Red List of South African Species

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

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

This species is widespread and abundant with no major threats, hence it is assessed here as Least Concern.

Distribution

This species is endemic to South Africa. It is found in the Cape Fold Mountains of the Western and Eastern Cape, the inland mountain ranges of the Eastern Cape, and along the Great Escarpment (Nuweveldberg and Komsberg) which runs along the boundary of the Western and Northern Cape provinces (Bates 2005, Bates et al. 2014).

Population trend

Trend

This species is inferred to be stable, given its large distribution within which there are minimal threats.

Threats

There are no known threats to this species.

Uses and trade

This species is listed in CITES Appendix II, but a total of 10 individuals in 1997 were removed from the wild in South Africa for export  (UNEP-WCMC 2017), therefore this  species cannot be considered as in trade.


Conservation

This species is listed in CITES Appendix II. Occurs in a large number of protected areas but no species-specific measures are in place and none are needed. The taxonomic status of the subspecies needs re-evaluation.

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{16939,
 author = {FitzSimons, V.F.M.},
 journal = {Memoirs of the Transvaal Museum},
 pages = {i--xv + 1--528, +24 pls + map},
 title = {The lizards of South Africa},
 volume = {1},
 year = {1943}
}
,@article{18517,
 author = {Bates, M.F.},
 journal = {Navorsinge van die Nasionale Museum, Bloemfontein},
 number = {4},
 pages = {37--112},
 title = {Taxonomic history and geographical distribution of the <i>Pseudocordylus melanotus</i> (A. Smith, 1838) and <i>P. microlepidotus</i> (Cuvier, 1829) complexes (Sauria: Cordylidae)},
 volume = {21},
 year = {2005}
}
,@article{110166782,
 author = {Boulenger, G.A.},
 journal = {Annals and Magazine of Natural History (ser. 7)},
 pages = {552--557},
 title = {Descriptions of new batrachians in the British Museum},
 volume = {12},
 year = {1903}
}
,]
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