Field guide to the wildlife of New Zealand
By Julian Fitter - Published by A & C Black
New Zealand has been isolated from the rest of the world for 70 - 80 million years, and it's wildlife reflects that isolation. 84% of flowering plants are endemic, many birds evolved in such a way that they lost the ability to fly - With the consequence that when man and the accompanying predators arrived, many went extinct. Introduced species, cats, weasels, stoats, ferrets and rats have had a devastating effect, but there is still an extraordinary range of species, many of which are seen nowhere else in the world.
However much of New Zealand's wildlife has hung on, and some has thrived. Here are a few examples of endemic species:-
- 11 endemic species of dragonfly
- 22 endemic stick insects
- 8 endemic albatrosses
- 2-3000 endemic wasps
- 40 cicadas
- 15 grasshoppers
- 110 weta
- 500 + beetles
- 1600 moths
This book covers all the different families and species that you are likely to see, including trees and shrubs. Most species have a smallish image, a brief description and an idea of where you might see them. It isn't an in depth guide, but covers the widest range in the smallest space!
RRP £16.99
To buy from Amazon, click Field Guide to the Wildlife of New Zealand (Field Guides)
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