The wonderful world of New Zealand (animals). Fauna of New Zealand Animals living in New Zealand

Nature of New Zealand

All of New Zealand's current diversity of mammal species is the result of human activity. The British, and later the New Zealanders, treated the islands purely pragmatically; they viewed the new place as a farm, albeit a large one, but still a barnyard. Each species was brought deliberately, and it was assigned a certain place in the created structure; the settlers brought their way of life and habits from distant England and recreated everything in a new place. Unfortunately, the imported animals got out of control and nature put everything in its place, not as originally planned. In this article, I tried to link the importation of animals to dates and understand why this or that species was imported

New Zealand, separated for a long period from Gondwana (an ancient supercontinent of the Southern Hemisphere), had a rich endemic fauna, however, there were practically no mammals there.
Before the arrival of man in 800 AD, the archipelago was home to only three species of small bats, sea lions, fur seals, and whales.
This was the case until the current washed the fighting pies of the Maori, who later became the indigenous population of New Zealand, to the shores. Usually only Europeans are blamed for all environmental troubles, but the Maori also contributed to changing the animal world of the islands. In 1280 they brought with them the small rat, which they used as a pet and also as food. And they destroyed one of the three species of bats.
A new archipelago southeast of Australia was discovered by the Dutchman Abel Tasman. In 1642, his team landed on one of the islands, but local residents killed several sailors, which scared off the explorer and, so to speak, delayed the change in the fauna of the archipelago for more than a hundred years
The first European mammals to land on the archipelago were goats and pigs with Captain James Cook in 1773. The Englishman specifically released them onto the islands during his second voyage to New Zealand as a source of food for the shipwrecked. Early explorers, whalers, sealers and settlers used the animals for food and for barter with the Maori
The pigs were distributed by local residents as gifts to each other. The Maori quickly appreciated the gastronomic value of the new animals, as well as their ability to utilize food scraps
With the first Europeans, unwanted guests also entered the islands; there were always a lot of rodents on the ships. The black rat, the house mouse and the gray rat (pasyuk) were the first and only mammals that were brought to the island by accident.
All the rest were introduced quite deliberately, which led to irreversible changes in the flora and fauna of the islands
The beginning of colonization of the archipelago was noted in 1814; domestic cats also appeared with the first settlers. But the cat, as you know, walks on its own, so these ones got out of control, increasing their population and causing great damage to flightless bird species, putting them at risk of extinction
In the same year, the first settlers brought cows with them (I can imagine how difficult it was, given the technology for transporting livestock at that time). On a long journey, you need to keep a huge smell of feed and, most importantly, water, so valuable at sea. But traditions are traditions, what kind of Englishman would he be without a cup of tea with milk?
Analyzing the species set of settlers that the British brought to a new place, we can divide them into several groups: pets, animals for farming and hunting
The rapid development of the textile industry in England and the rapidly growing demand for wool gave impetus to the colonization of New Zealand, the purpose of which was to provide pasture land for sheep. The first sheep appeared in 1830 and became one of the symbols of New Zealand, enclosure ended in Great Britain, the words of Thomas More thundered “sheep eat men”, so these animals were seen as a symbol of prosperity, so it is not surprising that they were one of the first to arrive on the green meadows of the new homeland. On the first sheep farms, they kept mainly Merino sheep, since wool was more in demand than meat, because it was easier to deliver it to the metropolis, and it was necessary to wait half a century before the first refrigerated ship appeared. The appearance of sheep changed the landscape of the islands - sheep are the most voracious among farm animals, they eat about 250 types of herbs, leaving the local herbivorous fauna without a food source.
Although some local species have found use for newcomers. Before the arrival of Europeans, the kea parrot (Nestor notabilis) living on the islands ate mainly fruits, insects, flower nectar, and less often carrion. But as soon as sheep were brought to the islands, parrots learned to hunt them, and in a very cunning way: the strongest and largest males choose smaller and weaker sheep from the flock, dive onto its back and, tightly clinging to the wool with their claws, tear the skin with their powerful beaks. A wounded animal simply bleeds to death or runs away in terror, falls and breaks its neck. Well, now the whole flock flocks to the meal!

