Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Gary Bronner
Reviewers: Nigel Bennett Andrew Taylor

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

A relatively widespread species that coexists and often thrives in close proximity to humans, provided that habitat disturbance is not too great; much of its range coincides with mountains where human influence on habitats is not substantial, so population decline is unlikely. The species is thus assessed as Least Concern.

Distribution

This species occurs in South Africa and Lesotho. Restricted to montane habitats from Beaufort West and Sutherland in Western Cape north-eastwards to the Drakenberg mountains of Eastern Cape, western KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mpumalanga, and the Maluti Mountains of Lesotho and western Free State. Distributional limits of the four subspecies are unclear owing to poor geographic sampling, but their known ranges are separated by seemingly inhospitable habitat suggesting that they may be geographically isolated (Bronner 1995).

Population trend

Trend

The species is locally abundant, but no quantitative data are available.

Threats

No known major threats. Habitat modification as a result of agricultural practices and urbanization may impact on some subpopulations, but given the widespread distribution of this species and its ability to survive in mildly-transformed habitats, these are considered to be low impact threats.

Conservation

Recorded from the UKhahlamba/Drakensberg Park (KwaZulu-Natal), Karoo National Park (Western Cape), Golden Gate National Park (Free State) as well as the Lesotho National Park. The species is not thought to be threatened by human actions.

References 

[@inbook{1087,
 address = {Baltimore, MD, USA},
 author = {},
 booktitle = {Order Afrosoricida},
 editor = {Bronner, G.N. and Jenkins, P.D.},
 pages = {70--81},
 publisher = {The Johns Hopkins University Press},
 title = {Mammal Species of the World},
 year = {2005}
}
,@article{1087,
 author = {Petter, F.},
 journal = {Mammalia},
 pages = {49–53},
 title = {Remarques sur la systématique des Chrysochloridés},
 volume = {45},
 year = {1981}
}
,@phdthesis{1087,
 author = {Bronner, G.N.},
 school = {University of Natal},
 title = {Systematic revision of the golden mole genera <i>Amblysomus</i>, <i>Chlorotalpa</i> and <i>Calcochloris</i> (Insectivora: Chrysochloromorpha; Chrysochloridae)},
 year = {1995}
}
,@electronic{1087,
 address = {http://www.afrotheria.net/index.php},
 author = {Afrotheria Specialist Group},
 title = {Specialist Group website},
 year = {2014}
}
,@techreport{1087,
 address = {Gland, Switzerland},
 author = {Nicoll, M.E. and Rathbun, G.B.},
 institution = {IUCN},
 title = {African Insectivora and elephant-shrews: An action plan for their conservation. IUCN/SSC Insectivore, Tree-Shrew and Elephant-Shrew Specialist Group},
 year = {1990}
}
,@inbook{1087,
 address = {London},
 author = {},
 booktitle = {<i>Neamblysomus gunningi</i>},
 editor = {Bronner, G.N.},
 pages = {239--240},
 publisher = {Bloomsbury Publishing},
 title = {Mammals of Africa, Volume I: Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria},
 year = {2013}
}
,@electronic{1087,
 address = {www.iucnredlist.org},
 author = {IUCN},
 title = {The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.2},
 year = {2015}
}
,@article{4766,
 author = {Broom, R.},
 title = {A contribution to the knowledge of the Cape golden moles.},
 year = {1907}
}
,]
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