SANBI

Rationale

The Woodland Thicket Rat is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution within the assessment region, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed stable population, and because its habitat is continuous with the rest of its African range. Rescue effects are possible and there are no major threats that could cause population decline at present. However, this species may comprise several cryptic species and ongoing taxonomic resolution will enable a more accurate reassessment.

Regional population effects: Possible through dispersal from Mozambique in Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park and northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Distribution

This species ranges from southern Ethiopia and southern Sudan, southwards through much of East Africa to the eastern parts of South Africa. It also ranges eastwards from Angola to Mozambique. Within the assessment region, Woodland Thicket Rats are present in northeastern Limpopo Province, widely in KwaZulu-Natal and southwestwards along the Eastern Cape coastline (Monadjem et al. 2015). Additionally, they are found in Swaziland around the Maguga Dam area, but to date the specimens sampled there are the only records of the species in Swaziland (Avenant & Kuyler 2002).

Habitat View more ecological information

Population trend

Trend

The Woodland Thicket Rat is a common species and has a continuous distribution within the assessment region. Furthermore, it can thrive in agricultural and urban areas, so we suspect the population is stable or increasing. However, this species often comprises only a small proportion of the small mammals surveyed at sites, for example 3.7% in Afromontane forests in KwaZulu-Natal (Wirminghaus & Perrin 1993) and 1.5% in sand forests in KwaZulu-Natal (Glencros et al. 2015). In Karkloof Forest, annual fluctuations in population abundance of G. dolichurus was lower than for terrestrial rodents, such as Rhabdomys pumilio, Mastomys natalensis and Myosorex varius (Wirminghaus & Perrin 1993). It had a low, but stable mean density of 1.1 animals / ha in an Afromontane forest of South Africa (Wirminghaus & Perrin 1993).

Threats

In view of the species adaptability, there are presumably no major threats. However, domestic cats may prey on this species in urban and agricultural areas.

Uses and trade

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

Conservation

This species occurs in several protected areas within the assessment region, for example Ndumo Game Reserve, uMkuze Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park. There are no specific conservation interventions necessary at present.

Recommendations for land managers and practitioners:

No specific management recommendations have been identified.

Research priorities:

Taxonomic resolution is necessary as this may comprise a species complex. Studies should aim to confirm the status of the northern population and whether that group represents the distinct species G. surdaster.

Encouraged citizen actions:

Landowners and city planners should conserve corridors of forest on their properties and/or in public spaces.
Report sightings on virtual museum platforms (for example, iSpot and MammalMAP), especially outside protected areas. However, due to morphological similarity and sympatric distributions in some parts, misidentification of this species with G. cometes is common.

References

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,]

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