Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Margaretha Hofmeyr Ernst Baard
Reviewers: Graham Alexander Adriaan Jordaan Jody Taft

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

Widespread and common in some areas.

Distribution

Stigmochelys pardalis occurs widely through the savanna and scrubland of eastern and southern Africa. The species occurs in all South African provinces and Eswatini (Swaziland), but is absent from large areas in the eastern (e.g., Lesotho) and western regions of South Africa. Greig and Burdett (1976) proposed that humans exterminated S. pardalis in the east and in the Cape coastal region. Branch et al. (1995), however, argued that the species may never have occurred there because tortoise bones are rare at archaeological sites in the eastern region, and it is absent from archaeological sites along the southwestern coast where the remains of Chersina angulata are common (Klein and Cruz-Uribe 2000, Halkett et al. 2003, Avery et al. 2004). Isolated records of S. pardalis in western South Africa are also problematic. Some herpetologists believe that these populations have been introduced, but S. pardalis occurred along the western region for at least the past 200 years. The French naturalist, Pierre Delalande, collected specimens from the Olifants River between 1818 and 1820 (Loveridge and Williams 1957). More research is required to establish which populations are natural or introduced.

Population trend

Trend

Boycott and Bourquin (2000) consider this species to have low densities over its range in South Africa. A study in the Thicket Biome of the Eastern Cape in South Africa found a density of 0.85 tortoises per hectare (Mason et al. 2000a). A population estimate of 57.6 ± 4.0 tortoises in a 5500 ha area was obtained in a study done in the semi-arid Nama-Karoo, South Africa, which reflects a lower density than populations in more mesic areas (McMaster and Downs 2006). Overall, there is no evidence of range contractions or local extinctions (Branch 2008).

Threats

Habitat degradation, the pet trade and subsistence. In some regions, farmers kill these tortoises because they are believed to carry disease.

Uses and trade

Animals are kept as pets and used in trade.

Conservation

This species is listed in Appendix II of CITES as of 1975. In South Africa, it is protected by provincial nature conservation ordinances and biodiversity laws at regional level, which differ among the nine Provinces.

