South African Peripatopsids  (Peripatopsis spp.)

Peripatopsis species are endangered by a wide range of threats. The white cave velvet worm (P. alba) is threatened by over collection for research purposes, trampling by cavers, and increased air pollution in the caves. The Knysna velvet worm (P. clavigera) has suffered from habitat loss and degradation, with the areas in which it occurs having undergone extensive development, involving the construction of upmarket housing complexes, tourist facilities and roads, particularly over the last 10 to 20 years. There is considerable concern for the future of this species since its range is one of the prime tourism spots in the country and South Africa's tourism industry is continuing to grow. Several of the Knysna forests are also sustainably logged, and alien plant invasion has been a problem, with exotic plantations surrounding the remaining forests. Lion's Hill velvet worm (P. leonina) has only been recorded in one small area and has not been collected since 1900. The habitat where it was found has undergone enormous changes in the last 100 years through the construction of houses and roads, development of recreational areas, the creation of exotic plantations, and massive increases in the levels of air pollution. It may be that this species is already extinct (1).

Permits are required by a national conservation agency to collect wild fauna, and certain localities, such as Tsitsikamma where the Knysna velvet worm (P. clavigera) is found, are formerly protected. It has been advocated that access to caves should be prohibited or limited to help conserve the white cave velvet worm (P. alba) (1). It would be a tremendous shame if these species of enormous scientific intrigue and important evolutionary clues should disappear from the wild forever. Sadly, it may already be too late for Lion's Hill velvet worm (P. leonina).