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Life through a burrowscope lens (Part 2) – subterranean Poor Knights Islands

16 February 2013 – 8.03pm

Te Papa’s curator of terrestrial vertebrates Dr Colin Miskelly recently visited the Poor Knights Islands Nature Reserve, off the Northland coast, as part of a research team tracking the at-sea movements of Buller’s shearwaters. The project is led by Graeme Taylor of the Department of Conservation, and is intended to identify the marine environments used by these elegant seabirds, both when raising young and when on migration. Buller’s shearwaters breed only on the Poor Knights Islands, and migrate to the North Pacific after breeding. They breed in rock crevices or in burrows that they excavate in soil. Here, Colin describes some of the wildlife they share their subterranean homes with.

An adult Buller’s shearwater on Aorangi Island, Poor Knights Islands Nature Reserve. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

A burrowscope is a field-hardened endoscope on steroids, used to view the interior of burrows. It can be used to determine whether a burrow is occupied or vacant, to identify what species is in a burrow, and to provide information on breeding success. At least seven species of seabirds excavate or breed in burrows and rock crevices on the Poor Knights Islands, and many other animals also inhabit the thousands of burrows there.

Buller’s shearwater burrows on Oneho hill, Aorangi Island, Poor Knights Islands Nature Reserve. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

The following images show some of the secrets of underground life on this pest-free nature reserve. During our visit (late January to early February), most of the breeding seabird species had finished breeding, but the Buller’s shearwaters had recently hatched their eggs.

An adult Buller’s shearwater inside its burrow, viewed through a burrowscope. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Buller’s shearwater egg viewed through a burrowscope. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Buller’s shearwater chick inside its burrow, viewed through a burrowscope. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Several species of reptiles live in burrows on the Poor Knights Islands, including tuatara, which occasionally kill and eat shearwater chicks. The smaller skinks and geckos usually move rapidly away from the light cast by the burrowscope, and rarely pose long enough for a photograph to be taken.

Tuatara inside a shearwater burrow on Aorangi Island, as viewed through a burrowscope. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

A marbled skink (the dark shape on the right) inside a shearwater burrow on Aorangi Island, as viewed through a burrowscope. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Duvaucel’s gecko inside a shearwater burrow on Aorangi Island, as viewed through a burrowscope. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Flax snails hide in seabird burrows and under rocks during the day, emerging on damp nights to graze on fallen leaves.

Flax snail (Placostylus hongii) inside a shearwater burrow on Aorangi Island, as viewed through a burrowscope. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

In addition to many seabird species, some landbirds also nest in burrows. We found a kingfisher nest in a low bank, with the entrance only 20 cm above the forest floor. The two large chicks inside froze statue-like when the burrowscope was inserted into their hole.

Kingfisher burrow entrance, Aorangi Island, Poor Knights Islands Nature Reserve. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Two fully-grown kingfisher chicks inside their burrow on Aorangi Island, viewed through a burrowscope. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

By Colin Miskelly | Also posted in Biodiversity, Birds, Bugs, insects and spiders, Conservation, Reptiles | Tagged Buller's shearwater, burrowscope, gecko, kingfisher, lizards, skink, snails, tuatara | Comments (4)

Sense and Sensibility in the Southern Ocean – A character-building story of albatross and researcher personalities in extreme conditions. Part 2. Tropical waters

14 February 2013 – 8.15am

Our visit to the Crozet Islands, a French Sub-Antarctic nature reserve at 41 deg S in the Indian Ocean started yesterday, embarking on the RV Marion Dufresne. We’re steaming straight south from La Reunion, towards the Crozet Islands, with landfall due in about 6 days.

Lieutenant Iulia Popescu of the Marion Dufresne checks our position at the chart table. Image: Susan Waugh, © Te Papa

Overnight we made good steaming with an average speed of around 15 knots, and this morning we found ourselves sounded by a vast ‘empty’ tropical sea (at least as concerns flying species). The water temperature of 24 C, and a mild 21 C air temperature.

