Taxonomy
Marmorosphax kaala
Red List Status -
Critically Endangered (CR) , assessed in 11/12/2017Protected species -
in Southern Province , in Northern ProvinceMarmorosphax kaala is listed as Critically Endangered because it has a very restricted distribution, it is known from only a single location and there is continuing decline in its area of occupancy, extent and quality of its habitat and the number of mature individuals due to ongoing threat from mining.
Geographical area
This species is endemic to Province Nord, New Caledonia. It is known only from a single locality on the summit of the ultramafic massif Kaala, on the northern west coast of Grande Terre. It occurs at elevations between 300 and 900 m. The extent of occurrence and the area of occupancy are estimated to be 4 km2.
Population
There is no information on population size and trends for Marmorosphax kaala. It is presumed to have suffered a substantial reduction population size and extent resulting from past destruction of its montane forest habitat by mining activities and from recurrent wildfires in the adjacent maquis shrublands.
Habitat
This species inhabits mid-elevation closed forest and montane forest. 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 leading to a reduction in the area of occupancy. Large areas of the Kaala massif have been affected by mining the industry there is expanding at both mid- and high elevation. The remaining forest areas are also at risk to peripheral damage and reduction in extent from the recurrent wildfires in the adjacent maquis shrubland. Introduced mammals (rodents, cats and pigs) are a potential predation risk and high-density populations of 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. Prospections are recommended around the known locality.
Bibliography
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.
IUCN 2021. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021-2.
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): Lietar, J., Warimavute, G., Tanguy, V.