Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Reviewers: Giovanni Amori

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

Listed as Least Concern because it has a relatively wide distribution including a few protected areas, a presumed large population, and its population is not believed to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

Distribution

This species is endemic to South Africa. It is known from two disjunct populations, one in the southwest, and one in the south-central region. It has been reported as occurring in Lesotho but this appears to have been a misidentification.

Population trend

Trend

The population size is not known. Recent collecting efforts suggest that the eastern subspecies may be rare, and may be hybridizing with O. irroratus, however, further genetic and chromosomal research is needed to determine the taxonomic status of the type populations.

Threats

There are no major threats known, although hybridization may be a problem for the eastern subspecies.

Conservation

Further surveys, monitoring of the population, and genetic and taxonomic research for this species is recommended. Its range includes a few protected areas.

References 

[@article{275,
 author = {Pacifici, M., Santini, L., Di Marco, M., Baisero, D., Francucci, L., Grottolo Marasini, G., Visconti, P. and Rondinini, C.},
 journal = {Nature Conservation},
 pages = {87–94},
 title = {Generation length for mammals},
 volume = {5},
 year = {2013}
}
,@inbook{7136,
 address = {Cambridge, UK},
 author = {},
 booktitle = {Macroscelidea},
 editor = {Rathbun, G.B. (subeditor)},
 pages = {22--34},
 publisher = {Cambridge University Press},
 title = {The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion, 3rd edition},
 year = {2005}
}
,@inbook{13974,
 address = {Baltimore, USA},
 author = {},
 booktitle = {Superfamily Muroidea},
 editor = {Musser, G.G. and Carleton, M.D.},
 pages = {894--1531},
 publisher = {The John Hopkins University Press},
 title = {Mammal Species of the World: a geographic and taxonomic reference},
 year = {2005}
}
,@electronic{13974,
 address = {www.iucnredlist.org},
 author = {IUCN},
 title = {The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2016-2},
 year = {2016}
}
,@article{15658,
 author = {Taylor, P.J., Meester, J. and Kearney, T.},
 journal = {Journal of African Zoology},
 pages = {571--596},
 title = {The taxonomic status of Saunders' vlei rat, <i>Otomys saundersiae</i> Roberts (Rodentia: Muridae: Otomyinae)},
 volume = {107},
 year = {1993}
}
,]
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