SANBI

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

Widespread and common, with no substantial threats.

Distribution

Occurs widely over the savannas of southern and eastern Africa (Broadley 1966, Bayless 2002, Bates et al. 2014). In South Africa it is absent from the western parts of the Western Cape and the central and western portions of the Northern Cape, although there is some evidence of recent range extension in the Northern Cape (Alexander and Marais 2007). It is also largely absent from Highveld Grassland in the central parts of South Africa. Some records from Lesotho (Ambrose 2006) and Eastern Cape (Visser 1984) require confirmation.

Habitat View more ecological information

Population trend

Trend

The population is stable and possibly expanding in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa (Alexander and Marais 2007).

Threats

Although used in the muthi market, this is unlikely to constitute a significant threat as the species is widely distributed and abundant.

Uses and trade

This species is legally traded with over 1,000 live animals reportedly exported from southern Africa since 2005 (Sinovas et al. 2016). Although further research is required, it is likely that a large number of these animals are utilized in the traditional medicine (muthi) market (Williams et al. 2016) and are not part of the CITES trade statistics.

Conservation

An assessment of the level of utilization for traditional medicine within South Africa would be useful.

References

[@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}
}
,@book{2817,
 address = {Cape Town},
 author = {Alexander, G.J. and Marais, J.},
 publisher = {Struik Publishers},
 title = {A Guide to Reptiles of Southern Africa},
 year = {2007}
}
,@book{5336,
 address = {Roma, Lesotho},
 author = {Ambrose, D.},
 publisher = {Mamhlongo Productions},
 title = {Lesotho Annotated Bibliography Section 166: Reptiles Including Annotated Checklist},
 year = {2006}
}
,@article{110159014,
 author = {Broadley, D.G. and Cotterill, F.P.D.},
 journal = {African Journal of Herpetology},
 number = {1},
 pages = {35--61},
 title = {The reptiles of southeast Katanga, an overlooked 'hot spot'},
 volume = {53},
 year = {2004}
}
,@article{110159014,
 author = {Broadley, D.G. and Howell, K.M.},
 journal = {Syntarsus},
 pages = {1--70},
 title = {A check list of the reptiles of Tanzania, with synoptic keys},
 volume = {1},
 year = {1991}
}
,@phdthesis{110159014,
 author = {Broadley, D.G.},
 school = {Ph.D. thesis, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa},
 title = {The Herpetology of South-East Africa},
 year = {1966}
}
,@article{198539,
 author = {Bayless, M.K.},
 journal = {Journal of Biogeography},
 pages = {1643--1701},
 title = {Monitor lizards: a pan-African check-list of their zoogeography (Sauria: Varanidae: Polydaedalus)},
 volume = {29},
 year = {2002}
}
,@article{198539,
 author = {Williams, V.L., Moshoeu, T.J. and Alexander G.J.},
 journal = {South African Journal of Science},
 number = {7-8},
 pages = {1--9},
 title = {Reptiles sold as traditional medicine in Xipamanine Market, Maputo, Mozambique, South Africa.},
 volume = {112},
 year = {2016}
}
,@book{198539,
 address = {Cambridge, UK},
 author = {Sinovas, P., Prince, B. King, E., Davis, F., Hinsley, A., Pavitt, A. and Pfab, M},
 publisher = {UNEP-WCMC},
 title = {Southern Africa’s wildlife trade: and analysis of CITES trade in SADC countries. Technical report prepared for the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)},
 year = {2016}
}
,]

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