Opisthopatus roseus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	ONYCHOPHORA	ONYCHOPHORA	ONYCHOPHORA	PERIPATOPSIDAE

Scientific Name:

Opisthopatus roseus

Species Authority:

Lawrence, 1947

Common Name/s:

English

–

Pink Velvet Worm

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered B1ab(i,iii) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2003

Assessor/s:

Hamer, M.

Reviewer/s:

Samways, M. & Hamer, M. (Southern African Invertebrate Red List Authority)

Justification:
In 1996, this species was assessed as Extinct. This was an error and the existence of this species has been confirmed.

Six specimens of Opisthopatus roseus were collected in 1945. This was the first record of the species, which is distinguished from other onychophorans by its bright pink colouration. Although Lawrence searched the area for more specimens, only two were found in 1951, another one in 1985, and six in 1995. The only location that these specimens have been found is the Ngele Forest in southern KwaZulu-Natal.

Ngele Forest is naturally patchy, and this has led to the loss of many of the smaller patches in the last century. The indigenous Ngele Forest was heavily logged in the early 1900s, and in 1891 a private sawmill was built nearby (Lawes and Eeley 2000). Loss of the Ngele Forest area continues, as exotic plantations are planted around and right up to the margins of the indigenous forests. Harvesting of the plantations disrupts the margin of the forest. Associated with the timber plantations is a high level of invasion by alien plants. The Ngele forest has been fragmented by the construction of a national road through it, and by the widening of this road. Although the area is theoretically protected, access is completely uncontrolled.

History:

1996	–	Extinct (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)
1994	–	Vulnerable (Groombridge 1994)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Only recorded from South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Ngele Forest. This forest is known to be naturally patchy, which has led, and continues to lead to the destruction of the smaller patches. The main forest area is fragmented by a national road.
Countries:	Native: South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal)
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Populations can be inferred to have decreased in association with the decrease in area of occurrence, and to continue decreasing with current and future degradation of Ngele Forest. No information is available on population size or density. It appears that there are no subpopulations outside of the Ngele area, although there may be subpopulations in different forest patches within the Ngele complex.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Population:

Populations can be inferred to have decreased in association with the decrease in area of occurrence, and to continue decreasing with current and future degradation of Ngele Forest. No information is available on population size or density. It appears that there are no subpopulations outside of the Ngele area, although there may be subpopulations in different forest patches within the Ngele complex.

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	O. roseus is confined to indigenous, Afromontane forest, where it occurs amongst moist leaf litter or under or in fallen and rotting logs. Generation length in onychophorans is generally longer than in most invertebrates. No data exist for O. roseus, but for other members of the family in South Africa, gestation is approximately 12-13 months. Sexual maturity takes 9-11 months to reach and the life span is about 6-7 years (Manton 1938). In O. cinctipes only about 40 young are produced by each female in a year (Purcell 1899).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

O. roseus is confined to indigenous, Afromontane forest, where it occurs amongst moist leaf litter or under or in fallen and rotting logs.

Generation length in onychophorans is generally longer than in most invertebrates. No data exist for O. roseus, but for other members of the family in South Africa, gestation is approximately 12-13 months. Sexual maturity takes 9-11 months to reach and the life span is about 6-7 years (Manton 1938). In O. cinctipes only about 40 young are produced by each female in a year (Purcell 1899).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Area of occurrence and occupancy are known to have decreased, and the quality of the habitat is known to have been affected by the removal of a large proportion of timber, the spread of alien invasive plants, and the construction of a national road through the forest.

Major Threat(s):

Area of occurrence and occupancy are known to have decreased, and the quality of the habitat is known to have been affected by the removal of a large proportion of timber, the spread of alien invasive plants, and the construction of a national road through the forest.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Permits are required by provincial conservation agency to collect any animals and there is some degree of protection of habitat in place by the State. Recommended conservation measures include increasing public awareness of the species, further research on population numbers, range, biology of the species, and habitat status.

Conservation Actions:

Permits are required by provincial conservation agency to collect any animals and there is some degree of protection of habitat in place by the State. Recommended conservation measures include increasing public awareness of the species, further research on population numbers, range, biology of the species, and habitat status.

Bibliography [top]

	Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland. Groombridge, B. (ed.). 1994. 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Hamer, M.L., Samways, M. and Ruhberg, H. 1997. A review of the Onychophora of South Africa, with discussion of their conservation. Annals of the Natal Museum 38: 283-312. IUCN. 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 November 2003. IUCN. 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 November 2003. Lawes, M. J. and Eeley, H. 2000. Where have all the forests gone? A brief history of forest use in KwaZulu-Natal. African Wildlife 54: 16-19. Lawrence, R.F. 1947. Note on a new species of Opisthopatus (Onychophora). Annals of the Natal Museum 11: 165-168 Manton, S. 1938. Studies on the Onychophora VI. The life history of Peripatopsis. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 11: 515-529. Purcell, W.F. 1899. On the South African species of Peripatidae in the collection of the collection of the South African Museum. Annals of the South African Museum 2: 331-351.

Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland.

Groombridge, B. (ed.). 1994. 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Hamer, M.L., Samways, M. and Ruhberg, H. 1997. A review of the Onychophora of South Africa, with discussion of their conservation. Annals of the Natal Museum 38: 283-312.

IUCN. 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 November 2003.

Lawes, M. J. and Eeley, H. 2000. Where have all the forests gone? A brief history of forest use in KwaZulu-Natal. African Wildlife 54: 16-19.

Lawrence, R.F. 1947. Note on a new species of Opisthopatus (Onychophora). Annals of the Natal Museum 11: 165-168

Manton, S. 1938. Studies on the Onychophora VI. The life history of Peripatopsis. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 11: 515-529.

Purcell, W.F. 1899. On the South African species of Peripatidae in the collection of the collection of the South African Museum. Annals of the South African Museum 2: 331-351.

Citation:	Hamer, M. 2003. Opisthopatus roseus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2012.
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