Smuggling attempt of Oman Spiny-tailed Lizard foiled at Muscat airport

Muscat: The Environment Authority, in cooperation with the Royal Oman Police and the Ministry of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources, has intercepted a violator at Muscat International Airport attempting to smuggle the Oman Spiny-tailed Lizard, one of the rarest and most endangered reptiles in the world.

The Oman Spiny-tailed Lizard is a unique species, with the Sultanate of Oman recognised as the only environment in the world that is home to it. The species is listed under the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), while Oman's law regulating trade in wildlife criminalises any harm to or trade in the animal.

Mousa Salem, a reptile and snake breeder, said the Oman Spiny-tailed Lizard is rare and found only in specific areas, noting that it is entirely different from the larger Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard that most people are familiar with. He described it as very small — roughly the size of a human palm — with a beautiful colour and a short, rounded tail. He added that demand for the species abroad is extremely high, with a single lizard fetching around 3,000 Omani rials in Europe and America.

The Environment Authority warned that harm to this animal could deprive the world of the species entirely, emphasising that poaching the Oman Spiny-tailed Lizard is a criminal offence under Omani law. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the violator intercepted at Muscat airport in accordance with applicable legislation.

The Authority called on all members of the public to abide by the laws and regulations governing the protection of wildlife and to refrain from trading in or harming protected species to avoid legal accountability.