Reptile Atlas of Africa
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Date started: 10 May 2005
Web page: http://sarca.adu.org.za
ReptileMAP is the continuation of the Southern African Reptile Conservation Assessment (SARCA). It aims to improve our understanding of the diversity and distribution of reptiles in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, and thereby make possible an improvement in the conservation status of these animals.
ReptileMAP also aims to improve public awareness of the value and plight of reptiles and also provide goverment agencies with a clear definition of conservation priorities that will help them to plan their activities.
SARCA Metadata | |
| 1) DATASET CONTACT | |
| Name of Organization/Department | FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Science, University of Cape Town |
| Contact person (Person to contact about the dataset) | Dr Rene Navarro |
| Position | Information Systems Specialist |
| Postal Address | FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Science, University of Cape Town |
| Postal code | 7701 |
| City/Town | Rondebosch, Cape Town |
| Province | Western Cape |
| Country | South Africa |
| Telephone | +27 (0)21 650 4751 |
| Cell | |
| Fax | +27 (0)21 650 3301 |
| rene.navarro@uct.ac.za | |
| Website address (url) | http://sarca.adu.org.za |
| 2) DATASET METADATA | |
| Title of dataset | Reptile Atlas of Southern Africa
formerly: Southern African Reptile Conservation Assessment (SARCA) |
| Brief description (max. 200 words) | ReptileMAP the Reptile Atlas of Southern Africa is the continuation of SARCA. The SARCA dataset consists of two relational databases, designed using MySQL. The distribution database comprises approximately 120,000 distribution records for reptile taxa that occur in southern Africa, mainly in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. The data was supplied by museums, conservation organizations and private individuals, or was drawn from the literature or from SARCA field surveys. Records from the latter relate to tissue samples that have been deposited with the Reptile Tissue Bank at the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Approximately 7000 of the records were submitted by members of the public via an online Virtual Museum, and have associated reptile images (jpegs). The distribution database is linked to an assessment database that is designed to be importable into the IUCN database and that includes many IUCN Species Information Service (SIS) fields. For each of 410 reptile taxa that occur in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, there is an account that includes the recommended red listing category, a description of taxonomic issues, niche, distribution (with map), threats and recommended conservation actions. There is an associated bibliography. |
| Purpose (max. 200 words) | The purpose is to create an integrated and comprehensive database of reptile distribution records for South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, to be used towards the production of an up-to-date Atlas and Red Data Book of the reptiles of the region. This will assist the South African National Biodiversity Institute with the legal obligation to document, monitor and protect biodiversity within South Africa?s borders. The conservation assessments contained within the Red Data Book will be conducted according to IUCN criteria and will help to guide and inform conservation planning and action for the reptiles of the region. |
| Begin date (When data collection started) | March 2005 |
| End date for static datasets (When was data collection ended) | 31/03/2009 |
| 3) DATA QUALITY | |
| Give a brief account of any biases, gaps or errors which may exist in the dataset. | Many records are replicated within the distribution dataset, because in some cases the same records were provided by multiple data owners. Where possible, data were referenced to the nearest second but many records are only referenced to the nearest minute or the nearest quarter degree grid cell. Where possible data were referenced to the nearest day, but some records had no temporal reference. Geographical coverage is incomplete and uneven, and coverage in the northwestern part of the region is especially poor. There is also limited coverage in montane regions. Species coverage is uneven and was influenced by factors such as ease of identification, rarity, habitat preference and present state of knowledge of a taxon. Taxa in the arid west of the country, and those in montane regions, and fossorial taxa, are under-sampled. |
| 4) ACCESS/USE CONSTRAINTS | |
| How to get a copy of the dataset | This data-set is currently not available to the public. Please refer to ReptileMAP for current reptile distribution data (http://vmus.adu.org.za/?vm=ReptileMAP). |
| 5) OTHER INFORMATION | |
| Other information about the dataset which may be important. | |
| 6) METADATA AUTHOR | |
| Author name (name of the person who entered the metadata record) | Marienne de Villiers |
| Author organization | Southern African Reptile Conservation Assessment |
| Author position | (Former) Project Manager |
| Author address | Animal Demography Unit, Department of Biological Science, University of Cape Town, Private Bag |
| Author postal code | 7701 |
| Author city/town | Rondebosch |
| Author province | Western Cape |
| Author country | South Africa |
| Author telephone | |
| Author fax | |
| Author email | |
| Metadata creation date | 27/02/2009 |
| Last update of metadata | 20/06/2013 |
