Taxonomy
Red List Status -
Vulnerable (VU) , assessed in 11/12/2017Protected species -
in Southern Province , in Northern Province
Sigaloseps ferrugicauda is listed as Vulnerable (D2) given its extremely restricted distribution, but could be moved to a higher level of threat if faced by increased loss of area of occupancy or decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat with increased pressure from introduced species.
Geographical area
Sigaloseps ferrugicauda is endemic to Province Sud in New Caledonia. It is known from high-elevation habitats on Mont Ouin and Mont Humboldt, two mountain peaks in the interior of the central ranges in southern Grande Terre. The extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) are estimated at 16 km2.
Population
There is no information on population size or trends.
Habitat
This species occurs in dense, low maquis shrubland adjacent to high-elevation humid forest.
Threats
This species does not seem directly threatened. However, major threats to Sigaloseps ferrugicauda may come in the future from predation pressures by introduced rodents (Thibault, 2017) and habitat degradation from introduced pigs (Jourdan 2006).
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). This species is present in one protected area (Mont Humboldt). No species-specific conservation management is currently being undertaken. It would be wise to monitor the habitat trends and impact of invasive species.
Bibliography
Jourdan, H., Brescia, F. and Vidal, E. 2014. Programme R_Mines.Impact des espèces invasives sur les communautés de reptiles des massifs miniers.
Uetz, P. (ed.) 2017. The Reptile Database.
Sadlier, R.A, Bauer, Wood Jr., P.L., Smith, S.A., Whitaker, A.H., Jourdan, H. and Jackman, T.R. 2014. Localized endemism in the southern ultramafic bio-region of New Caledonia as evidenced by the lizards in the genus Sigaloseps (Reptilia: Scincidae), with descriptions of four new species. Memoires du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle(206) , p.79-113.
Thibault, M., Brescia, F., Vidal, E. and Jourdan, H. 2017. Invasive rodents, an overlooked threat for skinks in a tropical island hotspot of biodiversity. New Zealand Ecological Society(41) , p.74-83.
Endemia.nc 2016. Faune et Flore de Nouvelle-Calédonie.
Sadlier, R.A, Bauer, Wood Jr., P.L., Smith, S.A., Whitaker, A.H., Jourdan, H. and Jackman, T.R. 2014. Localized endemism in the southern ultramafic bio-region of New Caledonia as evidenced by the lizards in the genus Sigaloseps (Reptilia: Scincidae), with descriptions of four new species. Memoires du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle(206) , p.79-113.
IUCN 2021. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021-2.
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): Jumel, M., Fleurot, D., Butin, J., Cassan, J.
Facilitator(s): Warimavute, G., Lietar, J., Tanguy, V.