References 

[@book{10241,
 address = {Hilton, South Africa},
 author = {Boycott, R.C. and Bourquin, O.},
 publisher = {O. Borquin},
 title = {The Southern African Tortoise Book: A Guide to Southern African Tortoises, Terrapins and Turtles},
 year = {2000}
}
,@book{11004,
 address = {Cape Town},
 author = {Branch, W.R.},
 publisher = {Struik Publishers},
 title = {Tortoises, Terrapins and Turtles of Africa},
 year = {2008}
}
,@article{11004,
 author = {TTWG [Turtle Taxonomy Working Group: van Dijk, P.P., Iverson, J.B., Rhodin, A.G.J., Shaffer, H.B. and Bour, R.]},
 journal = {Chelonian Research Monographs},
 number = {7},
 pages = {000.329--479, doi:10.3854/crm.5.000.checklist.v7.2014},
 title = {Turtles of the world, 7th edition: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution with maps, and conservation status},
 volume = {5},
 year = {2014}
}
,@article{11004,
 author = {Loveridge, A. and Williams, E.E.},
 journal = {Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard},
 pages = {161--557},
 title = {Revision of the African tortoises and turtles of the suborder Cryptodira},
 volume = {115},
 year = {1957}
}
,@article{170521,
 author = {Greig, J.C. and Burdett, P.D.},
 journal = {Zoologica Africana},
 number = {2},
 pages = {249--273},
 title = {Patterns in the distribution of southern African terrestrial tortoises (Cryptodira: Testudinidae)},
 volume = {11},
 year = {1976}
}
,@article{170524,
 author = {Branch, W.R., Benn, G.A. and Lombard, A.T.},
 journal = {South African Journal of Zoology},
 pages = {91--102},
 title = {The tortoises (Testudinidae) and terrapins (Pelomedusidae) of southern Africa: Their diversity, distribution and conservation},
 volume = {30},
 year = {1995}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Vetter, H.},
 title = {Turtles of the World: Vol. 1. Africa, Europe, and Western Asia},
 year = {2002}
}
,@inbook{163449,
 address = {Gland, Switzerland},
 author = {},
 booktitle = {<i>Geochelone pardalis</i>},
 editor = {Broadley, D.G.},
 pages = {43--46},
 publisher = {IUCN},
 title = {The Conservation Biology of Tortoises. Occasional Papers of the IUCN Species Survival Commission},
 year = {1989}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Busson, F. and Loehr, V.J.T.},
 journal = {African Herp News},
 pages = {12--13},
 title = {Reptilia: Chelonia: Testudinidae <i>Stigmochelys pardalis</i> (Bell 1828), Leopard Tortoise. Diet},
 volume = {54},
 year = {2011}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Fritz, U., Daniels, S.R., Hofmeyr, M.D., Gonzalez, J., Barrio-Amoros, C.L., Siroky, P., Hundsdorfer, A.K. and Stuckas, H.},
 journal = {Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research},
 number = {4},
 pages = {348--359},
 title = {Mitochondrial phylogeography and subspecies of the wide-ranging sub-Saharan leopard tortoise <i>Stigmochelys pardalis</i> (Testudines: Testudinidae) - a case study for the pitfalls of pseudogenes and GenBank sequences},
 volume = {48},
 year = {2010}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Hanssen, L. and Cunningham, P.},
 journal = {African Herp News },
 pages = {10--11},
 title = {Testudinidae <i>Stigmochelys pardalis</i> Bell, 1928 Leopard tortoise predation},
 volume = {57},
 year = {2012}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Le, M., Raxworthy, C.J., McCord, W.P. and Mertz, L. },
 journal = {MPE - Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution},
 pages = {517–531},
 title = {A molecular phylogeny of tortoises (Testudines: Testudinidae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear genes},
 volume = {40},
 year = {2006}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {McMaster, M.K. and Downs, C.T.},
 journal = {Journal of Herpetology},
 number = {4},
 pages = {495--505},
 title = {Population structure and density of Leopard Tortoises (<i>Geochelone pardalis</i>) on farmland in the Nama-Karoo},
 volume = {40},
 year = {2006}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Milton, S.J.},
 journal = {South African Journal of Zoology},
 pages = {45--49},
 title = {Plants eaten and dispersed by adult leopard tortoises <i>Geochelone pardalis</i> (Reptilia: Chelonii) in the southern Karoo},
 volume = {27},
 year = {1992}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Rall, M. and Fairall, N},
 journal = {South African Journal of Wildlife Research },
 number = {3},
 pages = {63--70},
 title = {Diets and food preferences of 2 South-African tortoises <i>Geochelone pardalis</i> and <i>Psammobates oculifer</i>},
 volume = {23},
 year = {1993}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Gerlach, J.},
 journal = {Phelsuma},
 number = {Suppl. A},
 pages = {1--24},
 title = {Tortoise phylogeny and the ‘<i>Geochelone</i>’ problem},
 volume = {9 },
 year = {2001}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Klein, R.G. and Cruz-Uribe, K.},
 journal = {Journal of Human Evolution},
 pages = {169--195},
 title = {Middle and Later Stone Age large mammal and tortoise remains from Die Kelders Cave 1, Western Cape Province, South Africa},
 volume = {38},
 year = {2000}
}
,@inbook{163449,
 address = {Portugal},
 author = {},
 booktitle = {Classification of veldfire risk in South Africa for the administration of the legislation regarding fire management},
 editor = {Kruger, F.J., Forsyth, G.G., Kruger, L.M., Slater, K., Le Maitre, D.C. and Matshate, J.},
 publisher = {Figuiera da Foz},
 title = {Fifth International Conference on Forest Fire Research, 27 to 20 November 2006.},
 year = {2006}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Halkett, D., Hart, T., Yates, R., Volman, T.P., Parkington, J.E., Orton, J.D.J, Klein, R.G., Cruz-Uribe, K. and Avery, G.},
 journal = {Journal of Archaeological Science},
 pages = {955--971},
 title = {First excavation of intact Middle Stone Age layers at Ysterfontein, Western Cape Province, South Africa: Implications for Middle Stone Age ecology},
 volume = {30},
 year = {2003}
}
,@inbook{163449,
 address = {Antibes, France},
 author = {},
 booktitle = {Tortoises as food and taphonomic elements in palaeo “landscapes”},
 editor = {Avery, G., Kandel, A.W., Klein, R.G., Conard, N.J. and Cruz-Uribe, K.},
 pages = {147--161},
 publisher = {Association Pour la Promotion et la Diffusion des Connaissances Arch&eacute;ologiques (APDCA)},
 title = {Petits Animaux et Sociétés Humaines: Du complement Alimentaire aux Resources Utilitaires},
 year = {2004}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Lapparent de Broin, F. },
 journal = {Palaeontologica Africa},
 pages = {43--82},
 title = {African chelonians from the Jurassic to the present: phases of development and preliminary catalogue of the fossil record},
 volume = {36},
 year = {2000}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Fritz, U. and Bininda-Emonds, O.R.P. },
 journal = {Zoology },
 pages = {298--307},
 title = {When genes meet nomenclature: tortoise phylogeny and the shifting generic concepts of <i>Testudo</i> and <i>Geochelone</i>},
 volume = {110},
 year = {2007}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Mason, M.C., Kerley, G.I.H., Weatherby, C.A. and Branch, W.R.},
 journal = {African Journal of Ecology},
 pages = {147--153},
 title = {Angulate and leopard tortoises in the Thicket Biome, Eastern Cape, South Africa: populations and biomass estimates},
 volume = {38},
 year = {2000}
}
,@article{163449,
 author = {Mason, M.C., Kerley, G.I.H., Weatherby, CA. and Branch, W.R.},
 journal = {Chelonian Conservation and Biology},
 pages = {435--440},
 title = {Leopard tortoises (<i>Geochelone pardalis</i>) in Valley Bushveld, Eastern Cape, South Africa: specialist or generalist herbivores?},
 volume = {3},
 year = {2000}
}
,]
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