Julien Collet CNRS Research Assistant keeps an eye out for whales and seabirds from the top deck of the Marion Dufresne. Image: Susan Waugh, © Te Papa

Our team of four has been occupied with hourly bird observations from the bridge, which helps pass the time, but also to acquaint ourselves with the local biodiversity. Yesterday, we saw several small shearwaters, including wedge-tailed shearwaters and possibly Audubon’s shearwaters. We were also lucky to see a Barau’s petrel, a rare species nesting at La Reunion.

Barau’s Petrel one day south of Reunion Island. Image: Julian Collet, © Julian Collet

Today, however, being further from the tropical islands, and not yet into temperate seas, the wildlife is very thinly spread. No birds were seen all morning, although there were flying fish making little volleys across the sea surface every few hundred metres. The whole team is keen to spot our first albatross, apparently around 33 deg S is where they were seen a few weeks ago by the vessel, which should be where we get to by the end of the day.

Flying fish in the waters of 29 deg S. Image: Julian Collet, © Julian

By Susan Waugh | Also posted in Biodiversity, Birds | Tagged Barau’s Petrel, biodiversity, Flying Fish, Scientific, Southern Ocean | Comments (0)

Sense and Sensibility in the Southern Ocean – A character-building story of albatross and researcher personalities in extreme conditions. Part 1. Departing La Reunion for the Crozet Islands

12 February 2013 – 3.46pm

A two-month long research programme is getting underway for Te Papa Senior Curator Dr Susan Waugh, in collaboration with the French CNRS Research Institute and Polar Institute (IPEV). Susan departs from La Reunion on February 7th to take part in a programme of work on the personality of Albatrosses on the Crozet Islands.

Departure Board of the Marion Du Fresne.
Image: Susan Waugh, © Te Papa

It takes over a week to get to the islands, starting at the tropical island of La Reunion, a French Department off the coast of Madagascar. The magnificent 120m French Research Vessel, the Marion Dufresne takes scientists each summer season to three remote French territories in the Southern Indian Ocean.

Marion du Fresne and local boy at port in St Denis La Reunion. Image: Susan Waugh, (C) Te Papa.

Marion du Fresne and local boy at port in St Denis La Reunion. Image: Susan Waugh, © Te Papa

Dr Samantha Patrick from the CNRS is leading the field programme, part of a larger study underway by Dr Henri Weimerskirch on albatrosses of the Southern Indian Ocean. The birds have been studied over several decades, and thanks to this long-term programme, scientists are able to understand how individual birds are making decisions during their breeding cycle.

Samantha Patrick CNRS Researcher on board RV Marion du Fresne. Image: Susan Waugh, (C) Te Papa.

Samantha Patrick CNRS Researcher on board RV Marion du Fresne. Image: Susan Waugh, © Te Papa.

This time, there are about 20 researchers on board, all on their way to study the penguins, albatrosses, elephant seals and glaciers of these far-flung sites. Others will be staying on board to take part in an oceanographic research programme.

Scientists Boarding Marion du Fresne. Image: Susan Waugh, (C) Te Papa.

Scientists Boarding Marion du Fresne. Image: Susan Waugh, © Te Papa.

Susan’s work during the trip will be to deploy a new variety of satellite tracking device on the wandering albatrosses, and to assist the work of Sam and field assistant Julien, in carrying out personality tests to determine whether individual birds have more or less shy characteristics. This work is being linked to how well birds perform their parenting duties, and how they succeed in finding food in the vast Southern Ocean.

