Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Michael Bates Aaron Bauer
Facilitators: Graham Alexander Krystal A Tolley
Reviewers: Buyisile Makhubo Adrian Armstrong Werner Conradie Bryan Maritz

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

This species has a relatively small distribution and is naturally patchy across isolated montane subpopulations that are largely inaccessible. Most of the habitat is intact and there are no major threats, hence it is assessed as Least Concern.

Distribution

Endemic to western Lesotho and adjacent areas in the South African provinces of Free State and Eastern Cape, where it occurs on isolated mountain tops and parts of the southern Drakensberg Mountains (Bates 1989, 1996a,b; Branch 1998; Bates et al. 2014). Bourquin (2004) considered this species to occur in the Drakensberg of KwaZulu-Natal Province, apparently based on FitzSimons' (1943) Giant's Castle record. However, this record is in reference to a specimen of Afroedura nivaria, with the rostral excluded from the nostrils (i.e. halli-like) (Bates et al. 2014).

Population trend

Trend

The species is common and the habitat is not impacted; it is therefore inferred to be stable and not severely fragmented.

Threats

There are no major threats to this species.

Uses and trade

This species is not known to be utilized in any way.

Conservation

Occurs in a protected area. No conservation recommendations at present. 

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. Third Edition},
 year = {1998}
}
,@article{5336,
 author = {Bourquin, O.},
 journal = {Durban Museum Novitates},
 pages = {57--103},
 title = {Reptiles (Reptilia) in KwaZulu-Natal: 1 - diversity and distribution},
 volume = {29},
 year = {2004}
}
,@article{16939,
 author = {Loveridge, A.},
 journal = {Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College},
 number = {1},
 pages = {1--469},
 title = {Revision of the African lizards of the family Gekkonidae},
 volume = {98},
 year = {1947}
}
,@article{16939,
 author = {FitzSimons, V.F.M.},
 journal = {Memoirs of the Transvaal Museum},
 pages = {i--xv + 1--528, +24 pls + map},
 title = {The lizards of South Africa},
 volume = {1},
 year = {1943}
}
,@article{21662,
 author = {Bates, M.F.},
 journal = {South African Journal of Zoology},
 number = {4},
 pages = {214--218},
 title = {Taxonomic status and distribution of the South African lizard <i>Tetradactylus breyeri</i> Roux (Gerrhosauridae)},
 volume = {31},
 year = {1996}
}
,@article{174109,
 author = {Bates, M.F.},
 journal = {Navorsinge van de Nasionale Museum Bloemfontein},
 number = {1},
 pages = {1--47},
 title = {New reptile distribution records for the Free State Province of South Africa},
 volume = {12},
 year = {1996}
}
,@article{174109,
 author = {Makhubo, B.G., Tolley, K.A. and Bates, M.F.},
 journal = {Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution},
 pages = {31--42},
 title = {Molecular phylogeny of the <i>Afroedurua nivaria</i> (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) species complex in South Africa provides insight on cryptic speciation},
 volume = {82},
 year = {2015}
}
,@article{196889,
 author = {Wermuth, H.},
 journal = {Das Tierreich. Eine Zusammenstellung und Kennzeichnung der rezenten, Berlin},
 number = {1-22},
 pages = {1–246},
 title = {Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien, Gekkonidae,  Pygopodidae, Xantusiidae},
 volume = {80},
 year = {1965}
}
,@article{196890,
 author = {Bates, M.F.},
 journal = {Culna},
 pages = {13--15},
 title = {In search of the elusive flat geckos of the eastern Free State},
 volume = {51},
 year = {1996}
}
,@article{196890,
 author = {Bates, M.F.},
 journal = {National Museum News},
 pages = {33--34},
 title = {The flat geckos of Thaba Phatshwa Mountain},
 volume = {36},
 year = {1989}
}
,]
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