Aim: to improve our understanding of the diversity, conservation status and distribution of reptiles in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, and thereby contribute to an improvement in the conservation of reptiles in the region.

Mar 2005 – Feb 2009

HOW?By co-ordinating professional effort towards:

1. Compiling a database of reptile distribution records

3. Encouraging public awareness and participation

2. Producing an up-to-date Atlas and Red Data Book

Source No. of recordsMuseums - South Africa 55,412 46%Literature 26,061 22%Nature Conservation 24,353 20%Virtual Museum 4,277 4%Private – field notes 4,760 4%Museums - USA 3,441 3%SARCA field surveys 2,022 2%TOTAL 120,326

120,000 records from 16 institutions and about 400 people1. Distribution database

Virtual Museum: Record quality?

(i) New distribution records: e.g. Fisk's House Snake; Setaro's Dwarf Chameleon

(ii) Rare and threatened species: e.g. Bloubergstrand Dwarf Burrowing Skink; Plain Mountain Adder

(iii) Species with few distribution records: e.g. Two-striped Shovel-snout; Cape Dwarf Burrowing Skink; Cregoi's Blind Legless Skink

(iv) Interesting forms: e.g. Variegated Slug-eater(v) Filling the gaps for common species: e.g.

Puff Adder

19 authors, 6 editors• Three Authors’ workshops and one Eds’ workshop• An online assessment database developed according to IUCN

specifications• Conservation assessments written for 406 taxa (first IUCN assessment

for 366 of these)• Online distribution maps for all taxa

2. Atlas and Red Data Book

Pachydactylus goodi (Bauer, Lamb & Branch, 2006) Good’s Gecko

Aaron M. Bauer

Global; Vulnerable B1a, B1b(iii), B2a, B2b(iii) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Taxonomy: Recently described as a member of the P. weberi group (Bauer et al. 2006). Older references to P. weberi from the Aggenys area may be referable to P. goodi. Distribution: Endemic to South Africa where it is restricted to the northwestern margin of the Northern Cape between Vioolsdrif and Aggenys. Despite the proximity of its range to the Orange River, it is not known from adjacent southern Namibia. EOO: 1100 km2. AOO: 800 km2. Habitat: Found in broken rocky habitats with little or no vegetation, at the base or on slopes of rocky hills adjacent to desert plains, and on the slopes of inselbergs, chiefly on south-facing slopes. Vegetation type: Dg 7 Northern Nababiepsberge Mountain Desert; SKr 18 Bushmanland Inselberg Shrubland.

Assessment rationale: EOO <5000 km2; AOO <2000 km2 (criteria B1 and B2); number of locations <10 (a) and a continuing decline in the area; extent and quality of habitat (b) iii. Threats: Potentially threatened by its inherently poor dispersal capabilities and limitation to a restricted substrate type. An additional threat exists from ongoing copper, zinc, lead, and silver mining activity around Aggenys that has degraded or destroyed suitable habitat. Conservation measures: A species management plan should be developed and implemented. Data are required on the total range and population numbers within suitable habitats, as well as the status of the habitat (extent of destruction or degradation due to mining activities). Future protected areas within the AOO should be established.

3. Public Participation

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[begin][SARCA] 002422 [observer name] Witberg M. & Witberg G.[coordinates latitude] 33 50 40 S[coordinates longitude] 18 41 42 E[locality] Sparrow Road, Langeberg Ridge[province] Western Cape[country] South Africa[date] 2007/02/01[number of photos] 3[notes] 3 found[end]

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Website (list-server of about 800 contacts), quarterly newsletters

Numerous public talks, media interviews and functionsVirtual Museum: 5,600 records representing 300 taxaAbout 350 contributors14 experts on panel

VM and Public participation:

Thanks to Eco-Challenge and Toyota, and AMNH

SANBI & Norwegian Ministry of the EnvironmentSABIF and NRFJRS Biodiversity FoundationEco-Challenge and ToyotaAmerican Museum of Natural History

SARCA SteerCoSARCA authors and editorsData providersVM panel

Herpetological Association of AfricaCape Reptile ClubVM contributors