Neamblysomus julianae

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	AFROSORICIDA	CHRYSOCHLORIDAE

Scientific Name:

Neamblysomus julianae

Species Authority

Infra-specific Authority:

(Meester, 1972)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Juliana's Golden Mole

Synonym/s:

Amblysomus julianae

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable B2ab(ii,iii) ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Bronner, G.

Evaluator/s:

Rathbun, G. (Afrotheria Red List Authority) & Hoffmann, M. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
Listed as Vulnerable as this species, while appearing to have a large extent of occurrence, has very specific habitat requirements and its area of occupancy is estimated to be less than 2,000 km², and is severely fragmented. It is currently known from three subpopulations, two of which occur within protected areas; there are no intermediate distribution records suggesting gene flow between them, and only a small part of the range of the range of Nylsvley subpopulation occurs within a protected area, the rest being in adjoining farmlands that are subject to habitat alteration and potential degradation.

History:

2006	–	Endangered (IUCN 2006)
1996	–	Critically Endangered (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)
1994	–	Indeterminate (Groombridge 1994)
1990	–	Indeterminate (IUCN 1990)
1988	–	Rare (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1986	–	Rare (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Recorded from three isolated subpopulations: the Willows (type locality), Shere and Tierpoort in Tshwane (Pretoria), Gauteng (here assessed also as a distinct subpopulation); Nylsvley Provincial Nature Reserve in Limpopo Province; and Numbi Gate, Pretoriuskop and Matjulwana districts of Kruger National Park, in the lowveld of Mpumalanga. Skulls from owl pellets at Witkoppen Cave, ca. 25 km east of Nyslvley Nature Reserve, represent this species, suggesting that it may occur more widely throughout the sandy Sprinkbok Flats. A specimen that may be this species was recently (March 2003) caught at Malelane in Mpumalanga, but genetic data are required to confirm this (analyses currently underway). If this specimen is indeed a N. julianae, this species' range in the lowveld may also be more extensive than previously thought.
Countries:	Native: South Africa

Range Description:

Recorded from three isolated subpopulations: the Willows (type locality), Shere and Tierpoort in Tshwane (Pretoria), Gauteng (here assessed also as a distinct subpopulation); Nylsvley Provincial Nature Reserve in Limpopo Province; and Numbi Gate, Pretoriuskop and Matjulwana districts of Kruger National Park, in the lowveld of Mpumalanga. Skulls from owl pellets at Witkoppen Cave, ca. 25 km east of Nyslvley Nature Reserve, represent this species, suggesting that it may occur more widely throughout the sandy Sprinkbok Flats. A specimen that may be this species was recently (March 2003) caught at Malelane in Mpumalanga, but genetic data are required to confirm this (analyses currently underway). If this specimen is indeed a N. julianae, this species' range in the lowveld may also be more extensive than previously thought.

Countries:

Native:

South Africa

Population [top]

Population:	Locally common, with 2–3 individuals/ha in prime habitat. However, dispersion is patchy and clumped owing to specialized habitat requirements.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is confined to sandy soils, often pockets of weathered sandstone associated with rocky ridges, in the savanna biome of South Africa, and marginally into the grassland biome in the Pretoria district. The population on Nylsvlei floodplain occurs in Clay Thorn Bushveld and the population at Pretoria in Rocky Highveld Grassland, whereas in the Kruger National Park this species occurs in Sour Lowveld Bushveld. Common in well-irrigated gardens. Absent from grasslands on the heavier soils of the Mpumalanga escarpment where the larger-sized A. septentrionalis and A. robustus instead occur.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

This species is confined to sandy soils, often pockets of weathered sandstone associated with rocky ridges, in the savanna biome of South Africa, and marginally into the grassland biome in the Pretoria district. The population on Nylsvlei floodplain occurs in Clay Thorn Bushveld and the population at Pretoria in Rocky Highveld Grassland, whereas in the Kruger National Park this species occurs in Sour Lowveld Bushveld. Common in well-irrigated gardens. Absent from grasslands on the heavier soils of the Mpumalanga escarpment where the larger-sized A. septentrionalis and A. robustus instead occur.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The type population on Bronberg ridge outside Tshwane (Pretoria) is being severely impacted by intensive urbanization and a mining operation, and is here treated as a distinct subpopulation. While the other two subpopulations occur within protected areas, there are no intermediate distribution records suggesting gene flow between them, and the Nylsvley subpopulation also occurs in farmlands (adjoining the Nylsvley Nature Reserve) that are subject to habitat alteration and potential degradation, though the impact thereof on this subpopulation is unknown.

Major Threat(s):

The type population on Bronberg ridge outside Tshwane (Pretoria) is being severely impacted by intensive urbanization and a mining operation, and is here treated as a distinct subpopulation. While the other two subpopulations occur within protected areas, there are no intermediate distribution records suggesting gene flow between them, and the Nylsvley subpopulation also occurs in farmlands (adjoining the Nylsvley Nature Reserve) that are subject to habitat alteration and potential degradation, though the impact thereof on this subpopulation is unknown.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Two of the three known populations are protected within the Kruger National Park and the Nylsvley Nature Reserve.

Conservation Actions:

Two of the three known populations are protected within the Kruger National Park and the Nylsvley Nature Reserve.

Citation:	IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 11 October 2008.
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