Stay tuned for more on Susan’s adventure…

By Susan Waugh | Also posted in Birds | Tagged albatross, biodiversity, Scientific, Southern Ocean | Comments (2)

Critters of Titi Island Nature Reserve, Marlborough Sounds

16 January 2013 – 4.28pm

Titi Island is a 32-ha reserve administered by the Department of Conservation and situated in the outer Marlborough Sounds. The island’s fauna was impacted by introduced Norway rats until these were eradicated in the early 1970s. The island has since been free of all introduced predators. Two species of large flightless insects plus tuatara were introduced to the island between 1995 & 2001 (see below). Te Papa researchers visited the island in January 2013 to attach tracking devices to breeding flesh-footed shearwaters, and to estimate the breeding population of these threatened birds. Our 3-day visit also provided an opportunity to encounter some of the island’s more cryptic wildlife.

The most well-known of Titi Island’s inhabitants are the tuatara introduced from North Brother Island and from captivity in 1995. At the time, tuatara from the Brothers Islands were considered to be a separate species from other tuatara. More recent genetic research has resulted in all tuatara being lumped back together as a single variable species. We encountered several tuatara inside shearwater burrows that we checked with a burrowscope.

Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Three lizard species are known from Titi Island. We found all three species to be present, but were surprised how few individuals we found. Rodent-free islands typically have abundant lizard populations.

Spotted skink (Oligosoma lineoocellatum) among iceplant on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

The two spotted skinks seen were among low coastal vegetation, as was the single common gecko found. Spotted skinks occur from Hawke’s Bay south to South Canterbury, but are most abundant on islands in the Marlborough Sounds and Wellington Harbour. They are a sun-loving species, and are most often noticed as they move back under cover when they detect someone approaching. Common geckos occur from Northland to Marlborough and Nelson, and are extremely abundant on many islands in the Marlborough Sounds and around Wellington. They are nocturnal, hiding during the day and emerging to forage at night.

Common gecko (Woodworthia maculata) on dead coastal flax/wharariki on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

The single brown skink seen was among a rock outcrop under forest. This species occurs from Taranaki south to north Westland, again being most abundant on rodent-free islands. It does not require as much access to sunlight as the larger spotted skink, and can be found under open forest as well as among grass and shrubland.

Brown skink (Oligosoma zelandicum) on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Weevils are a group of beetles with a bad name, as some species are major pests of crops and stored food products. But they are an extraordinarily diverse group, with the weevil family containing more species than any other family of organisms on the planet. New Zealand has several large flightless weevil species that are mainly or entirely confined to sites that lack introduced rodents. These include the flax weevils introduced to Titi Island from nearby Maud Island in 2001. We found their characteristic feeding sign on flax plants all over the island, but the 2 cm-long animals were only visible at night when they emerged to feed.

Flax weevil (Anagotus fairburni) and its characteristic ragged feeding sign on a coastal flax/wharariki leaf on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

The most frequently encountered large beetle on Titi Island was a species of darkling beetle (genus Mimopeus). These also emerged at night, but were often found under rocks and in bird burrows during the day, and their larvae were common in the soil. Darkling beetles are a staple diet item for tuatara on many islands, though tuatara are partial to weta when they can catch them.

Darkling beetle (Mimopeus sp.) on a tree trunk on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

We failed to find any sign of the Cook Strait giant weta introduced to Titi Island from Maud Island in 2001, but did not have an opportunity to search the right habitats at night. The similarly-sized Wellington tree weta were very common, emerging at night and mainly staying in the trees out of reach of hungry tuatara.

Female Wellington tree weta (Hemideina crassidens) on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

We had been warned of tent-eating ground weta before our arrival. These voracious little (2.5 cm-long) weta live in tunnels in the soil and emerge at night to find other insects to eat. If anything is placed over their tunnel entrances, they simply chew through it. Rather than having our tent groundsheets wrecked, we devised the cunning plan of placing snow-foam bedrolls under the groundsheets. This was to little avail – the ground weta still chewed through them!

Ground weta (Hemiandrus sp.) on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Sarah Jamieson eyeballing one of several holes chewed through her bedroll by ground weta on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

We also found several shells and one live animal of the medium-sized native landsnail Rhytida stephenensis. This carnivorous snail grows up to 34 mm across and is found on islands in the Marlborough Sounds and south to Kaikoura, with subfossil records from Takaka Hill.

