Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: John Measey
Facilitators: Graham Alexander Krystal Tolley
Reviewers: Graham Alexander Adriaan Jordaan Jody Taft

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

Widespread in habitats that remain largely intact and not degraded by either human settlement or agriculture.

Distribution

Occurs in the Kalahari Desert, throughout much of Botswana and into adjacent Namibia and Angola in the west, Zambia and western Zimbabwe in the north (Broadley et al. 1976) and into the Northern Cape (north of the Orange River) and North-West provinces of South Africa (Bates et al. 2010, Bates et al. 2014) with an estimated extent of occurrence of more than 108,000 km2. A specimen from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the Northern Cape was tentatively referred to M. sphenorhynchus by Bates et al. (2010), but its status is uncertain.

Population trend

Trend

There is no quantitative information available, but the species is inferred to be stable.

Threats

There are no substantial threats to this species.

Uses and trade

The species is not used or traded.

Conservation

None recommended.

References 

[@article{196957,
 author = {Broadley, D.G., Gans, C. and Visser, J.},
 journal = {Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History},
 pages = {311--485},
 title = {Studies on amphisbaenians (Amphisbaenia, Reptilia). 6. The genera <i>Monopeltis</i> and <i>Dalophia</i> in southern Africa},
 volume = {157},
 year = {1976}
}
,@article{196963,
 author = {Bates, M.F., Pietersen, D. and Measey, G.J.},
 journal = {Navorsinge van die Nasionale Museum, Bloemfontein},
 number = {3},
 pages = {61--72},
 title = {New amphisbaenian records for the Northern Cape, South Africa.},
 volume = {26},
 year = {2010}
}
,@article{196968,
 author = {Gans, C.},
 title = {Checklist and bibliography of the Amphisbaenia of the world},
 year = {2005}
}
,@article{196968,
 author = {Parker, H.W.},
 journal = {Annals of the Magazine of natural History, ser. 10},
 pages = {582--583},
 title = {A new species of amphisbaenid lizard from Bechuanaland},
 volume = {15},
 year = {1935}
}
,@article{196968,
 author = {Broadley, D.G.},
 journal = {African Herp News},
 pages = {23},
 title = {Geographical distribution: <i>Monopeltis sphenorhynchus</i>},
 volume = {32},
 year = {2001}
}
,]
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