Rarely seen venomous snake spotted in UAE
A rarely seen venomous orange snake has been spotted in the south-eastern part of the UAE.
The Arabian cat snake was observed twice last year, in July and October, in Wadi Helo along the border of Sharjah and Fujairah.
The two sightings appear to be the only published record of the species in the UAE since 2009, according to a recent report in The Herpetological Bulletin.
The researchers’ paper, An updated distribution of the Arabian cat snake Telescopus dhara in the United Arab Emirates, was published in November.
It said the recent sightings “add important data to the current known distribution and status of the Arabian cat snake within the UAE and suggest that there is a stable population in at least the south of the country and that Wadi Helo represents an important area” for the species.
The first cat snake in the UAE was found in Sharjah and reported in 2007. It was probably brought into the country in date palms from northern Oman, the researchers said.
The species was later seen three more times in Fujairah, Kalba and Wadi Helo before 2009.
The snake was seen slithering on a tree stump one July night last year, with another “moving slowly across a loose rocky slope” in October, about 1am.
Both snakes were orange, which corresponds to the previous sightings.
“Potential habitat of T. dhara exists throughout the Hajjar mountain range and records from the more northerly Musandam Peninsula and Oman to the south lend further support to a potentially more continuous area of occupancy within the UAE,” researchers wrote.
An adult cat snake is between 60 and 70 centimetres long and probably got its name from its distinctive facial features, said Andrew Gardner, one of the researchers.
“It is apparently called a cat snake due to its large eyes with vertical pupils,” said Mr Gardner, who now lives in Australia.
“It is a nocturnal snake that lives in rocky areas. Hence, in the UAE it is restricted to the Hajjar Mountains.”
The cat snake is “rearfanged” and feeds on small geckos and birds.
“Rear-fanged snakes find it quite hard to engage the fangs on a large animal, such as a human leg or arm,” said Mr Gardner. “In my experience, these snakes are very reluctant to bite.
“While there is no documented evidence regarding the potency of the venom of this species, the venom is not considered harmful to humans.
“It does, however, have large venom glands and it should be treated with caution. There is always the possibility that someone might be allergic to the venom.”
Although the species is not endangered, the authors suggest it “may be uncommon” and is “deserving of listing on the UAE Red Data List of species of conservation concern”.
An adult cat snake is about 60 centimetres long and probably got its name from its distinctive facial features