Red List of South African Species

Alternatively, Explore species
| National Red List categories | Partners |
Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Bryan Maritz Marius Burger
Contributors: Josh Weeber Don Broadley
Facilitators: Graham Alexander Krystal A Tolley Ranmali De Silva Harriet Milligan Tara Zamin Sally Wren Oliver Wearn Jennifer Sears Philip 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)

Fairly widespread and listed as Least Concern. Although Jacobsen (1989) considered this species to be Vulnerable and it is generally thought to be rare (Broadley 1990, Branch 1998), this perceived rarity is probably due mainly to its secretive fossorial habits.

Distribution

Restricted to northeastern and eastern parts of South Africa, extending into Eswatini [Swaziland] (Bates et al. 2014). Occurs from the Duiwelskloof area in Limpopo Province, southwards through Mpumalanga, and coastal KwaZulu-Natal, reaching its southern limits at Mtumbane in the northeastern Eastern Cape. It probably also occurs in southern Mozambique.

Decline

A slight decline in population size is suspected as a result of habitat transformation. This is poorly quantified but likely to be relatively minimal.

Population trend

Trend

There is no information currently available on population trends, but the species is inferred to be stable given its large distribution and extent of occurrence.

Threats

Urbanization, especially in coastal KwaZulu-Natal, is probably the main cause of habitat degradation for this species. Afforestation of grassland in the Woodbush/Wolkberg region, and along the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, may also have had negative impacts, but this is not necessarily the case. It is not clear how significant the impact of the KwaZulu-Natal sugarcane industry is, but the species was not found during a herpetofaunal survey of sugarcane fields (Johnson and Raw 1989), although Maritz and Alexander (2007) detected the species in riparian forest within a sugarcane/timber plantation matrix near Mtunzini, South Africa. Mining of sand dunes in northeastern KwaZulu-Natal may also have impacted on this species, but the extent of this is unknown.

Uses and trade

There is no known utilization.

Conservation

No conservation actions are recommended.

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}
}
,@book{2817,
 address = {Cape Town},
 author = {Branch, W.R.},
 publisher = {Struik Publishers},
 title = {Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Second Edition},
 year = {1998}
}
,@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{10242,
 address = {Parklands, South Africa},
 author = {Broadley, D.G.},
 publisher = {Jonathan Ball and Ad. Donker Publishers},
 title = {FitzSimons' Snakes of Southern Africa},
 year = {1990}
}
,@article{176270,
 author = {Johnson, P.A. and Raw, L.R.G.},
 journal = {Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa},
 pages = {11--18},
 title = {The herpetofauna of sugarcane fields and their environs on the north coast of Natal. In: Proceedings of the first H.A.A. Conference (W.R. Branch (ed.))},
 volume = {36},
 year = {1989}
}
,@article{176270,
 author = {Haagner, G.V.},
 journal = {African Herp News},
 pages = {26},
 title = {Geographical distribution: <i>Amblyodipsa concolor</i>},
 volume = {21},
 year = {1994}
}
,@article{176270,
 author = {Maritz, B. and Alexander, G.J.},
 journal = {African Journal of Herpetology},
 number = {2},
 pages = {163--169},
 title = {Herpetofaunal utilization of riparian buffer zones in an agricultural landscape near Mtunzini, South Africa.},
 volume = {56},
 year = {2007}
}
,]
Send feedback about this assessment to SANBI

Lead agencies, Partners and Funders

See the partners page