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)

Has a moderately sized distribution (extent of occurrence is ca 9,000 km2) but is common throughout. Threats from urbanization and mining are limited to relatively small portions of its range, hence this species qualifies for listing as Least Concern.

Distribution

Endemic to the Namaqualand district of the Northern Cape, South Africa (Bates et al. 2014). Recently recorded from southern Namibia (A. Bauer pers. comm 2017). A record from Putsonderwater in the central Northern Cape Province (Broadley 1968, Haacke 1986) is correctly identified (Bates et al. 1998) but the locality is almost certainly incorrect. Another set of records from Baievlei, just south of Langstrand in the northern Western Cape, is unconfirmed and may be referable to Typhlosaurus caecus. These two questionable records have not been included in the distribution.

Population trend

Trend

This species is locally abundant in appropriate habitat throughout its range. Most of the habitat is intact within its distribution, therefore the species is considered stable and not fragmented.

Threats

In portions of its range (e.g. near Port Nolloth) have been impacted by urbanisation and diamond mining. This may impact the species locally, but this is not considered a significant overall threat at present.

Uses and trade

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

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. Third Edition},
 year = {1998}
}
,@article{22701,
 author = {Haacke, W.D.},
 journal = {Annals of the Transvaal Museum},
 pages = {227--235},
 title = {Description of a new species of <i>Typhlosaurus</i> Wiegmann, 1834 (Reptilia: Scincidae) from the west coast of southern Africa, with new records of related species},
 volume = {34},
 year = {1986}
}
,@article{178449,
 author = {Broadley, D.G.},
 journal = {Arnoldia (Rhodesia)},
 pages = {1--20},
 title = {A revision of the African genus <i>Typhlosaurus</i> Wiegmann (Sauria: Scincidae)},
 volume = {3},
 year = {1968}
}
,@article{178449,
 author = {Bates, M.F., Heideman, N.J.L., Wilson, B.A., Hendricks, M.G.J., Don, N. and Moses, C.},
 journal = {African Journal of Herpetology},
 pages = {35--41},
 title = {Morphological variation and geographical distribution in the South African lizards <i>Typhlosaurus caecus</i> (Cuvier 1817) and <i>Typhlosaurus vermis</i> Boulenger 1887 (Scincidae: Acontinae)},
 volume = {47},
 year = {1998}
}
,]
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