Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Uwe Fritz M.D. Hofmeyr
Contributors: Richard Boycott
Facilitators: Graham Alexander Krystal Tolley
Reviewers: Jody Taft Adriaan Jordaan Graham Alexander

Rationale (Changed due to Taxonomy)

Current information indicates that the species’ range extends over northern Limpopo and eastern Mpumalanga Provinces. We expect that the Kruger National Park provides protection in the northeastern region of South Africa but there are concerns about the species’ habitat outside protected areas. Hoffman et al. (1999) assigned a moderate to severe degradation index to approximately 50% of the northern part of Limpopo, and Schoeman et al. (2013) subsequently confirmed that degradation in northern Limpopo and eastern Mpumalanga is continuing. The regional conservation status of this species should be re-assessed once more information about its range in South Africa is available.

Distribution

Recent mainly molecular-based studies (Fritz et al. 2014, 2015; Petzold et al. 2014) restricted the name Pelomedusa subrufa to lineage VIII of Vargas-Ramírez et al. (2010). Genetically verified samples of the species were shown to occur in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Madagascar. It is possible that the range of the species also penetrates into Eswatini (Swaziland), Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia. A genetically verified sample from southeastern Botswana indicates that the species’ range likely extends into the northern Limpopo Province. This perception is supported by the photo-identification of two specimens (ADU Virtual Museum, Numbers 152482 and 152972) within North-West and northwestern Limpopo Provinces, respectively. The two genetically verified samples from South Africa occur just west of the border of the Kruger National Park in Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces, respectively (Fritz et al. 2015).

Decline

None

Population trend

Trend

No information currently available.

Threats

On a regional basis, the main land use practices in the range of the species includes livestock farming and agriculture, which may constitute an advantage because these tortoises often colonise artificial dams built for livestock and irrigation. Pollution of water bodies due to agricultural practices however, may pose a threat. Another threat is degradation of habitat over the species’ range.

Uses and trade

Although unknown in South Africa, these terrapins are eaten by humans in Angola (Loveridge 1941).

Conservation

None recommended until more information is available.