The carnivorous snail Rhytida stephenensis on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

By Colin Miskelly | Also posted in Biodiversity, Bugs, insects and spiders, Conservation, Reptiles | Tagged gecko, lizards, skink, snail, tuatara, weevil, weta | Comments (3)

Life through a burrowscope lens – subterranean Titi Island

16 January 2013 – 4.27pm

By Sarah Jamieson & Colin Miskelly

Over the past two (southern hemisphere) summers, Te Papa seabird researchers have been investigating population trends and foraging behaviour of flesh-footed shearwaters. These all-dark seabirds are well known to recreational fishers around the North Island and in Cook Strait, as the birds have the annoying habit of sitting behind boats and diving after bait. This behaviour puts the birds at risk of being hooked and drowning on both commercial and recreational fishing lines. There is also evidence that some birds are deliberately killed by fishers, presumably after they become angry with the birds interfering with fishing. Added to this is the alarming revelation that some New Zealand flesh-footed shearwaters tracked on migration were found to have foraged within a few kilometres of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on the east coast of Japan. All this means bad news for flesh-footed shearwaters, which appear to be declining throughout their range.

Flesh-footed shearwater extracted from its burrow in order to be fitted with a tracking device. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Our study has two main parts – estimating numbers on land, and tracking where the birds go at sea. Flesh-footed shearwaters nest in deep burrows that they excavate in soft soil, and both parts of the study require a means to see what is under the ground. Other animals also live underground on the islands where flesh-footed shearwaters nest, and so estimating numbers requires both counts (or estimates) of the number of burrows, and measurements of occupancy rates, i.e. what percentage of burrows is occupied by flesh-footed shearwaters. In addition, to track the birds at sea, we need to not only attach tracking devices to the birds, but to re-catch the same birds some weeks later to remove the device and down-load the data. This requires selecting birds that are incubating eggs, and will have a high motivation to return to the same site after having a tracking device taped to their back feathers.

A burrow on Titi Island – but what lies within? Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

In order to see what species is in a burrow, and whether it is sitting on an egg, we use a device called a burrowscope. This is similar in principle to a surgeon’s endoscope, though of rather more robust design to cope with use in the field. A small camera lens surrounded by a cluster of lights is mounted on the end of a long flexible tube, which is carefully inserted into the burrow. An image from the camera is transmitted to a small video monitor screen, which allows the researcher to see what is in the burrow.

Te Papa researcher Dr Sarah Jamieson using a burrowscope on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Flesh-footed shearwater egg inside a burrow on Titi Island, as seen on the burrowscope monitor. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

On Titi Island in the outer Marlborough Sounds we found three bird species and one large reptile species living in the burrows. The accompanying images show some of the views we had on the burrowscope screen. Our target species (flesh-footed shearwater) looks very similar to its cousin the sooty shearwater, which also nests on Titi Island. The main distinguishing character through the burrowscope is whether the bird has a slender dark bill (sooty shearwater) or a large pale bill with a dark tip (flesh-footed shearwater).

Flesh-footed shearwater inside a burrow on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Sooty shearwater inside a burrow on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Several burrows were found to contain little penguins, which had climbed up the steep slopes from the rocky shore below. These birds had finished breeding for the year, and had returned to shore for their annual moult. The presence of a moulting penguin in a burrow was usually evident from shed feathers at the burrow entrance even before the burrowscope was inserted.

Little penguin inside a burrow on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

The rarest of the burrow inhabitants was the tuatara – an iguana-like reptile unique to New Zealand, and with no close living relatives anywhere else on earth. Tuatara mainly eat large insects and also lizards, but occasionally take small seabirds and their chicks. They seemed to have an uneasy truce with the two large shearwater species, and we found some burrows occupied by both a tuatara and a shearwater.

