Alternatively, Explore species
Open image gallery
This subspecies is distributed in isolated Afrotemperate and Afromontane forest patches from the Pirie Forest in the Eastern Cape Province north-eastwards through the midlands of the KwaZulu-Natal Province (South Africa) to the escarpment forests of Mpumalanga Province, and possibly Limpopo Province, as far north as the Soutpansberg, where they may be recognised as C. m. schwarzi or C. m. erythrarchus (Lawes 1990, Lawes et al. 2013). Genetically indistinguishable subpopulations have also been identified in the southern Indian Ocean coastal forests near East London and along the Wild Coast. The southern border between coastal subspecies erythrarchus and subspecies labiatus appears to be at the St. Lucia and Umfolozi systems (Lawes 1990, Dalton et al. 2015). It is estimated that the core area of occupancy for the species is approximately 870 km², as measured by area of intact forest patches.
There has been a reduction and fragmentation of the species range due to past logging practices, slash and burn agriculture and encroaching commercial forestry plantations (Lawes 1992, 2002; Lawes et al. 2000, 2004; Swart and Lawes 1993; Swart et al. 1996). Currently, 30% of suitably-sized forest patches are unoccupied, which may be due to dispersal limitation and/or forest condition (Lawes 2002). In the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, a stronghold of labiatus, forest extent since the 1940s has declined by 5% (Lawes et al. 2004).
This subspecies is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. The species is locally threatened by hunting for food, animal parts (used for traditional medicine) and to prevent damage to crops.
Samangos are protected in South Africa, but still persecuted for fruit-raiding by farmers and gardeners. Pelt and hands, and subcutaneous fat are used in traditional markets and for medicinal purposes, respectively.
Listed on Appendix II of CITES and on Class B of the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.