Open image gallery
Widespread and probably more common than literature and maps suggest, owing to its shy nature and habit of retreating rapidly to its burrow when approached. The majority of its distribution has minimal impacts from anthropogenic habitat transformation. The species is therefore considered Least Concern.
Endemic to the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape provinces, South Africa. Found along the west coast from the Richtersveld in the north to the southern Cape coast at De Hoop Nature Reserve near Bredasdorp (Bates et al. 2014), east to Kammanassieberg and along the inland escarpment to Karoo National Park at Beaufort West and Karoo Nature Reserve at Graaff Reinet and near Glenmore between Port Elizabeth and East London. It may also occur in southern Namibia (Griffin 2003). When it was assessed by McLachlan (1988) it was known from only localities: six in Namaqualand, three in the southwestern Cape and three in the central Nama-Karoo. It has been recorded only sporadically from the Great Karoo but this region is poorly sampled (Loveridge 1942, McLachlan 1988, Branch and Bauer 1995). Recent surveys (2016-2017) in the Great Karoo have added new records for this species (Tolley et al. unpub. data 2018) which have allowed for a more improved estimate of its distribution.
The species is considered to be stable, given that it is widespread in an area with little anthropogenic impact.
Habitat alternation accounts for only a tiny portion of the total range, and many areas are virtually uninhabited by humans. So there are no tangible threats for this species.
I.it occurs in many protected areas across its wide range. Improved survey data to better define the range extent would be useful.