About the Threatened Tortoises of the Karoo

Southern Africa contains one of the most diverse tortoise faunas globally. Six of the 11 southern African tortoise species are threatened with extinction, of which three are listed on the IUCN Red List as Endangered (Chersobius boulengeriand C. signatus) or Critically Endangered (Psammobates geometricus). These species are all characterised by recent severe population declines due to habitat destruction and degradation, anthropogenic land transformation and other threats, where the causes of destruction have not ceased.

Our work is focused on understanding the distributions and viability of populations of threatened tortoises in Southern Africa, through field surveys, environmental DNA (eDNA) and population genetic analyses. We are interested in determining the genetic diversity and connectivity of any remaining population(s) and potentially making inferences regarding the genetic response of these populations to habitat fragmentation, range restriction and putative migratory routes between isolated habitats.

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