Fauna of New Zealand

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The kiwi is a national symbol of New Zealand.

The

biota, have an unusual history because, before the arrival of humans, less than 900 years ago, the country was mostly free of mammals, except those that could swim there (seals, sea lions, and, off-shore, whales and dolphins) or fly there (bats). However, as recently as the Miocene, it was home to the terrestrial Saint Bathans mammal, implying that mammals had been present since the island had broken away from other landmasses. The absence of mammals meant that all of the ecological niches occupied by mammals elsewhere were occupied instead by either insects or birds, leading to an unusually large number of flightless birds, including the kiwi, the weka, the moa (now extinct), the takahē, and the kākāpō
.

A tuatara, sometimes described as a "living fossil"
Diversity of marine mollusc shells at Akaroa Beach, New Zealand

Because of the lack of predators, even bats spend most of their time on the ground. There are also about 60 species of

four species of frog (all rare and endangered), and the tuatara
(reptiles resembling lizards but with a distinct lineage).

Some

butterflies of New Zealand are endemic, while many species have been introduced and some species of butterflies periodically migrate to New Zealand. The Australian painted lady has been known to migrate from Australia to New Zealand in times of strong migration in Australia.[1]

Invasive species

Humans first arrived via the Pacific islands, in several waves at some time before 1300 AD,

stoats and dogs have all seriously impacted the New Zealand fauna, driving some species to extinction.[quantify] Brushtail possums were introduced from Australia for a fur industry, and deer from Europe as game animals, both seriously damaging the forest habitat of many birds.[3]

In recent years,[

Maungatautari Restoration Project
.

See also

Part of a series on
Biota of New Zealand
Close-up of a New Zealand wood pigeon or kereru
Biodiversity
Flora and Fauna
Conservation
Protected areas
Organisations
National
International
Associated laws
New Zealand environmental law
Related topics
Fauna
Other

References

  1. doi:10.1046/j.1440-6055.1999.00117.x
    .
  2. ^ "Rat remains help date New Zealand's colonisation". New Scientist. 4 June 2008. Accessed 2008-06-23
  3. ^ T. T. Veblen and G. H. Stewart (1982). "The effects of introduced wild animals on New Zealand forests". Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 72, No. 3, pp. 372 397.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Animals of New Zealand.
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