Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Michael Bates Krystal Tolley
Contributors: Josh Weeber
Facilitators: Graham Alexander Krystal Tolley
Reviewers: Adriaan Jordaan Paula Strauss Jody Taft Krystal Tolley Graham Alexander

Rationale (Changed due to Knowledge of criteria|Incorrect data used previously)

This species occurs in the Grassland Biome which has undergone substantial losses in extend and quality of habitat. However, given the very large distribution and extent of occurrence of this species (EOO is nearly 300,000 km2), the species is considered Least Concern.

Distribution

Near endemic to the South Africa, also occurring in western Eswatini [Swaziland]. In South Africa, it is found in the provinces of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal (associated with the Drakenberg Mountains), northeastern Free State and Eastern Cape. The northernmost record is of an isolated subpopulation in the grasslands of the Soutpansberg Range. An apparently isolated relict subpopulation also occurs on the Amatole Mountains in the Eastern Cape (Branch 1985). The species occurs even further south in the vicinity of King William's Town. Although recorded from only two areas in the eastern Free State, namely Lindley and Golden Gate (Bates 1996), these lizards are expected to have a wider distribution in this area. Several records that appear to be located in the South Africa-Lesotho border were, in fact, collected on the lower slopes of the Drakensberg and the species is therefore not expected to occur in the highlands of Lesotho.

Decline

Moderate

Population trend

Trend

No information on population size is currently available. Intensive surveys throughout Gauteng Province in the period 2000-2008 recorded only two specimens, from Rietvlei Nature Reserve (Whittington-Jones et al. 2008). This could indicate that there is a reduction in  abundance in some areas, although this should be treated with caution as the species is naturally rare and difficult to observe.

Threats

The Grassland Biome has undergone  transformation of land for crop farming and plantations, overgrazing by livestock, infrastructural development (including extreme urbanization in Gauteng Province), frequent anthropogenic fires and use of pesticides. About 35% of the Grassland Biome, in this species' range is located, has been degraded or converted into cropland, forestry plantations urban settlements (Le Roux 2002). The distribution of Chamaesaura aenea is large, so these threats are not considered substantial to the species as a whole at present. However, local extinctions could be occurring and this should be monitored.

Uses and trade

There is no known trade or subsistence use of this species.

Conservation

 Improved data on abundance in areas that are impacted would be useful to understand if the species is undergoing any declines due to impacts on the grassland habitat.

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}
}
,@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{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}
}
,@book{44929366,
 address = {Cape Town},
 author = {Le Roux, J.},
 publisher = {Struik},
 title = {The Biodiversity of South Africa 2002: Indicators, Trends and Human Impacts},
 year = {2002}
}
,@article{110158816,
 author = {Branch, W.R.},
 journal = {The Naturalist},
 number = {3},
 pages = {10--18},
 title = {Cape lizards. VIII. Girdled lizards and their relatives},
 volume = {29},
 year = {1985}
}
,@techreport{110158816,
 address = {Johannesburg},
 author = {Whittington-Jones, C., West, S., Matabane, A., Koko, R., Molaba, W., Motsamai, J., Makola, J., <i>et al</i>.},
 institution = {Fauna Unit, Directorate of Nature Conservation, Gauteng Provincial Government},
 title = {The Herpetofauna of Gauteng: Volume 1: Distribution and Status of Reptiles},
 year = {2008}
}
,]
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