Open image gallery
It appears to be restricted to forest patches (excluding the Matatiele subpopulation), most of which are small and isolated. The fragmented range within forest patches may also be fragmented and under threat from deforestation from coastal development, resulting in a continuing decline in habitat. However, the large extent of occurrence (EOO) of 46,666 km2, means that it is currently assessed as Least Concern.
Endemic to South Africa (Bates et al. 2014). Occurs in coastal northeastern KwaZulu-Natal Province, central-eastern KwaZulu-Natal and coastal Transkei, Eastern Cape Province (Broadley and Wallach 2009, Venter and Conradie 2015). Specimens from the Matatiele area (Bates et al. 2014) of inland Eastern Cape, were provisionally assigned to this species by Adalsteinsson et al. (2009) and this locality has now been included as part of the distribution. It may also occur in southern coastal Mozambique, but this needs to be confirmed.
Isolated in disjunction forest patches that are undergoing habitat transformation.
Although there is no direct information currently available, rapid decreases in sizes of forest patches suggest that populations of this species are also declining rapidly. There are apparently three isolated subpopulations (Broadley and Broadley 1999).
In KwaZulu-Natal Province, the species is restricted to a few indigenous forest patches along the coast, many of which are undergoing rapid transformation (CSIR 2008). There is little potential for dispersal between patches of suitable habitat. The two southern subpopulations occur in heavily transformed areas (Geo Terra 2015), although the northern subpopulation is found mainly within Protected Areas.
The range coincides with a number of protected areas. An investigation as to whether the isolated subpopulations are separate species is needed. If so, these will have small ranges and their conservation status should be re-evaluated.