Scientists have for the first time shed light on the illuminating ability of the UAE's desert-dwelling geckos to glow in the dark.
Three nocturnal species of the diminutive lizard, all common in sandy areas of the region, were found to have prominent skin fluorescence only previously seen in geckos in the sprawling Namib desert of Africa.
Researchers made the dazzling discovery during a field trip to a desert area of Sharjah in June 2022, and subsequently observed it in Al Ula in Saudi Arabia in April last year, in Nizwa, Oman, in May 2023, and in Sharjah, for a second time, in June.
The fluorescence is thought to enable the reptiles to see members of the same species, which may help the creatures mate with one another.
"One night we were looking with the UV light and we saw that actually these desert geckos were fluorescing. It was very surprising for us," Dr Bernat Burriel-Carranza, of the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona and the first author of the study, said.
"It was an extremely bright neon-green colouration, similar to the one that had already been reported in Namibian desert geckos.
"Once we saw that was happening, in the other expeditions we were trying to focus on this and to find these specimens."
Light up the night
Bright fluorescence, often around the eye and on the flanks, was seen in two species, the dune sand gecko (Stenodactylus doriae) and the Arabian web-footed sand gecko (Trigonodactylus arabicus), both of which inhabit very sandy environments with little vegetation.
The eastern sand gecko (S. leptocosymbotes) also showed fluorescence, albeit less prominently, around its eyes and on its flanks, while a fourth species, Slevin’s sand gecko (S. slevini), had just a small amount around its eye.
Among the other authors of the study, published in the Journal of Arid Environments, is Johannes Els, of the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, part of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority, in Sharjah.
The fluorescence can be seen by humans only if a UV lamp is shone on the animals, but is probably visible to geckos without UV illumination because their eyes detect light outside of the human visible spectrum.
Fluorescence has previously been observed in six gecko species, but only one of these, the nocturnal web-footed gecko, found in the Namib desert in Africa, fluoresces from its skin.
These animals in the Namib desert fluoresce around their eyes and on their lower flanks, probably so the creatures can spot one another, allowing them to mate or to lick water that has condensed on each other’s bodies, a useful way to hydrate in a desert.
The nocturnal web-footed gecko’s ability to fluoresce is thought to have evolved separately from that of the geckos in Arabia.
"It seems that this type of mechanism can be very useful to communicate in deserts because they have evolved this fluorescence independently," Dr Burriel-Carranza said.
Wary of predators
That the skin fluorescence is found on the lower parts of the geckos’ bodies may be so that it is less visible to potential predators.
"Predators might also see UV light, so this is probably why they have it underneath or on their sides only and not on their back," Prof Salvador Carranza, of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at CSIC-Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, the senior author of the study, said.
"There is a compromise between communication and also being attacked by other animals. Sometimes there is a trade-off."
If the animals are alarmed, they tend to press themselves against the ground and hide their flanks, indicating that the geckos are probably aware that these areas are more easily spotted by predators.
With some other geckos, the fluorescence comes from the bones, which show up because the animals’ skin is thin and translucent.
"It’s very clear when you see the bone is fluorescing, because you will see for example the ulna, the tibia, a specific bone," Dr Burriel-Carranza said.
Photographs taken as part of the latest study show, in addition to skin fluorescence, bone fluorescence in the tibia of the dune sand gecko.
While not confirmed from tissue studies, the geckos in Arabia that fluoresce from their skin are thought to do so thanks to iridophores, which are stacks of cells that give off light.
Prof Carranza said that the species in Arabia that have been found to fluoresce often live in remote desert areas that tend not to be developed.
They are classified, he said, as being of "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, indicating that they are not threatened. They are different to the house geckos familiar to many UAE residents.
"Some of the animals that appear in the paper, they are some of the most common night geckos in the deserts of Arabia. You can find them everywhere from Saudi Arabia to Oman to the UAE," Prof Carranza said.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
The specs: 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali
Price, base / as tested Dh207,846 / Dh220,000
Engine 6.2L V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque 624Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined 13.5L / 100km
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
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Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
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Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
Specs
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Jetour T1 specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
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Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
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
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
'The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure'
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Randomhouse
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs
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Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
MATCH INFO
New Zealand 176-8 (20 ovs)
England 155 (19.5 ovs)
New Zealand win by 21 runs
