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Marmorosphax boulinda Sadlier, Smith, Bauer & Whitaker 2009

Red List Status -

Vulnerable (VU) , assessed in 11/12/2017

Protected species -

in Southern Province , in Northern Province

Red List Evaluation - Vulnerable (VU) , assessed in 11/12/2017

Marmorosphax boulinda is listed as Vulnerable because it has a very restricted in area of occupancy. If mining was to commence on massifs Boulinda or Tchingou, or if a wildfire damaged a substantial area of the habitat for this species, it could trigger a status of Critically Endangered in a very short period of time.

Geographical area

This species is endemic to Province Nord, New Caledonia. It is known only from two locations near the summit of the ultramafic massif Boulinda and Tchingou massif. It occurs at elevations from 900 to 1,000 m. The extent of occurrence and the area of occupancy are estimated at 8 km², but it is possible that it occurs more widely on the Boulinda massif.

Population

There is no information on population size and trends for Marmorosphax boulinda, but destruction of its montane forest habitat by past mining activates and from recurrent wildfires in the adjacent maquis shrublands is assumed to have reduced the population size and extent.

Habitat

This species inhabits closed montane forests. It is diurno-nocturnal, cryptozoic and terrestrial. It shelters beneath logs, rocks and deep leaf litter, and forages in cover.

Threats

The greatest threat to this species is from further habitat destruction and fragmentation. Mineral exploration and mining has occurred on the Boulinda massif in the past and with the rapidly expanding mining industry it is expected this will recommence. Montane forest remnants and forest margins are also vulnerable to the recurrent wildfires in the adjacent maquis shrubland. Introduced mammals (rodents, cats and pigs) are a potential predation risk and introduced ungulates (deer and pigs) threaten habitat quality, particularly through damaging the litter layer.

Conservation

This species is protected in Province Nord under Code de l'environnement de la Province Nord (Délibération No. 306-2008/APN, 24 October 2008) and in Province Sud under Code de l'environnement de la Province Sud (Délibération No. 25-2009/APS, 20 March 2009). It is not present in any reserves and no conservation management is currently being undertaken. Given its highly limited area of occupancy, formal protection of existing habitat for this species is a high priority.

Bibliography

IUCN 2021. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021-2.

Sadlier, R.A., Smith, S.A., Bauer, A.M. and Whitaker, A.H. 2009. Three new species of skink in the genus Marmorosphax Sadlier (Squamata: Scincidae) from New Caledonia. Zoologia Neocaledonica 7, Mémoires du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle(198) , p.373–390.

Uetz, P. (ed.) 2017. The Reptile Database.

Experts

Assessor(s): Sadlier, R., Bauer, A., Jourdan, H., Astrongatt, S., Deuss, M., Duval, T., Bourguet, E., McCoy, S., Bouteiller, A., Lagrange, A.

Reviewer(s): Cox, N.

Contributor(s): Whitaker, A.

Facilitator(s): Warimavute, G., Tanguy, V., Lietar, J.