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Ōpārara Basin
The Ōpārara Basin is a basin drained by the Ōpārara River at north of Karamea, at the West Coast Region of the South Island of New Zealand. With its large natural rock arches, a network of caves rich in fossils, and a beautiful, unspoiled natural environment typical of temperate rainforests, it is one of the most striking places of the Kahurangi National Park. The Ōpārara Basin is also famous for its unique remains in paleozoology and for being the sole habitat of several plant and animal species. History With its natural environment relatively closed and isolated, the Ōpārara Basin has long been protected from human influence. However, the locations of natural rock arches have been indicated in maps as early as from the 1880s. Logging of native timber in the area started in the late 19th century, with the building of the McCallum's sawmill. As the logging areas progressed to be further away from the sawmill, it became necessary to build an access road into the rugg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Ōpārara River
The Ōpārara River is a river in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. It is best known for the limestone arches it carved in the Oparara Basin. The river and most of its tributaries originate in the Fenian Ranges in the Kahurangi National Park, where the river flows through a section of the Honeycomb Hill Cave. Further downstream it continues through the Ōpārara Basin Arches, both of which are popular walking destinations. These sections of the Ōpārara River, while still in dense native forest, can be reached by a forestry road. For the majority of its length it continues to meander south through the Ōpārara Basin before turning west to flow into the Tasman Sea near the small settlement of Ōpārara north of the township of Karamea. The river's colour varies from tea-like shades of golden brown to red from the natural organic tannins released into the water by several of the plant species in the area. Leaves and other plant matter on the forest floo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Lyall's Wren
Lyall's wren or the Stephens Island wren (''Traversia lyalli'') was a small, flightless passerine belonging to the family Acanthisittidae, the New Zealand wrens. Now extinct, it was once found throughout New Zealand, but when it came to the attention of scientists in 1894, its last refuge was Stephens Island in Cook Strait. Often claimed to be a species driven extinct by a single creature (a lighthouse keeper's cat named Tibbles), the wren in fact fell victim to the island's numerous feral cats. The wren was described almost simultaneously by both Walter Rothschild and Walter Buller. It became extinct shortly thereafter. Taxonomy The bird's scientific name commemorates the assistant lighthouse keeper, David Lyall, who first brought the bird to the attention of science. It was described as a distinct genus, ''Traversia'', in honour of naturalist and curio dealer Henry H. Travers, who procured many specimens from Lyall. ''Traversia'' is a member of the family Acanthisittidae ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Weka
The weka, also known as the Māori hen or woodhen (''Gallirallus australis'') is a flightless bird species of the rail family. It is endemic to New Zealand. Some authorities consider it as the only extant member of the genus '' Gallirallus''. Four subspecies are recognized but only two (northern/southern) are supported by genetic evidence. The weka are sturdy brown birds about the size of a chicken. As omnivores, they feed mainly on invertebrates and fruit. Weka usually lay eggs between August and January; both sexes help to incubate. Description Weka are large rails. They are predominantly rich brown mottled with black and grey; the brown shade varies from pale to dark depending on subspecies. The male is the larger sex at in length and in weight. Females measure in length and weigh . The reduced wingspan ranges from . The relatively large, reddish-brown beak is about long, stout and tapered, and used as a weapon. The pointed tail is near-constantly being flicked, a si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Great Spotted Kiwi
The great spotted kiwi, great grey kiwiDavies, S. J. J. F. (2003) or roroa (''Apteryx maxima'') is a species of kiwi endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. The great spotted kiwi, as a member of the ratites, is flightless. It is the largest of the kiwi. The rugged topography and harsh climate of the high altitude alpine part of its habitat render it inhospitable to a number of introduced mammalian predators, which include dogs, ferrets, cats, and stoats. Because of this, populations of this species have been less seriously affected by the predations of these invasive species compared to other kiwi. Nonetheless, there has been a 43% decline in population in the past 45 years, due to these predators and habitat destruction. This has led it to be classified as vulnerable. There are less than 16,000 great spotted kiwis in total, almost all in the more mountainous parts of northwest Nelson, the northwest coast, and the Southern Alps. A minority live on island reserves. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Blue Duck
The blue duck (''Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos'') or whio is a member of the duck, goose and swan family (biology), family Anatidae endemic to New Zealand. It is the only member of the genus ''Hymenolaimus''. Its exact taxonomic status is still unresolved, but it appears to be most closely related to the tribe Anatini, the dabbling ducks. The whio is depicted on the reverse side of the New Zealand ten-dollar note, New Zealand $10 banknote. Taxonomy James Cook, Captain James Cook saw the blue duck in Dusky Sound, South Island, New Zealand, on his Second voyage of James Cook, second voyage to the south Pacific. In 1777 both Cook and the naturalist Georg Forster mentioned the blue duck in their separate accounts of the voyage. A specimen was described in 1785 by the English ornithologist John Latham (ornithologist), John Latham in his ''A General Synopsis of Birds''. Latham used the English name, the "soft-billed duck". When in 1789 the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Mystacina Robusta