Tuatara inside a burrow on Titi Island. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Information on the Sextant Technology Ltd ‘Taupe’ burrowscope used

By Colin Miskelly | Also posted in Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, Penguins, Reptiles | Tagged flesh-footed shearwater, little penguin, sooty shearwaters, tuatara | Comments (5)

Ruapuke Island – 1941 and 2012 – In the footsteps of Edgar Stead (Part 9)

8 January 2013 – 11.22am

Te Papa’s curator of terrestrial vertebrates Dr Colin Miskelly is researching the life and work of the Canterbury naturalist Edgar Stead (1881-1949). This includes re-taking Stead’s photos from the same photo-point, taking other images to illustrate his diaries, and describing how the ecology and wildlife of each of 10 islands has changed since Stead’s visits.

Edgar Stead, Robert Wilson and Percy Elworthy visited Ruapuke Island in eastern Foveaux Strait for a day at each end of their stay on nearby Green Island, in Nov-Dec 1941. They didn’t have time to explore much of this privately-owned 1600 ha island, with most time spent in the south-east between Old Ruapuke and Henrietta Bay. They did, however, visit the main podocarp / rata / kamahi forest patch in the hope of finding saddlebacks. I was privileged to be hosted on Ruapuke Island for 4 days at the very end of 2012, and also to visit Green Island.

Lagoon Bay on the west coast of Ruapuke Island. Image: Colin Miskelly

It is unclear what predators were on Ruapuke Island in 1941. Mice and weka were definitely present, and feral cats likely. Stead and his companions found a large colony of white-faced storm petrels in sand dunes along the east coast. This small seabird is highly vulnerable to rat predation, and the presence of a colony then indicates that rats were absent or recent arrivals. Rats are reported to be present now, and we found no sign of the storm petrels

Ruapuke Island from the south-east, with Bluff Hill in the distance. Image: Colin Miskelly

Forest birds were similar in 1941 and 2012, with bellbirds and tui widespread, and tomtits and red-crowned parakeets in the main forest. The brown creepers that Stead recorded appeared to have died out, but we recorded New Zealand pigeon / kereru, a species overlooked or absent in 1941.

The weka on Ruapuke Island are presumed to be Stewart Island stock. They are unusual for Stewart Island weka in having retained both the blackish and red-brown colour morphs. Although we saw more of the brown birds, several mixed pairs were seen, and both birds were black in one pair. The only other weka populations that have the black (or blackish) morph are in Fiordland. We also found both morphs present on nearby Green Island, but with fewer dark birds present.

A pair of weka on Ruapuke Island, December 2012. Dark morph female on left, brown morph male on right. Images: Colin Miskelly

A surprising find in 2012 was that fernbirds were common on Ruapuke Island. Stead did not record fernbirds in 1941, yet they are now present in areas that he visited. It is possible that they have sinced colonised from Bird Island 3 km away, where Stead found them during a brief visit at the end of his trip.

Fernbird carrying insects to its young, Ruapuke Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

Both Ruapuke and Green Islands remain important breeding sites for the rare yellow-eyed penguin. The inaccessibility of the islands to anyone other than landowners is undoubtedly of ongoing benefit to this shy species.

A pair of yellow-eyed penguins on Ruapuke Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

By Colin Miskelly | Also posted in Biodiversity, Birds, Mammals | Tagged fernbird, weka, yellow-eyed penguin | Comments (10)

Green Island (Papatea) – 1941 and 2012 – In the footsteps of Edgar Stead (Part 8)

8 January 2013 – 11.19am

Of all the islands that Edgar Stead visited, and for which his diaries exist, Green Island in eastern Foveaux Strait is the least well known. Green Island lies to the east of Ruapuke Island, and should not be confused with the much smaller homonymous Green Island near Dunedin. All the Ruapuke Island group are privately owned, mainly by descendants of the Kai Tahu chief Tuhawaiki. Some of the owners have huts on Green Island and harvest muttonbirds / titi (chicks of the sooty shearwater) each year. We were privileged to be granted access to the island, and were accompanied by two of the island’s owners during our 10 hours ashore.

