New Zealand Wildlife

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/21928125

An entomologist says the spread of Portuguese millipedes across Wellington - and beyond - is almost certain after residents on the south coast sounded the alarm about infestations of the invasive species.

Residents have described waking to find hundreds of scaly black millipedes around their homes, discovering them in shoes, bags and even their beds.

Biosecurity New Zealand said the invertebrate had been identified on the south coast and in Lower Hutt for about 20 years, but not much was known about it.

A local councillor is now calling for an urgent meeting with local authorities to discuss how to tackle the problem.

A pest eradication project at Lake Tomarata in Auckland is starting to turn the tide against invasive fish. Auckland Council, with assistance from University of Waikato, has been using nets to remove the pests which have had a devastating impact on the lake's ecosystem. As Victor Waters explains, the work could provide a blueprint to improve the country's waterways.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/20824120

International media and scientific organisations are lapping up footage of a real life 'Sharktopus' filmed in the Hauraki Gulf.

Marine biologist Professor Rochelle Constantine said the encounter in December 2023 was a tale to top them all.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/19585794

This is a black petrel, a tākoketai - a seagull-sized bird that only nests in New Zealand.

Once found across the North Island and near Nelson, the species has dwindled to a colony of about 5000 breeding pairs here on Aotea/Great Barrier Island, and a smaller colony on Hauturu/Little Barrier Island.

For nearly 30 years now, a team of conservationists have surveyed the Aotea colony, precariously located on the summit of Hirakimata/Mt Hobson, the island's tallest mountain.

The birds of the colony are good breeders. On average, more than 70 percent of petrel parents monitored by the survey successfully fledge a chick each year.

But of the thousands of chicks that have been banded over the decades, only about 10 percent of them have ever been found again.

What happens to the rest is still largely a mystery.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/17304016

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/23139121

The Nature of Kahurangi National Park and Northwest Nelson

At the top of the South Island, the Kahurangi National Park and adjoining areas are home to many plants and animals that aren't found anywhere else on the planet. Kahurangi means precious; to be prized and award-winning writer Dave Hansford wants all New Zealanders to understand why the biodiversity and beauty of this region is exactly that, prized and precious.

His new work is more than a coffee table book with stunning pictures of the landscape and wildlife. It's a plea to protect this sacred and wild land from the political, economic and social forces that jeopardize its future.

The book is called Kahurangi: The Nature of Kahurangi National Park and Northwest Nelson

The Taranaki Regional Council has launched a interactive map to make it easier for the public to log sightings of Australasian bittern.

WHAKAARI / WHITE ISLAND The Volcanic Alert Level has been raised to Level 3 at White Island and the Aviation Colour Code raised to orange.

Aviation Colour Code Orange indicates that a volcanic eruption is underway but with little or no ash being produced.

On Geonet's website, duty volcanologist Geoff Kilgour said the volcano had produced "a more vigorous plume" on Friday afternoon, moving volcanic ash to the east of the island.

Today, 10th August, Whakaari exhibited vigorous activity at the vent, which maintained a constant plume that was visibly depositing ash into the sea. The latest official information is available from GeoNet at https://www.geonet.org.nz/mbl/news/6C...

Just to clarify, a drone has no sound, from the brief times we could hear the sound it was identical to Dukono in Indonesia. This was the sound used in this video.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.smeargle.fans/post/202712

not a NZ story, but I suspect that are on the move here as well

Only one more day

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/11868928

Want to help our precious nocturnal bugs during Matariki’s longer nights? Turn the lights down low

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/520796/want-to-help-our-precious-nocturnal-bugs-during-matariki-s-longer-nights-turn-the-lights-down-low

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/11310760

Stumbled on this and thought it was worth a share. I had no idea you can eat gorse!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/10239601

The residents of an island in Northland are grappling with an unusual problem - they have too many kiwi.

Seven kiwi captured near Waitangi, when their bush habitat was about to be cleared for pine forest, were released onto Moturoa island in the 1980s.

Since then, kiwi numbers on the island, near Kerikeri Inlet in the Bay of Islands, have grown into the hundreds - and that has put pressure on the limited habitat and food available for the protected birds.

As a result, 21 kiwi caught on the island were released in Opua State Forest on Friday, easing the island's population boom and boosting kiwi numbers on the mainland at the same time.

The operation would not have been possible even a few years ago but a massive pest control effort in Opua forest, which cloaks the hills behind Paihia, has made the area safe for the flightless birds.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/9439658

Was just talking about how cool New Zealand's rare frogs are and wanted to share. These frogs evolved to have no ears, so they also have no croaking noises (what's the point if the mates you are trying to attract are deaf) which is unique!

NB: There probably is a bit of "political" content insofar as some of the people are talking about threats to the frog and opposing its habatat destruction but I think this still belongs in general?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/8254485

This is a really good read about one of my favourite weird animal facts!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/8125118

I didn't actually know they were building a new wharf on Somes, it's great that the island is getting more infrastructure. And great they caught the ants, obviously.