Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Aaron Bauer Werner Conradie
Contributors: Josh Weeber
Facilitators: Graham Alexander Krystal Tolley
Reviewers: John Measey Alex Rebelo Nicolas Telford

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

Although this species has a  small range (extent of occurrence ca 5,200 km2) within an area that is moderately transformed (Bates et al. 2014) it is not regarded to be threatened or experiencing any declines as it is likely tolerant to some level of habitat alteration. Hence, this species is assessed as Least Concern.

Distribution

Endemic to the Western Cape Province of South Africa, occurring only in the central-western coastal region (Broadley and Greer 1969, Bates et al. 2014).


Decline

Slight

Population trend

Trend

No explicit information available, but it is unlikely that this species differs from its congeners, which typically occur in relatively high abundance (A.M. Bauer pers. obs.). The species is inferred to be stable.

Threats

Has relatively limited dispersal capabilities and a small range, but has no major extrinsic threats.

Uses and trade

Not known to be utilized or traded.

Conservation

The range coincides with some protected areas. This species occurs in an area where future habitat alteration is likely so improved information on its distribution and its tolerance of altered habitats would be useful. 


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{41230,
 author = {Lamb, T., Biswas, S. and Bauer, A.M.},
 journal = {Zootaxa},
 pages = {33--46},
 title = {A phylogenetic reassessment of African fossorial skinks in the subfamily Acontinae (Squamata: Scincidae): evidence for parallelism and polyphyly},
 volume = {2657},
 year = {2010}
}
,@article{41230,
 author = {Daniels, S.R., Heideman, N.J.L., Hendricks, M.G.J. and Crandall, K.A.},
 journal = {Zoologica Scripta},
 number = {4},
 pages = {353--362},
 title = {Taxonomic subdivisions within the fossorial skink subfamily Acontinae (Squamata: Scincidae) reconsidered: a multilocus perspective},
 volume = {35},
 year = {2006}
}
,@article{44974254,
 author = {Broadley, D.G. and Greer, A.E.},
 journal = {Arnoldia (Rhodesia)},
 pages = {1--27},
 title = {A revision of the genus <i>Acontias</i> Cuvier (Sauria: Scincidae)},
 volume = {4},
 year = {1969}
}
,@phdthesis{44974254,
 author = {Janse van Vuuren, L.C.},
 school = {M.Sc. thesis, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa},
 title = {A Taxonomic Study of the Genus <i>Microacontias</i> (Reptillia: Acontiinae) using DNA and Morphometric Data},
 year = {2009}
}
,]
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