Green Island from the south-west. Image: Colin Miskelly

It is not clear what motivated Stead to visit Green Island, other than the hope of finding rare birds on a ‘new’ island. He and his companions (Robert Wilson and Percy Elworthy) discovered that the island was free of introduced predators apart from weka, and this remains the case today. Birdlife was and is abundant, but there have been some notable changes over the ensuing 71 years.

Muttonbirding hut in Ruapuke Island, with Ruapuke Island in the background. Upper image taken by Edgar Stead in 1941 (courtesy of Canterbury Museum 2001_59_319); lower image by Colin Miskelly

Muttonbirding hut on Green Island, with Ruapuke Island in the background. Upper image taken by Edgar Stead in 1941 (courtesy of Canterbury Museum 2001_59_319); lower image by Colin Miskelly

Stead and Wilson estimated there to be 1.5 million pairs of fairy prions / titiwainui and broad-billed prions / parara breeding on the island in 1941, but we saw little evidence of them in 2012. They are both still present, but clearly in much reduced numbers. It is not clear why the population has crashed, as the weka population does not appear large enough to have caused such a massive decline. Perhaps the decline has been driven by at-sea conditions, rather than by conditions on the island.

Dark morph weka on Green Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

Another species that has declined or disappeared on the island since 1941 is the southern skua, which should be the top predator on the island. About 10 pairs were present and breeding in 1941, but we saw none and found none of their distinctive middens of seabird remains.

Flowering southern rata and Stewart Island tree-groundsel (Brachyglottis stewartiae) on Green Island, December 2012. Images: Colin Miskelly

The landbirds on the island were much as Stead found them, with the brown creeper the most abundant species, and bellbird, tomtit and robin all being common. We also found tui to be numerous, probably attracted by the spectacular flowering of southern rata.

Brown creeper on Green Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

We recorded over 20 New Zealand pigeons / kereru – a species not recorded by Stead. They are strong flyers and could easily cross the 2 km from Ruapuke Island. More surprising was that we found fernbirds to be common, when Stead specifically noted their absence. In 1941, fernbirds were found only on Bird island 3 km west of Ruapuke Island. Usually considered poor flyers and unlikely to cross water gaps, these furtive birds have apparently colonised both Ruapuke and Green Islands since Stead’s visit.

Fernbird photographed on Ruapuke Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

One feature of the island that has not changed since Stead’s time was the abundance of geckos around the dwellings. We also saw several common skinks, but failed to find the green geckos reported from the island.

Geckos (Woodworthia ‘Otago large’) on Green Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

The only seal species that Stead and his companions noted in 1941 was a single male sea lion. We did not see any sea lions, but there are now several hundred fur seals breeding on the island.

New Zealand fur seal cows and pups on Green Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

By Colin Miskelly | Also posted in Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, Mammals, Reptiles | Tagged brown creeper, edgar stead, fernbird, fur seal, weka | Comments (8)

Hunting henriettas on Ruapuke Island – on the tail of New Zealand’s first mice

8 January 2013 – 11.16am

Few people are aware of Ruapuke Island. Guarding the eastern approaches to Foveaux Strait, the 1600 ha island is large enough to appear as a smudge of colour at the very bottom of TV3’s weather map. Yet the island’s low relief means that passengers on the Stewart Island ferry 20 km to the west barely notice it compared to the imposing bulks of Bluff Hill and Mt Anglem.

Henrietta Bay on the south coast of Ruapuke Island. The cannon is claimed to have come from the Elizabeth Henrietta. Image: Colin Miskelly

Ruapuke Island is privately-owned, mainly by descendants of the Kai Tahu chief Tuhawaiki. Most of the island is rough farmland (sheep and beef cattle), with a large patch of rimu / rata / kamahi / miro / kahikatea forest in the centre. Long sandy beaches separate granite and basalt headlands, with shallow lagoons lying behind several beaches.

