and no - I took more pics but they are now buried somewhere on my external hard-drive. I tend to only process one picture of each animal.
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Beautiful!
- csalemi731
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Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Beautiful photos. I love the Oryx, Uromastyx and fan footed gecko
- Fieldnotes
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Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
All those herps were found in only a weeks time, thats amazing along with pictures you took of them.
- Steve Barten
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Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
STUNNING photography. Any one of those images would look terrific framed on a wall.
- John Martin
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Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Yep, that is STUNNING photography alright! All of the animals are super cool, of course, but I thought your urban landscape shots were fantastic also. Great job!!
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Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Thank you for posting Kris.
Great photography, particularly liking those "Venomous Land Mines"!
Strange that I've never considered UAE for a herping destination, your thread is starting to make me consider!
Great photography, particularly liking those "Venomous Land Mines"!
Strange that I've never considered UAE for a herping destination, your thread is starting to make me consider!
- Thor Hakonsen
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Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Amazing as always Kris !
Some absolutely fantastic pics there
Some absolutely fantastic pics there
- Martti Niskanen
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Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Great photography!
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Thank you for the post. This was fantastic, among the best in memory. I will certainly review this a time or two more.
Justin Michels
Justin Michels
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Amazing photos, Kris. What a fun time that was, I'm sure!
- snakemastermyke
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Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Incredible post, amazing pics. Kudos!
- walk-about
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Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
My God that was beautiful! Thank you
Dave
Dave
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Great pictures.
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Incredible photography Kris!
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Amazing animals, I didn't realize the UAE had so much diversity in such a small area. How easy is it for a Westerner to go wandering around the desert there? Is it best to be with a guide?
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
I'm mad. This beats anything I could post here this year
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Thanks for the comments all. I highly recommend the area for herping, particularly if you are UK or Europe-based as there are a huge number of very cheap flights going to the UAE on a daily basis. Hire cars are fairly cheap and there is a good mix of civilized culture/city stuff to do if you are with family or non-herpers, while the desert is an easy and accessible drive away. My top advice if you are thinking of going to the area is get in touch with Johannes Els. I'm not sure how I would have got on if I hadnt met up with him but it definitely would not have been as successful or as enjoyable. I can guarantee I would not have seen the Persian Wonder Gecko without him. Road cruising just flat out does not work, and while the desert can look fairly homogeneous, huge sections of it are badly beaten up from off-road driving and other human activities while other isolated pockets are extremely productive, with little visible or obvious difference to the layman between such areas. Google Earth is your friend, and scope out areas during the daytime - if you see lots of tracks in the sand its a good sign you are in a good place.
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
AWESOME Photos! Thanks for sharing
Kai
Kai
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
WOW, Epic photography on all fronts!
- John Martin
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Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Just looked through this post again (for about the sixth time) and realized that the Hoopoe has what has to be the coolest Latin name ever!
- The Real Snake Man
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Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Great stuff. The Eryx jayakari is really neat. My buddy John is stationed in Bahrain right now, and he's enjoying finding those freaky boas. Thanks for sharing.
-Gene
-Gene
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Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Wow, UAE would have never been on my bucket list, but your post makes it look very intriguing from a wildlife perspective. Your photos "ooze with quality" (a quote borrowed from your comments on my photographs from Australia a while back!). In particular, your use of flash setups shows great expertise (and something I know little about). I love the wonder gecko and the venomous landmine. The sandfish is one amazing lizard. Beautiful shot of the humble looking hedgehog! ... and that heat loving spiny-tailed lizard... all great. Thanks for sharing and opening my eyes to that part of the world!
Re: A week in the United Arab Emirates
Spectacular photography, as usual, but maybe even better than your usual standard.
I have to say that Varanus griseus shot may be one of the most interesting shots I have seen on this forum. A lot of people might have deleted that because it wasn't a sharp photo of the whole animal. Certainly the best griseus shot I've seen and maybe on of the best lizard photos I've seen?
The blowing sand (?) covering the legs of that first Oryx is a show stopper as well!
I have to say that Varanus griseus shot may be one of the most interesting shots I have seen on this forum. A lot of people might have deleted that because it wasn't a sharp photo of the whole animal. Certainly the best griseus shot I've seen and maybe on of the best lizard photos I've seen?
The blowing sand (?) covering the legs of that first Oryx is a show stopper as well!