SANBI

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

Homopus femoralis is assessed as Least Concern since it is widespread and relatively common in some areas. However, the situation may change in the future since its prime habitat, grassland, is considered the most threatened biome in all climate change scenarios. The conservation status of the southwestern lineage of the species may need to be re-assessed pending results of an ongoing phylogeographic evaluation. The species was previously assessed in 2013 (and published in 2017) as Least Concern.

Distribution

Homopus femoralis is endemic to South Africa. It occurs mainly in the western Free State and the northwestern part of the Eastern Cape. It has a peripheral presence in the Northern and Western Cape Provinces and the North West Province. From the Koueveldberge in the east, the distribution extends along the Onder-sneeuberge and Nuweveldberge of the escarpment to Sutherland in the west. The northern range extends westwards to Postmasburg in the Northern Cape. No records have yet been reported from Lesotho.

Habitat View more ecological information

Population trend

Trend

Populations of Homopus femoralis are largely continuous over the Eastern Cape and southern Free State, but disjunct populations occur along the Karoo escarpment in the southwest and in the northeastern part of the Northern Cape (Branch 2008, Driver et al. 2012, Bates et al. 2014). The species is widespread and relatively common in some regions.

Threats

High road mortality for Homopus femoralis has been reported in some regions (Loehr 2012c). To date, the impact of habitat degradation is relatively low over the species’ range, but the Grassland Biome is at greatest risk of significant change under all climate change scenarios (Driver et al. 2012). Such changes may hold serious consequences for the species' survival.

Conservation

Homopus femoralis has been listed on Appendix II of CITES since 1975, regulating international commercial trade. In South Africa, provincial nature conservation ordinances and biodiversity laws at regional level protect it. The species occurs in several national parks, e.g., Karoo NP, Mountain Zebra NP, and Camdeboo NP, as well as in a few nature reserves, e.g., Commando Drift NR. There is a small-scale captive breeding programme in Europe under the auspices of the Homopus Research Foundation, but no specific conservation measures are required at this time.

References

[@electronic{181632,
 address = {www.iucnredlist.org},
 author = {IUCN},
 title = {The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2018-2},
 year = {2018}
}
,@techreport{5228,
 address = {Pretoria, South Africa},
 author = {Driver, A., Sink, K.J., Nel, J.N., Holness, S., Van Niekerk, L., Daniels, F., Jonas, Z., Majiedt, P.A., Harris, L. and Maze, K.},
 institution = {South African National Biodiversity Institute and Department of Environmental Affairs},
 title = {National Biodiversity Assessment 2011: An assessment of South Africa’s biodiversity and ecosystems. Synthesis Report},
 year = {2012}
}
,@book{612,
 address = {Pretoria},
 author = {Bates, M.F., Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M., Burger, M., Marais, J., Alexander, G.J. and de Villiers, M.S.},
 publisher = {Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute},
 title = {Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland},
 year = {2014}
}
,@article{10241,
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 journal = {Zoologica Scripta},
 pages = {389--400},
 title = {Tortoise (Reptilia, Testudinidae) radiations in southern Africa from the Eocene to present},
 volume = {46},
 year = {2017}
}
,@inbook{10241,
 author = {Rhodin  and Iverson  and Dijk  and Saumure  and Buhlmann  and Pritchard  and Mittermeier },
 booktitle = {Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (8th Ed.)},
 editor = {TTWG (Turtle Taxonomy Working Group: Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., Bour, R. Fritz, U., Georges, A., Shaffer, H.B. and van Dijk, P.P.)},
 pages = {1--292},
 publisher = {Chelonian Research Monographs},
 title = {Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group},
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}
,@book{11004,
 address = {Cape Town},
 author = {Branch, W.R.},
 publisher = {Struik Publishers},
 title = {Tortoises, Terrapins and Turtles of Africa},
 year = {2008}
}
,@article{170522,
 author = {Loehr, V.J.T.},
 journal = {Radiata },
 pages = {23–32},
 title = {The greater padloper (<i>Homopus femoralis</i>) in captivity: an assessment of husbandry feasibility},
 volume = {18},
 year = {2009}
}
,@article{170522,
 author = {Loehr, V.J.T. },
 journal = {African Herp News},
 pages = {9--10},
 title = {<i>Homopus femoralis</i> Boulenger, 1888: Diet},
 volume = {57},
 year = {2012}
}
,@article{170522,
 author = {Loehr, V.J.T.},
 journal = {African Zoology },
 pages = {294--300},
 title = {Activity of the greater padloper, <i>Homopus femoralis</i> (Testudinidae) in relation to rain},
 volume = {47},
 year = {2012}
}
,@article{170522,
 author = {Loehr, V.J.T. },
 journal = {Chelonian Conservation and Biology},
 pages = {226–229},
 title = {Road mortality in the greater padloper, <i>Homopus femoralis</i> (Testudinidae)},
 volume = {11},
 year = {2012}
}
,@article{170522,
 author = {Loehr, V.J.T. },
 journal = {Herpetological Review },
 pages = {304--305},
 title = {<i>Homopus femoralis</i> (Greater Padloper). Reproduction},
 volume = {44},
 year = {2013}
}
,@article{170522,
 author = {Boulenger, G.A.},
 journal = {Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London},
 pages = {251},
 title = {Description of a new land-tortoise from South Africa, from a specimen living in the Society’s Gardens},
 volume = {1888},
 year = {1888}
}
,]

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