Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: D Schlitter
Contributors: Nico Avenant Margaret Avery Rod Baxter Matthew Child Duncan MacFadyen Ara Monadjem Guy Palmer Claire Relton Peter Taylor Beryl Wilson
Reviewers: Graham Kerley

Rationale

Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution within the assessment region, presumed large population, and because there are no major threats that could cause population decline. It occurs in a number of protected areas as well as in agricultural landscapes. However, each of the peripheral subspecies, G. p. mulleri in extreme southwestern South Africa, G. p. exilis along the Indian Ocean coast and G. p. coombsi in extreme northeastern South Africa, is morphologically distinct from the centrally occurring nominate subspecies as well as other subspecies in adjacent parts of the species’ geographic range. An isolated population of G. p. exilis, which occurs in the dunefields of the northern shores of Algoa Bay, between the Swartkops River and Woody Cape, may especially warrant separate assessment. Although most of this subpopulation’s habitat is included in the Addo Elephant National Park, it may be threatened by property development in other parts of its range. Although not differing in terms of chromosome structure, this subpopulation may represent a new species pending molecular research. Once the taxonomy is resolved, this form may warrant separate assessment. 

Regional population effects: There is possible dispersal between Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. However, each of the three peripheral subspecies occurring in South Africa are isolated in unique habitats with no evidence of dispersal from the nominate subspecies in South Africa or those in neighbouring Zimbabwe, Botswana or Namibia. Populations of G. p. coombsi in northeastern South Africa seem to be isolated from each other and those in neighbouring Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Distribution

The Hairy-footed Gerbil is located across western and central southern Africa, from western and northern South Africa northwards throughout Namibia, marginally into southwestern Angola, through most of Botswana (absent from the extreme north), partially into western and southeastern Zimbabwe and into the southwestern parts of Mozambique (Skinner and Chimimba 2005). Substrate and vegetation cover are important factors determining distribution (Perrin and Dempster 2013). 

Although widespread in South Africa, three allopatric subspecies are distributed peripherally to the nominate subspecies. In the southwestern coastal region, Gerbilliscus paeba mulleri occurs from the vicinity of Eendekuil and Langebaan to Mitchell’s Plain on the Cape flats; G. p. exilis occurs along the south Indian Ocean coast from east of Witsand to the vicinity of Port Shepstone in suitable solidified coastal white sand dunes; while G. p. coombsi is found in sandveld habitat in the extreme northeast of South Africa. Additionally, a disjunct population, recognized as G. p. exilis, occurs in the coastal dunefields on the northern shores of Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape. This population is isolated from those in the hinterland by the thicket vegetation of the lower Sundays River valley. The broad hiatus between the distributions of the nominate subspecies, G. p. paeba, and the northeastern subspecies, G. p. coombsi, is valid. The region has been extensively sampled over the years and no records have been taken. The relationship between the distributions of the other two coastal subspecies and the nominate subspecies is unclear. Both of the former subspecies seem to be more of a habitat specific while the nominate subspecies is more habitat generalist. Interestingly, samples from nearly sympatric localities show no integration of morphological characters (D. Schlitter unpubl. data).

Population trend

Trend

A common and abundant species exhibiting population fluctuations, often dominating small mammal communities numerically. For example, they are the most common rodent in the Kalahari Desert, constituting 90% of the rodent community in sand dune habitats and 54% in riverbed habitats (see Perrin and Dempster 2013). However, only the nominate subspecies is common in suitable habitats, especially during years of population explosions. The three peripheral subspecies seem to occur in low numbers in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Population densities vary considerably: 5–32 individuals / ha were recorded at one site in the semiarid Karoo (Kerley 1992a), 1–9 individuals / ha for six sites across the southern Karoo (Kerley and Erasmus 1992), and 0.7–3.3 individuals / ha in the Alexandria Dunefield (Ascaray et al. 1991). One population collapsed during an El Niño-related drought in the Karoo (Kerley and Erasmus 1992), suggesting a vulnerability to predicted climate extremes under global change.

Threats

No major threats have been identified for this species. However, an observed local collapse of the population under an El Niño-related drought (Kerley and Erasmus 1992) suggests a vulnerability to predicted climate extremes under global change. 

The nominate subspecies seems to have no threats over its wide geographic range. However, the three peripheral subspecies are under a number of local threats: G. p. coombsi is threatened by habitat change mostly due to agricultural development and the need for both housing and small agricultural plots for the expanding local populations; G. p. exilis is confined to a narrow band of suitable coastal white sand dune habitat that is undergoing increasing housing and industrial developments all along the Indian Ocean coast; and G. p. mulleri is losing suitable habitat to expanding housing developments, especially informal housing in the Cape Town region, and agricultural and industrial development in the northern parts of its distribution, including irrigated monocultures.

Uses and trade

This species is not traded or utilised in any form and has not entered the international pet trade, nor is it utilised in traditional medicine.

Conservation

No direct interventions are necessary as this species can exist in agricultural landscapes and urban areas. Additionally, this species is present in many protected areas within the assessment region, including the Karoo, Tankwa Karoo, Namaqua, Richtersveld, Camdeboo, Augrabies Falls and Addo Elephant National Parks. The isolated population in the coastal dunefields of the Eastern Cape is well protected in the Addo Elephant National Park Woody Cape section, which comprises over 60% of the known range of this form and is thus critical for the conservation of the G. p. exilis subspecies. Gerbilliscus p. coombsi is present within both Kruger and Mapungubwe National Parks, and based on its distribution, it is possible that G. p. mulleri occurs within the West Coast National Park. However, continued taxonomic investigations are required to confirm the conservation status of these peripheral subspecies. These two subspecies are under threat from habitat loss due primarily to expanding agriculture and informal housing, especially in the Cape Town region. Protected area expansion and stewardship may be necessary for the subspecies once taxonomic and distributional limits are more clearly established.   

Recommendations for land managers and practitioners: No specific management plan is currently necessary. 

Research priorities: 
  • An extensive study of the distributions and local conditions of each of the three subspecies, so that the exact ranges and preferred habitats of each can be delineated. 
  • A study of the population ecology, numbers and reproduction of each subspecies so that a better understanding of the status of each subspecies is known and a better management strategy can be done after the amount of available and suitable habitat is known. 
  • Continued taxonomic research is necessary to discern whether the Eastern Cape subpopulation may represent a new species/subspecies. 
Encouraged citizen actions: 
  • Report sightings on virtual museum platforms (e.g., iSpot and MammalMAP), especially outside protected areas. 

References 

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,]
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