Three years later, the sheep were accompanied by the Australian bristle-tailed possum, kuzu (Trichosurus vulpecula) - this was the first of the Australian species introduced by Europeans to the islands of New Zealand. Possums were brought in to develop the fur trade: the fur of these animals was in demand on the World Market and the British decided to develop a new market for their goods. The “New Zealand bear” still has some practical significance: its meat is supplied to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, and the local industry processes carcasses into food for dogs and cats. However, the benefits of kuzu are limited to this.
In Australia, the possum population was controlled by dingoes, bushfires and sparse vegetation. In New Zealand they exist in favorable conditions, so they breed twice a year. The number of possums is estimated at 70 million individuals, and they account for 7 million tons of vegetation consumed per year.
Kuzu cause great harm to forestry by eating young shoots, and valuable species of endemic trees suffer; Climbing up poles, animals chew through wires, dying in the process and leaving entire villages without light. In addition, they are carriers of tuberculosis, food competitors and natural enemies of land snails and birds. Now the symbol of New Zealand - the kiwi bird (Apteryx Shaw) lives under the constant supervision of naturalists and pressure from possums. They are trying with all their might to multiply the former so that they do not have time to disappear, while they are trying to destroy the latter by hook or by crook.

In 1838, the first type of “entertainment animal,” the rabbit, was brought to the islands. The British are big fans of hunting - they are beginning to form a hunting fauna. A little more than 20 years have passed since colonization and not only working farmers, but also bored aristocrats have appeared in society. Mathematical modeling methods were not yet known, and no one knew that rabbits in the fertile conditions of New Zealand would breed much faster than hunters could shoot them. As a result, the nascent agricultural economy of young Europeanized Zealand was almost undermined - rabbits devastated the pastures intended for sheep with lightning speed
For some reason, rabbits alone were not enough for the British, and in 1851 they introduced the Western European brown hare
Further, Europeans bring animals only for their favorite hobby of hunting. Between 1851 and 1923, approximately 1,000 British farmed deer were released into the wild to provide game for hunters. But in an excellent climate and in the absence of predators, the population grew and began to threaten agriculture. Then the New Zealanders began to regulate the number by shooting, and sell the meat to European countries, where it was traditionally in demand. Over time, the flow of venison to Europe increased and people began to think about commercial production and began to organize deer farms. The first license for a deer farm was issued in 1969. By 1979, there were 800 reindeer herding farms, and the interest was so great that after only a year there were already 1,540.
The domestication of deer in New Zealand was a remarkable phenomenon.
In fact, it was the first animal in the last 5,000 years that could be domesticated, while goats, cows and others had already served humans for hundreds of centuries.
This was achieved through a unique combination of a number of factors:
a system for catching deer in nature was developed
no one, including the government, opposed the capture of deer, because they were recognized as a “harmful” animal
a large population of wild deer provided farms with ready-made livestock
temperate climate allowed year-round pasture use
In 2005, there were more than 1.7 million farmed reindeer (compared to 5 million cows, 40 million sheep). New Zealand has become a world leader in reindeer husbandry in terms of its technology and relative contribution to the national economy

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New Zealand: Wildlife

Long-term historical isolation and distance from other continents has created a unique and in many ways inimitable natural world of the New Zealand islands, characterized by a large number of endemic plants and birds.

About 1000 years ago, before permanent human settlements appeared on the islands, mammals were historically completely absent. The exceptions were two species of bats and coastal whales, sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) and fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri).

Simultaneously with the arrival of the first permanent inhabitants, the Polynesians, to these lands, Polynesian rats (Rattus exulans) and dogs appeared on the islands. Later, the first European settlers brought pigs, cows, goats, mice and cats. The development of European settlements in the 19th century caused the appearance of more and more new species of animals in New Zealand.

