Red List of South African Species

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

Rationale

Listed as Least Concern as the species is widespread, and, although no field surveys have been conducted recently in most areas of its range, it is thought to be fairly common in suitable habitat (especially in the northern parts of its range). Recently (2007 and 2014), it has been recorded from Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in the Northern Cape Province, significantly extending its known range westwards. There are not suspected to be any major threats as the species occupies inaccessible habitats not prone to transformation and there seems to be no reason to believe that the population is declining. More work is necessary to discern its distribution from other Graphiurus spp. and to vet museum specimens pertaining to both this species and Graphiurus rupicola.

Regional population effects: Possible immigration from areas where habitat is continuous into South Africa from Zimbabwe and Botswana, but the Swaziland subpopulation is isolated.

Distribution

This species is patchily distributed in the northeastern savannahs of southern Africa (Monadjem et al. 2015), and has been recorded from Zambia, southern Malawi, much of Zimbabwe, central Mozambique, eastern Botswana, northeastern South Africa and the highveld of Swaziland. It was previously thought to occur in central Botswana (de Graaff 1981), but the museum specimen was found to be G. microtis (Holden 2005).

Within the assessment region, the species has been recorded at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Northern Cape Province on two occasions in 2007 and 2014 (D. MacFadyen unpubl. data), which extends its range west. Similarly, in Limpopo Province, D. MacFadyen (unpubl. data) trapped two individuals at Musina Nature Reserve in the reserve accommodation. In North West Province, although museum records exist for the Magaliesberg and Witwatersberg regions, it was not recorded in a recent field survey despite much sampling effort in rocky habitats (Power 2014). They are suspected to occur in the Pilanesberg hills as the Norite Koppies Bushveld offers suitable habitat. It was not recorded from the Rocky Highveld Grasslands of Telperion Nature Reserve (Mpumalanga Province) or Ezemvelo Nature Reserve (Gauteng Province) (MacFadyen 2014).

Population trend

Trend

There is little information on population size and there are only c. 50 museum specimens for the species with usually only one or two specimens trapped at each locality suggesting that densities are not high even in suitable habitat (Holden 2013). However, it is probably more abundant in the northern part of its range than what current data reveal. For example, they are relatively common in Musina Nature Reserve, Limpopo Province (D. MacFadyen unpubl. data). It is apparently trap shy and difficult to capture (Rautenbach 1978).

Threats

There are unlikely to be any major threats to this species. They generally occur in rocky habitat unsuitable for agriculture and thus habitat is unlikely to decline. Increased mining of granite and the crushing of rock within its distribution range potentially has a negative impact on local subpopulations.

Uses and trade

This species is not known to be traded or utilised in any form. It has potential to be trafficked for the pet trade, but this is unconfirmed.

Conservation

This species has been recorded from several protected areas, including Musina Nature Reserve and, more recently, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve (D. MacFadyen unpubl. data). No specific conservation measures are currently necessary, but additional studies and surveys are needed to better determine the taxonomy, distribution, natural history and possible threats to this species. Furthermore, it is important to investigate how sensitive this species is to change in habitat: there are records of them living in buildings, thus this species could be a generalist. This species would benefit from the expansion of protected areas in the Limpopo Province, and continued regulation of mining practices throughout the northern regions of South Africa, ensuring that areas of suitable habitat are protected through provincial stewardship programmes.

Recommendations for land managers and practitioners:
  • Areas zoned for mining rock should include mining-free zones as corridors of suitable habitat to connect adjacent areas.
Research priorities:
  • Research into the impacts of the mining of granite and the crushing of rock on the population.
  • Field surveys to determine distribution range and area of occupancy.
  • Studies to determine the population densities across this species distribution range.
  • Determine the taxonomy, distribution, natural history and possible threats to this species.
  • Populations should be referenced to distinguish distribution maps and to discern genetic markers, and isolated subpopulations need to be assessed taxonomically.
Encouraged citizen actions:
  • Report sightings on virtual museum platforms (for example, iSpot and MammalMAP), especially outside protected areas.
  • Public pressure to curb granite mining and rock crushing within this species distribution range.

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}
}
,@book{1087,
 address = {Pretoria, South Africa},
 author = {Meester, J.A.J., Rautenbach, I.L., Dippenaar, N.J. and Baker, C.M.},
 publisher = {Transvaal Museum },
 title = {Classification of Southern African Mammals. Monograph number 5.},
 year = {1986}
}
,@inbook{1087,
 address = {Baltimore, MD, USA},
 author = {},
 booktitle = {Order Afrosoricida},
 editor = {Bronner, G.N. and Jenkins, P.D.},
 pages = {70--81},
 publisher = {The Johns Hopkins University Press},
 title = {Mammal Species of the World},
 year = {2005}
}
,@phdthesis{1087,
 author = {Rautenbach, I.L.},
 school = {University of Natal},
 title = {The mammals of the Transvaal},
 year = {1978}
}
,@techreport{5228,
 author = {Power, R.J.},
 institution = {Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation & Tourism, North West Provincial Government, Mahikeng},
 title = {The distribution and status of mammals in the North West Province},
 year = {2014}
}
,@book{14262,
 address = {Durban, South Africa},
 author = {De Graaff, G},
 publisher = {Butterworths},
 title = {The Rodents of Southern Africa},
 year = {1981}
}
,@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}
}
,@phdthesis{573,
 author = {MacFadyen DN},
 school = {University of Pretoria},
 title = {The dynamics of small mammal populations in Rocky Highveld Grassland, Telperion, South Africa},
 year = {2014}
}
,@book{3755,
 address = {Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia},
 author = {Ansell, W. F. H.},
 publisher = {The Government Printer},
 title = {Mammals of Northern Rhodesia},
 year = {1960}
}
,@book{9453,
 address = {Salisbury, Rhodesia},
 author = {Smithers, R.H.N. and Lobao-Tello, J.L.P.},
 publisher = {Trustees of the National Museums and Monuments of Rhodesia},
 title = {Check list and atlas of the mammals of Mozambique},
 year = {1976}
}
,@inbook{9485,
 address = {London, UK.},
 author = {Holden ME},
 booktitle = {<i>Graphiurus microtis</i> Noack’s African Dormouse},
 pages = {120–124 },
 publisher = {Bloomsbury Publishing},
 title = {Mammals of Africa. Volume III: Rodents, Hares and Rabbits.},
 year = {2013}
}
,]
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