Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Bryan Maritz Andrew Turner
Facilitators: Graham Alexander Krystal Tolley
Reviewers: Michael Bates Juan-Jacques Forgus Krystal Tolley Luke Verburgt

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

This species is widely distributed, abundant, and found in a number of Protected Areas, with no known substantial threats. It may be tolerant of some land transformation (such as the construction of dams and pastures), because of its reliance on frogs as prey. As such it is listed as Least Concern.

Distribution

Occurs widely throughout sub-Saharan Africa from eastern Nigeria, southern Sudan and Ethiopia southwards to Eswatini (Swaziland) and South Africa, but absent from the arid western half, and much of the central part, of southern Africa (Broadley 1990, Spawls and Branch 1995, Branch 1998, Rasmussen 2005). In South Africa, it occurs as far southwest as Swellendam area in the Western Cape Province (Bates et al. 2014). Three historical records from the Cape Town area probably represent incorrect localities or possible accidental introductions and are not considered as part of the distribution at present. Similarly,  records from the Kimberley and Colesberg (Northern Cape Province, South Africa) and Maseru (Lesotho) are excluded from the current interpreted distribution.

Population trend

Trend

The population is suspected to be stable.

Threats

There are no substantial threats to this species.

Uses and trade

There is no known utilization.

Conservation

None recommended.

References 

[@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}
}
,@book{10242,
 address = {Parklands, South Africa},
 author = {Broadley, D.G.},
 publisher = {Jonathan Ball and Ad. Donker Publishers},
 title = {FitzSimons' Snakes of Southern Africa},
 year = {1990}
}
,@book{110133193,
 address = {Halfway House, South Africa},
 author = {Spawls, S. and Branch, W.R.},
 publisher = {Southern Book Publishers},
 title = {The Dangerous Snakes of Africa},
 year = {1995}
}
,@article{13300985,
 author = {Rasmussen, J.B.},
 journal = {African Journal of Herpetology},
 number = {1},
 pages = {1--15},
 title = {On the identification and distribution of the Two-Striped Night Adder (<i>Causus bilineatus</i>) and related forms.},
 volume = {54},
 year = {2005}
}
,]
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