The appearance of some of them had an extremely negative impact on the flora and fauna of the islands. Such animals include rats, cats, ferrets, rabbits (brought into the country for the development of hunting), stoats (brought into the country to control the rabbit population), possums (brought into the country for the development of the fur industry). Having no natural enemies in the surrounding nature, populations of these animals reached sizes that posed a threat to agriculture, public health, and brought natural representatives of the flora and fauna of New Zealand to the brink of extinction. Only in recent years, through the efforts of New Zealand's environmental departments, have some coastal islands been rid of these animals, which has made it possible to hope for the preservation of natural conditions there.

Of the fauna of New Zealand, the most famous are the kiwi birds (Apterygiformes), which have become the national symbol of the country. Among the birds, it is also necessary to note the kea (Nestor notabilis) (or nestor), kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) (or owl parrot), takahe (Notoronis hochstelteri) (or wingless plume).

Only in New Zealand are the remains of the giant flightless birds moa (Dinornis), which reached a height of 3.5 m, exterminated about 500 years ago, preserved. A little later, presumably only about 200 years ago, the largest known species of eagles, the Haast's eagle, was exterminated. wings up to 3 meters and weighing up to 15 kg.

Reptiles found in New Zealand include the hatteria (Sphenodon punctatus) and skinks (Scincidae). New Zealand skinks are represented by three species: the great skink, the Otago skink, and the Suter skink. Of these, the first type is the most common.

The only representative of insectivores introduced into the country and adapted to the free living conditions there is the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus).

There are no snakes in New Zealand, and only the katipo (Latrodectus katipo) is a poisonous spider.

The country's fresh waters are home to 29 species of fish, 8 of which are on the verge of extinction. The coastal seas are home to up to 3,000 species of fish and other marine life. New Zealand is home to 35 endemic fish species that are found nowhere else. There are two species of eels found in New Zealand waters (low-finned and long-finned); lamprey, retropinna vulgaris, galaxia. There are Australian spotted cat sharks, drummers, red snapper and king fish, mackerel that are harmless to humans.

Paua clams. Paua is the name of three species of New Zealand large edible seashells belonging to the family Haliotidae and standing out among other shells for their unusually bright shimmer of mother-of-pearl.

Long-term historical isolation and distance from other continents has created a unique and in many ways inimitable natural world of the New Zealand islands, distinguished by a particularly large number of endemic - that is, local - birds. As for mammals, reptiles and fish, the number of their endemic species is significantly inferior to birds.

Additionally, we recommend that you visit the following sections: tours to New Zealand, visas to New Zealand, air tickets to New Zealand.

Mammals

Before the arrival of humans in New Zealand (around 1300), the only endemic mammals here were three species of bats: long-tailed bats and short-tailed bats.

Seals and whales, once ubiquitous in New Zealand, were discovered in the 19th century. were almost exterminated. Several colonies of seals are now known: sea lions, fur seals.

Whales and dolphins are found in the sea all the time. Between October and December, pods of migrating whales can be seen in Cook Strait. Of the 77 species of dolphins and whales, 35 species are found in New Zealand. Endemic to these places is Hector's dolphin.

Introduced animals that undermine the islands' ecosystem pose a great danger to New Zealand. Therefore, the populations of deer, possums, rats, and mustelids are under government control.

The wide distribution of mustelids (trochees, stoats and weasels) negatively affects the fauna of the islands. It is very difficult to control their population, since mustelids lead a secretive lifestyle. Stoats kill about 40 kiwi chicks a day on the North Island; they eat 15,000 birds a year, that is, 60% of all chicks. The other 35% fall victim to choreas. On the North Island, only 5% of kiwi chicks survive.

Of the reptiles, an interesting one is the tuatara (better known as the tuatara), which is the only representative of the order Sphenodontia. Its contemporaries died out 60 million years ago.

New Zealand's frogs belong to the genus Leiopelma, an ancient and primitive group of frogs. In 70 million years they have changed little.

There are seven known species of endemic frogs, three of them are extinct, four are still alive today, found mainly on small islands.

There are no snakes in New Zealand.

Insects

The insect world in New Zealand is very diverse. Its distinctive feature is the gigantic size of some species, which is due to the absence of snakes and small mammals in the country. Giant wingless grasshoppers weta have taken on the ecological role of specialized seed dispersers of plants with succulent fruits.

