Red List of South African Species

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

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

This species has a moderately sized range (extent of occurrence = 13,913 km2). However, as there are no serious immediate or future threats, it is considered Least Concern.

Distribution

Previously thought to be range restricted to the Nuweveld Mountains in the Western Cape, South Africa with a doubtful record further east at Molento Pass (Branch and Braack 1989, Bates et al. 2014). However, this species is now known to be widespread in the southwestern Karoo where it as been recorded from at least eight additional sites on and to the north of the Karoo Escarpment (K. Tolley unpub. data 2018). The record from Molteno Pass is likely valid, as it falls well within the distribution of these additional sites that are confirmed.

Decline

Moderate

Population trend

Trend

No information on population size or trend is currently available, but the population is inferred to be stable. The species generally occurs at elevation in areas that are not impacted by habitat loss.

Threats

There are no known substantial threats to this species at present.

Uses and trade

This species is listed in CITES Appendix II, but has not been exported under CITES to date (UNEP-WCMC 2017).


Conservation

This species is listed in CITES Appendix II; it occurs in at least one protected area. The extent of this species distribution should be validated with  field surveys. A phylogenetically based taxonomic study is required to confirm the current status of the taxon.

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}
}
,@electronic{3009,
 address = {https://trade.cites.org/},
 author = {UNEP-WCMC},
 title = {CITES Trade Database},
 year = {2017}
}
,@article{169697,
 author = {Branch, W.R. and Braack, H.H.},
 journal = {Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa},
 pages = {26--35},
 title = {Reptiles and amphibians in the Karoo National Park: A surprising diversity. In W.R. Branch (ed.). Proceedings of the First HAA Conference},
 volume = {36},
 year = {1989}
}
,@article{177543,
 author = {Mouton, P. le F.N. and Van Wyk, J.H.},
 journal = {Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa},
 pages = {6--18},
 title = {Taxonomic status of geographical isolates in the <i>Cordylus minor</i> complex (Reptilia: Cordylidae): a description of three new species},
 volume = {43},
 year = {1994}
}
,]
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