List of mammals in New Zealand

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in New Zealand.

Prior to human settlement New Zealand only had three land based mammals and a number of marine mammals. A number of mammals were brought to New Zealand by the Māori and European settlers and some are causing huge conservation problems due to predation on indigenous species.

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[edit] Conservation status

There are 48 mammal species in New Zealand, of which none are critically endangered, three are endangered, five are vulnerable, and none are near-threatened. One of the species listed for New Zealand is considered to be extinct.[1]

The Department of Conservation rank priorities for conservation with the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the IUCN:

EX Extinct No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
EW Extinct in the wild Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range.
CR Critically Endangered The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild.
EN Endangered The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
VU Vulnerable The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NT Near Threatened The species does not meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to do so in the future.
LC Least Concern There are no current identifiable risks to the species.
DD Data Deficient There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species.

Some species were assessed using an earlier set of criteria. Species assessed using this system have the following instead of Near Threatened and Least Concern categories:

LR/cd Lower Risk/conservation dependent Species which were the focus of conservation programmes and may have moved into a higher risk category if that programme was discontinued.
LR/nt Lower Risk/near threatened Species which are close to being classified as Vulnerable but are not the subject of conservation programmes.
LR/lc Lower Risk/least concern Species for which there are no identifiable risks.

[edit] Subclass: Theria

[edit] Infraclass: Eutheria

[edit] Order: Rodentia (rodents)

Polynesian Rat
Polynesian Rat

Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40 percent of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to 45 kg (100 lb).

[edit] Order: Chiroptera (bats)

The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals in the world naturally capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.

[edit] Order: Cetacea (whales)

Southern Right Whale
Southern Right Whale
Bryde's Whale
Bryde's Whale
Pygmy Sperm Whale
Pygmy Sperm Whale
Pantropical Spotted Dolphin
Pantropical Spotted Dolphin

The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.

[edit] Order: Carnivora (carnivores)

Southern Elephant Seal
Southern Elephant Seal

The carnivores include over 260 species, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. Carnivores have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.


[edit] Notes

  1. ^ This list is derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species of mammals and includes those mammals that have recently been classified as extinct (since 1500 AD). The taxonomy and naming of the individual species is based on those used in existing Wikipedia articles as of 21 May 2007 and supplemented by the common names and taxonomy from the IUCN, Smithsonian Institute, or University of Michigan where no Wikipedia article was available.

[edit] References

[edit] See also