In their assessment of this species, Davis et al. (2020) noted that some specimens from the Zambezi Valley and northeast KwaZulu-Natal exhibit a lighter and darker brown typical patterning. Davis et al. (2020) recommended research to clarify the taxonomic status of these individuals. Subsequently, comparison with an internet photograph has revealed that this "patterned" morph is an already described species from Ethiopia, Copris trogiformis (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023).

Cyptochirus ambiguus has been listed as Least Concern. This species has a wide extent of occurrence having been reported from northeastern and southern Africa, with a large area of occupancy based on suitable habitat within the extent of occurrence, primarily in highland blocks. Although the species generally occurs at low densities, it has been found in grasslands associated with cattle dung, and is therefore unlikely to be threatened at present.

This species was described from an inexact locality in the “Cape of Good Hope”. It is known to occur in South Africa and Eswatini, where it has a wide range distribution centred primarily on the cool, moist northern highveld and the entire southeast coastal regions (Davis et al. 2020). Outside this region it has been cited as occurring in southeast Africa and, disjunctly, in northeast Africa (Ethiopia) (Roggero et al. 2015). Its reported occurrence in Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda (Davis et al. 2020, Schoolmeesters et al. 2022) is not supported by Roggero et al. (2015), who reviewed the distribution and phylogeny of Cyptochirus. Other species are recorded for these regions by these authors. It has been recorded between 21 and 2,286 m asl (Davis et al. 2020).

A relatively low population density may result from its breeding habits which may be similar to those of its close relative Cyptochirus distinctus. This species constructs 2-5 broods arranged contiguously as a dung cake in a chamber housed in a pit immediately under dung pads. Such nesting behaviour may be susceptible to both exploitation competition (resource pre-emption) through dung removal by other dung beetles and to limitation on the number of available breeding sites (Cambefort and Lumaret 1983).

At a latitude of 29-30^oS in South Africa, across an altitudinal transect of finer grained soils in grassland from 500 to 2,800 m, this species was recorded in relatively low numbers at 500 and 1,500 m (3-4 per pitfall trap baited with cattle dung), with a very limited presence at 1,900 m (0.04 per trap) (Davis et al. 1999). At 25-27 °S in a survey of nature reserves in Gauteng, South Africa, low numbers of the species were recorded only in grassland on finer-grained soils at altitudes above 1,500 m (< 1 per trap using composite baits of pig and cattle dung), but not on sandy nor finer grained soils in reserves between 1,100-1,450 m (Davis et al. 2005). In Foggy Valley, also in this country, the species has been reported as abundant in natural Themeda grasslands, fallow crop fields and Kikuyu pasture (Davis et al. 2020). In South Africa it has been recorded from moister, warm parts of the Highveld and the southeast coast, with most food records from cattle dung (Davis et al. 2020). Across 122 localities in this country mean annual rainfall is between 430 and 1,047 mm and mean annual temperature between 10.8 and 25.9 °C (Davis et al. 2020).

In South Africa, the distribution of this species is centred on moister grasslands of the Drakensberg montane grasslands, woodlands and forests (AT1004), higher northern parts of the Highveld grassland (AT1009), and in pastures in cleared parts of the Knysna-Amatole montane forests (AT0115) (ecoregions based on Olson et al. 2001).

The effects of habitat modification in its highland range (Low and Rebelo 1998) remain unassessed for this species. In South Africa, these modifications include improvement of pastures that change the density of grass cover and may alter microhabitat characteristics, particularly in Kikuyu pasture. There is also widespread conversion of highland grassland to commercial woodland plantation.

There is no use or trade information available for this species.

There are no species-specific conservation actions in place for this species. Owing to its widespread occurrence in highland grasslands where it is frequently found in cattle dung, it is probable that this species does not require protection at present. Quantitative data are nonetheless recommended to clarify the status of all subpopulations (Davis et al. 2020).