Rare spiders and red admiral butterflies are still found in abundance on the small islands to this day. Other large insects include the flightless horned beetle, longhorned beetle and stick insects.

Birds

Most New Zealand animals are endemic and are found nowhere else except New Zealand. There are practically no placental mammals and predators, which are represented by rats, dogs and bats. The absence of predators allowed a huge number of rare species, mainly birds, to survive.

In the rain forest, where branches of bushes, trunks, and vines are tightly intertwined, the kiwi, the smallest bird from the family of flightless Apterigidae, still lives.

In New Zealand, the remains of extinct moas, or dinornis, giant flightless birds, some species of which reached 3.6 m in height and weighed a quarter of a ton, have been found.

Indispensable inhabitants of the forests of New Zealand have always been such colorful birds as the wingless plume takahe and the saddle-backed huia.

The country's waters are rich in waterfowl: black swans, cormorants, skuas, gannets, ducks, swallows, stilts, penguins, and gulls are common here. Many albatrosses live here, and among them the largest species is the royal albatrosses with a wingspan of more than 3.5 m. Pateke (Auckland teal), fairy tern, and blue duck (Wayo) are also common.

Among the songbirds are: New Zealand tui, bellbird (makomako), New Zealand kereru pigeon.

The parrot family is represented by: owl macaw, yellow-fronted parrot, kea, kaka, black Chatham flycatcher.

New Zealand is home to five species of penguins that are found only in that country: the most represented are the yellow-eyed penguin, the crested penguin.

Fish

New Zealand is home to 35 endemic fish species that are found nowhere else.

There are two species of eels found in New Zealand waters (low-finned and long-finned); lamprey, retropinna vulgare, galaxia.

There are Australian spotted cat sharks, drummers, red snapper and king fish, mackerel, and paua clams that are harmless to humans.

Official website of the Ministry of Nature Conservation of New Zealand:

Casewings

Case-winged bats (sac-winged bats)- a family of mammals from the order Chiroptera. Consists of a single species, the small casewing, common in New Zealand and on the island. Stewart.

sea ​​lions

New Zealand sea lion or Hooker's sea lion- a large eared seal of the subantarctic islands.

Seals

New Zealand fur seal- a species of eared seals from the subfamily of fur seals. Belongs to the genus of southern fur seals.

Bristletails

Kuzu, brushtails, bristle-tailed gliders- a genus of mammals of the possum family. Includes five types.

New Zealand skinks

New Zealand skinks are represented by three species: large skink, Otago skink, Suter skink. Of these, the first is the most represented.

Kiwi

Kiwi- the only genus of ratites in the family and order of the same name, Kiviiformes, or wingless. Includes five species endemic to New Zealand.

Takahe

Takahe, the wingless sultana- a flightless rare bird, considered extinct. Lives in the mountains of the South Island, near Lake Te Anau, New Zealand. Belongs to the rail family.

Saddle-backed huia

Saddle-backed huia- a rare New Zealand bird of the family of New Zealand starlings of the order Passeriformes.

