Mar 18th, 2011
The Splendour of New Zealand’s Wildlife
New Zealand, which broke away from the supercontinent of Gondwanaland some 80 million years ago, has evolved in isolation since the Paleocene era. This means, significantly, that it’s ecosystem developed entirely without the presence of mammals. Until, that is, the arrival of humans around 800 years ago. Consequently, New Zealand is considered a biological ‘safe haven’ from the ravages of land-dwelling carnivores, allowing birds to become flightless – not to mention fascinating – without fear of being hunted for food. Many of New Zealand’s species are considered ‘living fossils’.
Huge areas of verdant forest have supported a diverse assortment of birdlife in New Zealand. Since there were no predators from which to take flight, many bird species lost the ability to fly completely. A number of New Zealand’s most iconic birds evolved to become flightless, namely the kiwi, takahe, kakapo and the now-extinct moa. It was only when human beings arrived (with their attendant dogs, rats and other predatory mammals) that these birds faced any danger at all. The Moa was hunted to extinction, while the kiwi and kakapo and are now endangered.
The kiwi is, famously, New Zealand’s national symbol. Nocturnal and flightless, these timid creatures are very rarely seen in their natural habitat. Thankfully, they have been preserved extensively at zoos and wildlife parks.
The moa remains the only wingless bird known to fossil hunters. A number of flightless birds have evolved throughout pre-history – notably the emu and the ostriches – but they all retained some vestige of wings, however ineffectual. The moa is different. Before it was hunted to extinction by Maori settlers over 400 years ago, the moa was a true monument to New Zealand’s isolated evolution.
The tuatara is a unique animal. The only beak-headed reptile still living, it’s something of a link to the dinosaur age – a ‘living fossil’. Every other species of this family is thought to have perished with the Cretaceous period, some 65 million years ago. Once found throughout New Zealand, tuataras – which can live for as long as 100 years – are now only found on protected island reserves. 30,000 of them live on Stephens Island in the Marlborough Sounds – a figure which, mercifully, keeps them out of ‘endangered’ status.
If you’re interested in visiting New Zealand to witness at first hand the splendor and magnificence of its unique wildlife, check out the DialAFlight website where you’ll find reasonably priced flights to New Zealand.