The New Zealand greater short-tailed bat (''Mystacina robusta'') is one of two species of New Zealand short-tailed bats, a family (Mystacinidae) unique to New Zealand. Larger than the New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat, there have been no confirmed sightings of this species since 1965 and it is considered to be critically endangered, if not extinct. In prehistoric times it lived in the North and South Islands but by the time of European arrival was restricted to small islands near Stewart Island / Rakiura. A rat invasion of Taukihepa/Big South Cape Island in 1963 was thought to have led to the species' extinction, however, recent surveys have raised hopes that the species may still exist. Description ''M. robusta'' was not considered to be separate from the New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat (''Mystacina tuberculata'') until 1962, when it was suggested as a subspecies. It was not recognized as a completely separate species within Mystacinidae until 1985, long after it was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Arachnocampa Luminosa
''Arachnocampa luminosa'' (Skuse, 1891), commonly known as New Zealand glowworm or simply glowworm, is a species of fungus gnat solely endemic to New Zealand. The larval stage and the imago produce a blue-green bioluminescence. The species is known to dwell in caves and on sheltered banks in the native bush where humidity is high, as moisture helps to maintain their silk structures that capture prey. Its Māori language, Māori names are ''pūrātoke'', from the verb "to glow", and , meaning "lights reflected in water." This likely derives from the glowworms' presence near bodies of water, where their luminous displays are reflected. Distribution and Discovery ''Arachnocampa luminosa'' is widespread across both the North Island, North and the South Island of New Zealand, although populations generally occur in cave systems and in native bush where prey species are available and humidity is high. They shelter in caves or crevices that provide suitable darkness and protect their si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Spelungula Cavernicola
''Spelungula'' is a monotypic genus of South Pacific large-clawed spiders containing the single species, ''Spelungula cavernicola'', or the Nelson cave spider. Taxonomy This species was described in 1987 by Ray Forster from specimens collected in caves around Nelson. The holotype is stored at Te Papa Museum under registration number AS.000014. Etymology The genus name is derived from "spelunca", which is latin for cave and is feminine in gender. The species name "cavernicola" refers to the species restriction to caves. Description It is New Zealand's largest known spider, with a leg span of and a body length of , and its main prey is cave weta. Distribution/habitat This species is only known from caves in northwestern Nelson, New Zealand. Conservation status It is one of the few spider species afforded legal protection under the New Zealand Wildlife Act. It is classified as "Range Restricted" and stable in the New Zealand Threat Classification System. In May 2022, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, the Cape sugarbird is found exclusively in southwestern South Africa and is therefore said to be ''endemic'' to that particular part of the world. An endemic species can also be referred to as an ''endemism'' or, in scientific literature, as an ''endemite''. Similarly, many species found in the Western ghats of India are examples of endemism. Endemism is an important concept in conservation biology for measuring biodiversity in a particular place and evaluating the risk of extinction for species. Endemism is also of interest in evolutionary biology, because it provides clues about how changes in the environment cause species to undergo range shifts (potentially expanding their range into a larger area or bec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Oparara Vallus
''Oparara vallus'' is a species of spider in the family Desidae that is endemic to New Zealand.Forster, R. R. & Wilton, C. L. (1973)The spiders of New Zealand. Part IV ''Otago Museum Bulletin'' 4: 1-309. Taxonomy This species was described as Ixeuticus vallus by Brian John Marples in 1959 from female and male specimens. It was most recently revised in 1973. The holotype is stored in Canterbury Museum. Description The female is recorded at 5.16mm in length. The cephalothorax is coloured orange brown with black shading laterally. The legs are reddish brown with indistinct bands. The abdomen is darkly coloured. Distribution This species is only known from Westland, New Zealand. Conservation status Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand. The system was developed because the IUCN Red List, a similar conservation stat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Oparara Karamea
''Oparara karamea'' is a species of spider in the family Desidae that is endemic to New Zealand.Forster, R. R. & Wilton, C. L. (1973)The spiders of New Zealand. Part IV ''Otago Museum Bulletin'' 4: 1-309. Taxonomy This species was described by Ray Forster and Cecil Wilton in 1973 from female specimens. The holotype is stored in Canterbury Museum. Description The female is recorded at 6.8mm in length. The carapace and legs are coloured dark reddish brown. The abdomen is mottled greyish brown. Distribution This species is only known from Nelson, New Zealand. Conservation status Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand. The system was developed because the IUCN Red List, a similar conservation status system, had s ..., this species is listed as "Data Deficient" with the qualifiers of "Data Poor: Size" and "Data Poor: ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Powelliphanta Annectens
''Powelliphanta'' is a genus of large, air-breathing land snails, pulmonate gastropods in the family Rhytididae, found only in New Zealand. They are carnivorous, eating invertebrates, mostly native earthworms. Often restricted to very small areas of moist forest, they are prey to introduced mammalian predators, and many species are threatened or endangered. Taxonomy ''Powelliphanta'' was originally described by A. C. O'Connor in 1945 as a subgenus of the kauri snails, '' Paryphanta.'' They were named "in recognition of the great service rendered to the study of the family by Mr A. W. B. Powell", and from their similarity to ''Paryphanta''. In 1977 Climo raised ''Powelliphanta'' to genus rank, retaining just two species in ''Paryphanta''. There are at least 21 species and 51 subspecies within the genus. The relationship between the species is complex, and it has been suggested that the group ''Powelliphanta gilliesi-traversi-hochstetteri-rossiana-lignaria-superba'' forms ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