New Zealand is a country of forests and meadows. At the dawn of colonization, much of its territory, especially on the North Island, was covered with dense evergreen forests. European settlers gradually changed the appearance of the New Zealand landscape, and arable land took the place of primeval forests. Nowadays, the latter have been preserved only in the most inaccessible mountainous areas of the country. These forests are very unique. Most plant species, approximately 3D, as in Australia, are endemic, that is, unique to New Zealand, and do not occur naturally in any other parts of the globe. One of the most famous and interesting species is the Kauri pines. These are huge centuries-old trees, reaching a height of 40 or even 60 m, with a trunk diameter of up to 3 m. The wood of these pines is an excellent building material. During the period of colonization of the islands, pine forests were severely exterminated and are now found in the form of small groves only on the Auckland Peninsula. In the southern and eastern parts of the North Island and mainly on the South Island, on the slopes of mountain ranges, tracts of forests consisting of local species are still preserved: totara, matai, rimu, kahikatea, etc. Their wood is used for building houses, making furniture, containers for the export of butter, cheese and other purposes. Ferns are widespread and ubiquitous. Tree-like forms, with a height of 8 to 14 m, form a dense undergrowth; lower ones, together with mosses and mosses, cover the soil, and creeping forms of ferns climb the straight and smooth trunks of tall trees far up. An interesting and peculiar plant of New Zealand forests is the epiphyte rata tree. It has very small seeds that often take root and germinate on the branches of other trees. There, the rata develop as long as there is a sufficient supply of nutrients, after which they begin to produce aerial roots. When the latter reach the soil, they quickly germinate and soon take on the character of tall and thick tree trunks. With their branches they tightly wrap themselves around the tree on which they originated, often oppressing and strangling it. In some places, the rata have developed so much that they have almost completely suppressed and displaced all other tree species. In addition to rata, in the forests of New Zealand there are many other epiphytes and vines, which, spreading from tree to tree, make these forests completely impenetrable. Some of them have flexible shoots, only a finger thick, but resistant to knife, while others, such as the New Zealand blackberry, are covered with long, prickly thorns. Palm trees are also common among forest species. As a rule, they do not have high trunks and almost directly from the ground throw out multi-meter feathery leaves, mounted on long chocolate-colored velvety cuttings. They are very decorative and beautiful, but in their appearance they differ sharply from the palm trees of the northern hemisphere. However, New Zealand's forests are quite monotonous. In their thicket it is almost always quiet and dead. There are no colorful bright flowers, no animals are visible, and only rare butterflies and European birds somewhat enliven their austere and gloomy appearance. Large, undisturbed woodlands lie on the western slopes of the Southern Alps. In the lower part they consist of the already familiar totaru, kahikatea, rimu, araucaria and have a dense undergrowth mainly of tree ferns. Epiphytes, lianas and mosses are widespread here. Higher up the slopes, these impenetrable thickets are replaced by forests of evergreen beech, and upon reaching 1500 m by trees that shed their leaves for the winter. Even higher is a belt of bushes, then a forest of dwarf trees and, finally, peaks free of snow and ice, covered with tall grass alpine meadows, where colorful flowers can be seen in bright spots among the emerald green grass. There are especially many colorful daisies and snow-white edelweiss there. On lonely rocky peaks and cliffs in the highest mountain zone, plants typical for these places are found. They creep low on the ground and have the appearance of pillows, the diameter of which reaches 34 m. In New Zealand they are often called plant sheep. The eastern slopes of the Southern Alps are quite different in the appearance of their vegetation from the western ones. There is less moisture there, and the temperature difference between winter and summer is greater, so the middle parts of the slopes are dominated by shrubs, while the lower parts are occupied by dense thickets of tall and tough tassek grass. In river valleys or on the edges of swampy forests, you can often find dracaena, an endemic plant of New Zealand. In appearance it looks like a palm tree. On a tall trunk, long, hard, shiny leaves fan out in different directions. Dracaena is not only a beautiful ornamental tree that gives the surrounding landscape a palm-like character. When processed, high-quality paper is obtained from its leaves, thread and twine from fibers, and a tasty drink from the roots. New Zealand's native tree species have a range of characteristics. Firstly, they are characterized by extremely slow growth, secondly, they have a shallow root system that goes deep into the soil and therefore are easily pulled out of the ground during strong winds and storms, and thirdly, they are very hard and durable, but difficult to process wood. In addition, as already indicated, most of the forests have been severely destroyed - cut down and burned. Revegetation occurs mainly through the introduction of species brought from different parts of the globe. Already at the end of the last century, artificial forest plantations began to be created in New Zealand. Australian eucalyptus and acacia trees, redwoods,

Iikau palms on the shore of aa willow Akaroa (South Island)

