Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Bryan Maritz
Contributors: Michael Bates Neil Cox Josh Weeber
Facilitators: Graham Alexander Krystal A Tolley Ranmali De Silva Harriet Milligan Oliver Wearn Sally Wren Tara Zamin Jennifer Sears Penny Wilson Sarah Lewis Paul Lintott Gary Powney
Reviewers: Michael Bates Juan-Jacques Forgus Krystal A Tolley Luke Verburgt

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

Widespread and common in suitable habitat hence is assessed as Least Concern.

Distribution

Endemic to southern Africa (Bates et al. 2014). Widespread in South Africa, inhabiting suitable habitat in all provinces but absent from most of the Northern Cape Province (Bates et al. 2014). Records extend from the Cape Peninsula through the Western and Eastern Cape provinces, KwaZulu-Natal Province, western Lesotho, Free State Province, eastern parts of the Northern Cape Province, North-West Province, Gauteng Province, Mpumalanga Province, and into Limpopo Province. The isolated record from Nieuwoudtville (Bates et al. 2014) may be based on a translocated specimen. There is also an isolated record from Serowe, on the eastern edge of the Kalahari in Botswana (Blaylock and Broadley 2013).

Population trend

Trend

Species is widespread and can be abundant in suitable habitat. No measures of population size available, but population is inferred to be stable.

Threats

The species is closely associated with grassland habitats that are heavily transformed by urban development and agriculture.

Uses and trade

The presence of this species in the pet trade was recently revealed through an online advertisement, but the extent of the trade is unknown.

Conservation

Its range coincides with a number of protected areas. This species is closely associated with grassland habitats, which are part of a highly transformed ecosystem (Le Roux 2002). Preservation of remaining grassland should be promoted.

References 

[@electronic{181632,
 address = {www.iucnredlist.org},
 author = {IUCN},
 title = {The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2018-2},
 year = {2018}
}
,@book{612,
 address = {Pretoria},
 author = {Bates, M.F., Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M., Burger, M., Marais, J., Alexander, G.J. and de Villiers, M.S.},
 publisher = {Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute},
 title = {Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland},
 year = {2014}
}
,@article{5336,
 author = {De Waal, S.W.P.},
 journal = {Memoirs of the National Museum of Bloemfontein},
 pages = {1--160},
 title = {The Squamata (Reptilia) of the Orange Free State, South Africa},
 volume = {11},
 year = {1978}
}
,@techreport{5336,
 address = {Pretoria, South Africa},
 author = {Jacobsen, N.H.G.},
 institution = {Chief Directorate of Nature and Environmental Conservation},
 title = {The distribution and conservation status of reptiles and amphibians in the Transvaal. Final Report Project TN 6/4/1/30},
 year = {1989}
}
,@book{23102,
 address = {Frankfurt am Main},
 author = {Broadley, D.G. and Blaylock, R.},
 publisher = {Edition Chimaira},
 title = {The Snakes of Zimbabwe and Botswana},
 year = {2013}
}
,@book{174096,
 address = {Cape Town},
 author = {Le Roux, J. (compiler)},
 publisher = {Struik},
 title = {The Biodiversity of South Africa 2002; Indicators, Trends and Human Impacts},
 year = {2002}
}
,]
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