Red List of South African Species

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Data Deficient (DD)
Assessors: Peter Taylor Claire Relton
Contributors: Nico Avenant Margaret Avery Rod Baxter Duncan MacFadyen Ara Monadjem Beryl Wilson Guy Palmer Luigi Boitani
Reviewers: Matthew Child

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

Thallomys shortridgei is listed as Data Deficient due to the lack of information detailing its taxonomic status, population trends, habitat requirements and current threats. This species may qualify for Vulnerable under the B criterion as its extent of occurrence is estimated to be <20,000 km2. Despite recent field surveys, there are no current occurrence data, which may be a cause for concern. It is recommended that further field surveys are conducted to verify the continued existence, geographical extent and validity of the species.

Distribution

Shortridge’s Rat has only been recorded in South Africa (Nel 2013), where it has been collected from the south bank of the Orange (Gariep) River in the Northern Cape. Their current recognized range extends from Upington westwards to Goodhouse (Skinner and Chimimba 2005, Nel 2013), but they have only been identified from a few dispersed localities (Monadjem et al. 2015). Although a degree of uncertainty remains, Thallomys shortridgei and T. nigricauda are considered by some to be allopatric, with distributions divided by the Orange River (Monadjem et al. 2015). 

Population trend

Trend

The population abundance of this species is unknown (Nel 2013). Despite intensive trapping effort in and around its identified localities, no specimens have been recently collected (N. Coetzee and P. Taylor unpubl. data).

Threats

Generally, no threats have been identified for this species. They are, however, limited to woodland areas, and thus continued illegal harvesting of tall trees for firewood or charcoal may be causing a decline in habitat quality and quantity. However, the areas in which this species occurs may suffer less woodland loss than more densely populated parts of the country. Additionally, drought and alterations in the rainfall regime due to climate change, threatens to alter the community structure of vegetation by favouring short-lived species over perennial plants (Milton et al. 1995), which again may threaten the habitat availability of this arboreal species.

Uses and trade

This species is not known to be traded or utilised in any form. 

Conservation

No specific conservation interventions have been established for Thallomys shortridgei, and their presence within protected areas is unknown. Further field studies to locate additional populations are required both within its documented range, as well as within potential regions exhibiting a suitable habitat type outside of its recorded range. Additionally research into the ecology, life history traits, current threats and population dynamics are necessary in order to determine relevant and effective conservation initiatives. 

Recommendations for land managers and practitioners:
Systematic surveys needed to locate populations and gather information on population size, trend and distribution. 

References 

[@book{275,
 address = {Cambridge},
 author = {Skinner, J.D. and Chimimba, C.T.},
 publisher = {Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom},
 title = {The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion},
 year = {2005}
}
,@inbook{2620,
 address = {Durban, Pretoria, South Africa},
 author = {de Graaff, G.},
 booktitle = {The Rodents of Southern Africa: Notes on their Identification, Distribution, Ecology, and Taxonomy},
 publisher = {Butterworths},
 title = {The Rodents of Southern Africa: Notes on their Identification, Distribution, Ecology, and Taxonomy},
 year = {1981}
}
,@electronic{3326,
 address = {www.iucnredlist.org},
 author = {IUCN},
 title = {The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2019-1},
 year = {2019}
}
,@book{4768,
 address = {London, UK},
 author = {Ellerman, J.R., Morrison-Scott, T.C.S. and Hayman, R.W.},
 publisher = {British Museum (Natural History)},
 title = {Southern African Mammals 1758 to 1951: A Reclassification},
 year = {1953}
}
,@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}
}
,@book{14262,
 address = {Berlin, Germany},
 author = {Monadjem, A., Taylor, P.J., Denys, C. and Cotterill, F.P.D.},
 publisher = {De Gruyter},
 title = {Rodents of Sub-Saharan Africa: A Biogeographic and Taxonomic Synthesis. },
 year = {2015}
}
,@article{21693,
 author = {Bronner, G.N., Hoffman, M., Taylor, P.J., Chimimba, C.T., Best, P.B., Matthee, C.A. and Robinson, T.J.},
 journal = {Durban Museum Novitates},
 pages = {56--106},
 title = {A revised systematic checklist of the extant mammals of the southern African subregion},
 volume = {28},
 year = {2003}
}
,@article{21693,
 author = {Taylor, P. J., Rautenbach, I. L., Gordon, D., Sink, K. and Lotter, P.},
 journal = {Durban Museum Novitates},
 pages = {49--62},
 title = {Diagnostic morphometrics and southern African distribution of two sibling species of tree rat, <i>Thallomys paedulcus</i> and <i>Thallomys nigricauda</i> (Rodentia: Muridae)},
 volume = {20},
 year = {1995}
}
,@article{21693,
 author = {Thomas, O. and Hinton, M.A.C.},
 journal = {Proceedings of the General Meetings for Scientific Business of the Zoological Society of London},
 pages = {483--499},
 title = {On mammals collected by Captain Shortridge during the Percy Sladen and Kaffrarian Museum Expeditions to the Orange River},
 volume = {1923},
 year = {1923}
}
,@book{21693,
 address = {London, UK},
 author = {Ellerman, J.R., Morrison-Scott, T.C.S. and Hayman, R.W.},
 publisher = {Trustees of the British Museum (Nat. Hist.)},
 title = {Southern African Mammals 1758-1951: A reclassification},
 year = {1953}
}
,@book{21693,
 address = {Berlin, Germany},
 author = {Monadjem, A., Taylor, P.J., Denys, C. and Cotterill, F.P.D.},
 publisher = {De Gruyter},
 title = {Rodents of sub-Saharan Africa: a biogeographic and taxonomic synthesis},
 year = {2015}
}
,@article{21693,
 author = {Milton, S.J., Dean, W.R.J, Marincowitz, C.P. and Kerley, G.I.H.},
 journal = {South African Journal of Science},
 pages = {78–84},
 title = {Effects of the 1990/91 drought on rangeland in the Steytlerville Karoo},
 volume = {91},
 year = {1995}
}
,@inbook{21693,
 address = {London},
 author = {},
 booktitle = {<i>Thallomys shortridgei</i> Shortridge’s Acacia Rat (Shortridge’s Thallomys)},
 editor = {Nel, J.A.J.},
 pages = {562–563},
 publisher = {Bloomsbury Publishing},
 title = {Mammals of Africa. Volume III: Rodents, Hares and Rabbits},
 year = {2013}
}
,]
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