Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Krystal A Tolley Michael Bates Michael Cunningham Andrew Turner
Contributors: Josh Weeber
Facilitators: Graham Alexander
Reviewers: M.D. Hofmeyr John Measey Alex Rebelo Nicolas Telford

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

The threats to this species habitat are minimal, it is locally abundant with a large extent of occurrence (21,415 km2) and there is no indication of declines at present. This species is therefore considered Least Concern.

Distribution

Largely restricted to the Maloti-Drakensberg mountain range of Lesotho and the South African provinces of Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape (Bates et al. 2014). It extends from near Clarens in the Free State southwards to the vicinity of Rhodes in the Eastern Cape (Bates 1996, Bates et al. 2014). There appears to be altitudinal separation between Tropidosaura essexi (altitudinal range 2,392 to 3,337 m a.s.l.) and the morphologically similar T. montana natalensis, which occurs at lower elevations.

Population trend

Trend

There is no quantitative information on population trends for this species, but it is inferred to be stable at present as it widespread and appears to be locally abundant (Bates et al. 2014).

Threats

There is a general a decline in the quality of habitat as a result of grazing by livestock rather than direct land transformation within the species range, as well as frequent anthropogenic fires for agricultural purposes in some areas. Climate change (warming) may reduce available habitat to this species because its opportunity for compensatory migration is limited. Because the species appears to be locally abundant, it is probably at low risk from these threats.

Uses and trade

There is no known trade in this species.

Conservation

Occurs in some protected areas. No conservation actions are recommended.

References 

[@electronic{181632,
 address = {www.iucnredlist.org},
 author = {IUCN},
 title = {The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2018-2},
 year = {2018}
}
,@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}
}
,@book{2817,
 address = {Cape Town},
 author = {Branch, W.R.},
 publisher = {Struik Publishers},
 title = {Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Second Edition},
 year = {1998}
}
,@article{5336,
 author = {Bourquin, O.},
 journal = {Durban Museum Novitates},
 pages = {57--103},
 title = {Reptiles (Reptilia) in KwaZulu-Natal: 1 - diversity and distribution},
 volume = {29},
 year = {2004}
}
,@article{174109,
 author = {Bates, M.F.},
 journal = {Navorsinge van de Nasionale Museum Bloemfontein},
 number = {1},
 pages = {1--47},
 title = {New reptile distribution records for the Free State Province of South Africa},
 volume = {12},
 year = {1996}
}
,@article{178302,
 author = {Hewitt, J.},
 journal = {Records of the Albany Museum},
 pages = {371--415},
 title = {Further descriptions of reptiles and batrachians from South Africa},
 volume = {3},
 year = {1927}
}
,@article{178302,
 author = {Engleder, A., Haring, E., Kirchhof, S. and Mayer, W. },
 journal = {Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research},
 number = {1},
 pages = {1--12},
 title = {Multiple nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences provide new insight into the phylogeny of South African Lacertids (Lacertidae, Eremiadinae)},
 volume = {51},
 year = {2013}
}
,]
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