A type of typical subtropical forest in New Zealand: cypresses and pines from North America, poplars, birches, pines, oaks and other species from European countries. In 1951, the total area occupied by forests was 6,356 thousand hectares, or 23.9% of the entire territory of the country, of which 183.6 thousand hectares were occupied by artificial forest plantations. Of the native, non-woody plants, New Zealand flax is of industrial importance. In its natural state it is distributed in the Westland and Southland provinces of the South Island, and 3/s of specially cultivated flax is grown in the North Island, around Auckland. New Zealand flax is a perennial herbaceous plant with a thick rhizome, from which numerous long (up to 23 m) sword-shaped leaves extend in a fan shape. In appearance it is very similar to iris. From the leaves of this plant you can obtain a strong and durable fiber that is superior in quality to the famous Manila hemp. At the beginning of this century, New Zealand flax was still widely cultivated on both islands and constituted one of the country's exports. Currently, due to competition from Manila hemp and other strong-fiber crops that are easier to machine, New Zealand flax crops have sharply decreased. This plant is most widely used by the indigenous Maori people. Fresh, just cut leaves replace paper. Using a sharp shell, the islanders scratch letters on the glossy and strong surface of the sheet. Cut into strips, it replaces twine and ropes; It is used to weave mats and baskets, obtain fiber and make clothing. All cultivated fruit, grain, garden plants, as well as specially sown grasses, were brought to New Zealand from Europe, mainly from England. Even in the not very distant historical past, the fauna of the islands, like the flora, was very unique and unusual. However, most of the local animals and birds were exterminated during the period of colonization and are now almost completely replaced by new species brought from Europe. A distinctive feature of the fauna of the islands was that it was very poor in mammals. The Polynesians brought black rats and dogs with them to New Zealand, and later several species of bats were introduced. Hares, rabbits, deer, roe deer and others appeared there along with European settlers. As in Australia, the world of birds was richer, among which, which was also a feature of New Zealand, flightless birds predominated. Some of them, such as moa, which reached 4 m in height, have long been exterminated. In the deep forests of the South Island you can still find kiwis, small running birds. They have almost no wings at all, but they have strong and strong legs. The body of these birds is covered with long, hair-like feathers, reminiscent of the fur of mammals. Flightless but fast-running birds include Maori rails, which are still quite widespread on both islands. Parrots are especially numerous in New Zealand. The two most interesting species are the poorly flying owl parrot, the kakapo, and the kea. Kakapo has already been almost exterminated and is found, except in zoos and nature reserves, only in the most remote valleys of the Southern Alps. It lives either in deep hollows or in rocky caves. During the day he rarely appears in the forest and only at nightfall he goes in search of food. Since the development of sheep farming in New Zealand, the kea parrot has become a harmful predator. With its strong and sharp beak, it pecks the lower back of sheep to get to the kidney fat, which is a delicacy for it. This parrot causes great harm to sheep herds, and cattle farmers are constantly fighting against it. Many European birds have acclimatized well in New Zealand: starlings, sparrows, robins, mountain song thrushes, larks and others, which enliven the gloomy and quiet forests with their singing and trills. Many migratory birds from the Northern Hemisphere also winter there. There are no poisonous snakes, and in general reptiles are extremely poorly represented. Among them, the lizard Hatteria, or tutara (Maori name), is especially interesting. This is a representative of prehistoric forms of animals that have long since become extinct in all other parts of the globe. In the structure of its body, this lizard has many primitive features characteristic of ancient, lower-organized reptiles. On the large islands of New Zealand, tuataria have been almost completely exterminated. They began to be protected only about 30 years ago. Over the past five years, the tuataria kept in the terrarium in Wellington have laid eggs twice, from which young animals have hatched. Live tuataria were sent to the California Academy of Sciences, as well as to the Zurich and Washington National Park zoos. Under the influence of humans, the primitive animal world of New Zealand, like the plant world, has undergone great changes. The settlers brought with them many types of European animals and primarily domestic animals: sheep, cattle, goats, horses, pigs, and poultry. Some of them, such as rabbits, goats and pigs, have become somewhat feral. Currently, they live in forests and are hunted. There is a particularly big struggle with rabbits. The latter multiplied very quickly and, eating a lot of grass, devastate and spoil the sheep pastures.