Ruapuke was an important site for two of New Zealand’s earliest industries – the harvesting of fur seal skins and flax (harakeke) fibre. But the island has another more furtive claim to historical fame – or infamy. It was the first New Zealand site to be colonised by mice.

The brig Elizabeth Henrietta was engaged in the flax trade when it ran aground in Henrietta Bay on 25 February 1824. It was eventually refloated in August that year, but some time during its enforced stay, mice made it to shore. This was 6 years before the second recorded presence of mice in New Zealand, at the Bay of Islands in 1830. The residents of Ruapuke Island did not know what the strange creatures were, and reportedly referred to them as ‘henriettas’ after the ship they came from.

A mouse caught on Ruapuke Island. Image: Colin Miskelly

I was privileged to be invited to stay on Ruapuke Island at the tail-end of 2012. My hosts knew the significance of the island’s mice, and had been involved in the collection of tissue samples (i.e. mouse tail tips) for a genetic study that has confirmed that Ruapuke’s mice are from a different lineage to the rest of New Zealand’s mice. Yet during 188 years of mouse presence on Ruapuke Island, no specimens had reached Te Papa’s extensive collection of New Zealand rodents. Prepared with a selection of traps and baits, I spent 3 days trying to rectify this. It took some effort, as the mice were scarce (or wary), with two only caught in 27 corrected trap-nights. The main challenge was hiding the traps from inquisitive weka, which took 4 cheese baits, and would have taken any mice if I didn’t beat them to it.

A weka on Ruapuke Island. Image: Colin Miskelly

By Colin Miskelly | Also posted in Biodiversity, History, Mammals | Tagged mouse, rodents | Comments (1)

Collecting the Spade-toothed whales

8 November 2012 – 1.57pm

The Spade-toothed whale Mesoplodon traversii, is now known from 5 specimens, three of which are housed at Te Papa. With only one of these specimens a complete skeleton, the species is as rare as they come – even among beaked whales – the most elusive of all the world’s whales.

Whales are special taonga, particularly for coastal iwi and this relationship is acknowledged in both the way the Department of Conservation deals with whale strandings and the manner in which specimens are collected by Te Papa. Te Papa does not collect specimens without the agreement of the relevant iwi authority. With regard to the cow and calf pair of Spade-tooth whales reported on in the latest Current Biology article, Te Papa worked with the Department of Conservation and the Whakatohea Iwi Maori Trust Board. Ngai Tama Haua hapu hosted Te Papa staff and members of the iwi gave considerable help and time in the recovery of the specimens from the beach at Opape.

Anton van Helden Te Papa’s Marine Mammal Collection Manager with DOC staff and local iwi uncovering the adult female Spade-tooth whale skeleton. Copyright Te Papa

The value of a collaborative effort in collecting data and specimens goes back a long way with Te Papa (originally the Colonial Museum). From the earliest days of the museum the collection of data and specimens from marine mammals found on New Zealand’s coastline has been very important. Te Papa houses one of the largest and most significant collections of marine mammals in the world. An early collector for the Museum H. H. Travers, after who the species is named, collected a lower jaw with its two prominent tusk teeth from Pitt Island in the Chatham Islands in 1872. In 2002 the teeth of this specimen (the holotype of the species) had three tiny holes drilled into them yielding enough genetic material for the DNA to be analysed. This enabled us to confirm the species as distinct and unique. That the extraction of the DNA happened about 130 years after its collection helps us to see the value in housing these specimens in perpetuity in a museum.

Te Papa continues to collaborate with other research institutions to further the knowledge on the biodiversity of our country and its surrounding oceans. NZCeTA or New Zealand Cetacean Tissue Archive, is where the DNA from skin collected from stranded dead whales is archived at the University of Auckland. Whilst Te Papa has contributed to this over the years along with the Department of Conservation who deal with the strandings initially. So the tissue archive is supported by Te Papa’s archive of skeletons, preserved tissues, stranding data and images which support each other as a reference for the molecular and morphological comparison that underpins the determination of the species we have in our waters.