References 

[@article{41662,
 author = {Schoeman, F., Newby, T.S., Thompson, M.W. and Van den Berg, E.C.},
 journal = {South African Journal of Geomatics},
 number = {2},
 pages = {94--105},
 title = {South African national land-cover change map},
 volume = {2},
 year = {2013}
}
,@book{10241,
 address = {Hilton, South Africa},
 author = {Boycott, R.C. and Bourquin, O.},
 publisher = {O. Borquin},
 title = {The Southern African Tortoise Book: A Guide to Southern African Tortoises, Terrapins and Turtles},
 year = {2000}
}
,@inbook{10241,
 author = {Rhodin  and Iverson  and Dijk  and Saumure  and Buhlmann  and Pritchard  and Mittermeier },
 booktitle = {Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (8th Ed.)},
 editor = {TTWG (Turtle Taxonomy Working Group: Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., Bour, R. Fritz, U., Georges, A., Shaffer, H.B. and van Dijk, P.P.)},
 pages = {1--292},
 publisher = {Chelonian Research Monographs},
 title = {Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group},
 year = {2017}
}
,@book{11004,
 address = {Cape Town},
 author = {Branch, W.R.},
 publisher = {Struik Publishers},
 title = {Tortoises, Terrapins and Turtles of Africa},
 year = {2008}
}
,@techreport{11004,
 address = {Pretoria},
 author = {Hoffman, M.T., Todd, S., Ntshona, Z. and Turner, S. },
 title = {Land degradation in South Africa},
 year = {1999}
}
,@inbook{170521,
 address = {Cambridge},
 author = {},
 booktitle = {Climate},
 editor = {Schulze, R.E. },
 pages = {21--42},
 publisher = {Cambridge University Press},
 title = {Vegetation of Southern Africa},
 year = {1997}
}
,@article{113551736,
 author = {Fritz, U., Kehlmaier, C., Mazuch, T., Hofmeyr, M.D., du Preez, L., Vamberger, M. and Vörös, J.},
 journal = {Vertebrate Zoology },
 pages = {383--389},
 title = {Important new records of <i>Pelomedusa</i> species for South Africa and Ehtiopia},
 volume = {65},
 year = {2015}
}
,@article{113551736,
 author = {Fritz, U., Petzold, A., Kehlmaier, C., Kindler, C., Campbell, P., Hofmeyr, M.D. and Branch, W.R.},
 journal = {Zootaxa },
 pages = {501--522},
 title = {Disentangling the <i>Pelomedusa</i> complex using type specimens and historical DNA (Testudines: Pelomedusidae)},
 volume = {3795},
 year = {2014}
}
,@article{113551736,
 author = {Petzold, A. Vargas-Ramirez, M., Kehlmaier, C., Vamberger, M., Branch, W.R., Du Preez, L., Hofmeyr, M.D., Meyer, L., Schleicher, A., Siroky, P. and Fritz, U.},
 journal = {Zootaxa },
 pages = {523--548},
 title = {A revision of African helmeted terrapins (Testudines: Pelomedusidae: <i>Pelomedusa</i>), with descriptions of six new species},
 volume = {3795},
 year = {2014}
}
,@article{113551626,
 author = {Savage, J.A.},
 journal = {Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature},
 number = {2},
 pages = {138},
 title = {Case 3226. Lacepède, B.G.É. de la V., 1788, Histoire Naturelle des Quadrupèdes Ovipares: proposed rejection as a non-binomial work},
 volume = {60},
 year = {2003}
}
,@article{113551626,
 author = {ICZN},
 journal = {Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature},
 number = {1},
 pages = {55},
 title = {Opinion 2104 (Case 3226). Lacepède, B.G.É. de la V., 1788, Histoire Naturelle des Quadrupèdes Ovipares: rejected as a non-binominal work.},
 volume = {62},
 year = {2005}
}
,@article{113551626,
 author = {Loveridge, A.},
 journal = {Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard},
 number = {6},
 pages = {465--524},
 title = {Revision of the African terrapin of the Family Pelomedusidae},
 volume = {88},
 year = {1941}
}
,@book{113551626,
 address = {Paris},
 author = {Lacepede, B.G.E. de la V.},
 publisher = {Imp. Roi, Hotel de Thou},
 title = {Histoire Naturelle Des Quadrupedes Ovipares et des Serpens. Volume 1},
 year = {1788}
}
,@article{113551626,
 author = {Bonnaterre, P.J.},
 journal = {Erpétologie},
 pages = {xxviii + 7},
 title = {Tableau encyclopédique et méthodique des trois régnes de la nature},
 year = {1789}
}
,@article{113551626,
 author = {Vargas-Ramírez, M., Vences, M., Branch, W.R., Daniels, S.R., Glaw, F., Hofmeyr, M.D., Kuchling, G., Maran, J., Papenfuss, T.J., Siroký, P., Vieites, D.R. and Fritz, U.},
 journal = {Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution},
 pages = {428--440. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.03.019},
 title = {Deep genealogical lineages in the widely distributed African helmeted terrapin: Evidence from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA (Testudines: Pelomedusidae: <i>Pelomedusa subrufa</i>},
 volume = {56},
 year = {2010}
}
,@electronic{113551626,
 address = {http://vmus.adu.org.za/?vm=ReptileMAP-152972},
 author = {ADU Virtual Museum},
 title = {<i>Pelomedusa subrufa</i> records},
 year = {2017}
}
,@article{113551626,
 author = {Wong, R.A., Fong, J.J. and Papenfuss, T.J. },
 journal = {Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences},
 pages = {575–585},
 title = {Phylogeography of the African helmeted terrapin, <i>Pelomedusa subrufa</i>: genetic structure, dispersal, and human introduction},
 volume = {61},
 year = {2010}
}
,@article{113551626,
 author = {Nagy, Z.T., Kielgast, J., Moosig, M., Vamberger, M. and Fritz, U. },
 journal = {Salamandra },
 pages = {212--214},
 title = {Another candidate species of <i>Pelomedusa</i> (Testudines: Pelomedusidae) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo?},
 volume = {51},
 year = {2015}
}
,]
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