SANBI

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

This species is widespread and common with no major threats and it is therefore listed as Least Concern.

Distribution

Endemic to the northeastern parts of South Africa, Eswatini [Swaziland] and southeastern Botswana, with a locality in southern Mozambique (Auerbach 1987, Boycott 1992, Branch 1998, Bates and Broadley 2012, Bates et al. 2014). Found in the South African provinces of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, (eastern) North-West, (northern and northeastern) Free State and KwaZulu-Natal (De Waal 1978, Jacobsen 1989, Bourquin 2004).

Habitat View more ecological information

Population trend

Trend

The population is inferred to be stable.

Threats

There are no major threats to this species, although exportation of wild caught animals for the pet trade may pose a threat locally.

Uses and trade

This species is listed in CITES Appendix II. Wild caught individuals are regularly exported from South Africa for purposes of pet trade, most recently in 2015 (UNEP-WCMC 2017). Overall a total of more than 7,000 animals removed from the wild in South Africa between 1982-2015. In the last decade, this figure totals ca 2,000 individuals.

Conservation

This species is listed in CITES Appendix II; it occurs in many protected areas. Given that there is a fair amount of removals from the wild for pet trade, it would be useful to explore the source and location of these removals to ensure that targeted removals are not detrimental to populations locally.

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}
}
,@electronic{3009,
 address = {https://trade.cites.org/},
 author = {UNEP-WCMC},
 title = {CITES Trade Database},
 year = {2017}
}
,@article{5333,
 author = {Stanley, E.L., Bauer, A.M., Jackson, T.R., Branch, W.R. and Mouton, P. le F.N. },
 journal = {Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution},
 pages = {53--70},
 title = {Between a rock and a hard polytomy: Rapid radiation in the rupicolous girdled lizards (Squamata: Cordylidae)},
 volume = {58},
 year = {2011}
}
,@article{5336,
 author = {De Waal, S.W.P.},
 journal = {Memoirs of the National Museum of Bloemfontein},
 pages = {1--160},
 title = {The Squamata (Reptilia) of the Orange Free State, South Africa},
 volume = {11},
 year = {1978}
}
,@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}
}
,@book{196964,
 address = {Botswana},
 author = {Auerbach, R.D.},
 publisher = {Gaborone Printing Works},
 title = {The Amphibians and Reptiles of Botswana},
 year = {1987}
}
,@phdthesis{196991,
 author = {Boycott, R.C.},
 school = {M.Sc. thesis, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa},
 title = {A Herpetofaunal Survey of Swaziland},
 year = {1992}
}
,@article{110160307,
 author = {Bates, M.F. and Broadley, D.G.},
 journal = {African Herp News},
 pages = {34--35},
 title = {Geographical distributions: <i>Cordylus vittifer</i>},
 volume = {56},
 year = {2012}
}
,]

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