The skeletons have been cleaned here at Te Papa and it is the intention that they will join the holotype as part of Te Papa’s beaked whale collection.

It is an important aspect of our work that we involve the iwi in the ongoing relationship with their taonga that remain at Te Papa. In many instances this will involve the whales being given names by their iwi and that their story is archived along with the specimens so that their relationship is maintained in perpetuity.

Recently the Kaumatua from Whakatohea visited Te Papa and came and spent time with their whales. This was a very moving experience for me, but also was a way for the iwi to feel comfortable about where their taonga are resting and that they are being cared for appropriately. We are still working through the agreement around these whales to build a partnership that will grow our knowledge of these whales, the species and bring together the values of the museum and the iwi to enrich the stories that we can all share about these rare and remarkable animals.

Whakatohea Iwi visit Te Papa and their tohorä, copyright Matua Piki Amoamo photographer for Whakatohea Maori Trust Board

By antonvanhelden | Also posted in Biodiversity, Mammals, Māori, Whales | Comments (1)

Ferns of New Caledonia that are very different to those in New Zealand

2 November 2012 – 12.18pm

You’ll never have seen anything like these New Caledonia ferns in New Zealand, unless you’ve been to a very interesting garden (which I’d love an invitation to!). These are photos from my recent fern collecting trip.

Dipteris conjugata. This is a very distinctive species with its un-fern like, c. 1 metre wide fronds. It is can be common on sunny, roadside banks. The same species occurs in south-east Asia to Australia and Fiji. The closest relatives in New Zealand – and it is a distant relationship – are Gleichenia, Sticherus, and Dicranopteris. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Dipteris conjugata. The spore-producing structures (sporangia) occur in clusters (sori) spread over the underside of the frond. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Austrogramme marginata. You can be forgiven for thinking this is an Asplenium birds-nest fern. But the resemblance is only superficial, and it is actually in the Pteridaceae family! The closest relative in New Zealand is probably Anogramma (and/or Pteris). Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Drynaria rigidula. A so-called basket fern. These are epiphytic ferns that have some of their fronds modified (centre of the photograph) to catch litter and organic debris, which on decomposing provides nutrients to the plant. Widespread through south-east Asia and the tropical Pacific. The closest relatives in New Zealand are Pyrrosia and Microsorum. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Prosaptia contigua. Looks a bit like New Zealand’s Ctenopteris heterophylla except the reproductive structures are clustered into cups at the apices of the frond segments. Widespread through south-east Asia and the tropical Pacific. The closest relatives in New Zealand are Ctenopteris and Grammitis. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Stromatopteris moniliformis. A fascinating fern for anyone interested in fern evolution. This is the only species in the genus Stromatopteris, and its relationships were intensely debated. Now classified in the Gleicheniaceae, along with the following genera found in New Zealand: Dicranopteris, Gleichenia, and Sticherus. I saw Stromatopteris only in the maquis vegetation, where it was one of very few ferns present. At the base of the image on the left is a young Dracophyllum. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Selaginella hordeiformis (?). A lycophyte rather than a fern. No Selaginella are native to New Zealand, but misfortunate conservationists and gardeners may be familiar with the introduced Selaginella kraussiana. Despite the latter’s diminutive stature, it carpets the floor of wet forests (and gardens), choking regeneration. New Caledonia is home to several Selaginella species that produce erect ‘fronds’, although none as big as Fiji’s Selaginella viridangula which can be over 1.5 m tall! Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Tectaria sinuata. New Zealand is seemingly too cold for this large group of ferns. The closest relative in New Zealand, is believe it or not, the epiphytic Arthropteris. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

By Leon Perrie | Also posted in Biodiversity, Ferns, Pacific, Plants | Tagged Austrogramme, Dipteris, ferns, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Stromatopteris | Comments (0)

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