As the last few months of cool weather wrap up in the UAE, desert camping is still one of the top activities for residents, but trekkers are being warned about the risk of encountering venomous snakes, spider, and scorpions.
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Faateh Ahmad, 31, is part of Dubai Offroaders, a group of off-road enthusiasts that spend weekend adventures in the sand and valley.
“We have a trip every Saturday afternoon and we have been organizing them since 2008. So every weekend basically,” he said.
“The dangerous species I would recommend people to be cautious of are Deathstalker scorpions, they are small and yellow and highly poisonous. The other species of scorpions Androctonus crassicauda, that are much bigger and black in color, may seem scarier but are not so poisonous.”
Ahmad said the two types species are in great numbers in Dubai, especially around al-Qudra, and in Sharjah, near Badayer and Tawi Nazwa.
“In Ras al-Khaimah and Umm al-Quwain, people need to be cautious of various species of vipers, specifically the Horned Viper,” he said.
“I, unfortunately, have come across all these species. I had my first encounter with a viper when I was just nine-years-old, I was terrified.”
According to Ahmad, these species “don’t bother you unless you step on them accidentally, even the scorpions. But they attack you if they feel threatened.”
The UAE has 13 native species of snakes, but the four viper species are most concerning.
Residents should seek medical help if bitten by one of these.
The Arabian horned viper (Cerastes gasperettii) – also known as the sand viper – is common in sandy habitats, even those with the lowest rainfall, between sea level and 400 meters elevation.
The Sindh saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus sochureki) lives in higher-rainfall areas in sandy and gravel bed habitats north of the UAE capital Abu Dhabi up into Ras al-Khaimah, and in a narrow strip along the east coast.
The Persian horned viper (Pseudocerastes persicus) lives in the Hajar Mountains from sea level up to 1,400 meters.
Of the UAE’s many scorpion species, there are two that people are most likely to encounter.
The Arabian thick-tailed scorpion (Androctonus crassicauda), which is found in the sandy deserts and the Hottentotta jayakari, which is more abundant and typically located in mountainous areas, sometimes found under stones.
Both are nocturnal, so are active at night and seek shelter during the day.
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