Formerly placed under Gonionotophis, this species has been transferred to the newly erected genus, Gracililima (Broadley et al. 2018).

Assessed as Least Concern due to its wide distribution throughout eastern and southern Africa. No specific threats have been reported across its full range and this species is presumably not undergoing significant population declines.

This species is found on the East African coastal plain from southern Somalia (from where Lanza 1990 reports only a single record, southwest of Gelib in the Middle Juba region) and southeastern Kenya south through Tanzania (including Zanzibar), Mozambique and Zimbabwe to northern South Africa (Spawls et al. 2002) and Eswatini [formerly Swaziland] (Bates et al. 2014). A literature record from 'Rwanda-Burundi' is excluded from the map provided by Spawls et al. (2018), and elsewhere in East Africa this species' distribution follows the eastern coastal plain, with no records from areas close to either country (Spawls et al. 2018). The range may also extend through Botswana to central Namibia (Branch 1998), as suggested by Lanza (1990). It can be found from sea level to a maximum elevation of 1,200 m (Spawls et al. 2002).  In South Africa it is known from Limpopo, northern Gauteng, the northern and eastern parts of Mpumulanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces (Bates et al. 2014). May also be present in the North-West Province, South Africa.

In an assessment of the conservation status of Namibian reptiles (Griffin 2003), this species was reported as insufficiently known and possibly rare. Griffin reports that there are so few records of its occurrence in Namibia and Botswana that it is not possible to ascertain whether the Namibian population is isolated. Little is known of the population across the rest of its range, although the population is expected to be stable at least in South Africa.

This species inhabits savanna (Branch 1998), open woodland, grassland, coastal dune forest and gardens (Marais 1992). It feeds primarily on lygosomine skinks, including many fossorial taxa (Shine et al. 1996). It is oviparous, with clutch sizes of up to six eggs (Spawls et al. 2002).

It is unlikely that any major threat is impacting this species.

This species is not utilized. Export quotas issued by Tanzania represent confusion with other species.

There are no known species-specific conservation measures in place or needed for this species. In places it is likely that its distribution coincides with several protected areas (e.g. along the coastal strip of Tanzania). Further research may be needed to clarify its population status.