Hoplodactylus is a genus of geckos in the family Diplodactylidae. The genus is endemic to New Zealand, one of the seven genera of geckos found only in New Zealand. Hoplodactylus comprises two species of large to gigantic brownish lizards.
The Travers River is in the South Island of New Zealand.
Nelson Lakes National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand, at the northern end of the Southern Alps. It was created in 1956. The park contains beech forests, multiple lakes, snow-covered mountains and valleys created by glaciers during the ice ages.
Kahurangi National Park in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand is the second largest of the thirteen national parks of New Zealand. It was gazetted in 1996 and covers 5,193 km2 (2,005 sq mi), ranging from the Buller River near Murchison in the south, to the base of Farewell Spit in Golden Bay in the north. The park has no single dominant landform, but includes an unusually wide variety of landscapes, including mountain ranges, rivers, gorges, raised peneplains and karst features such as caves and arches. Many of the landforms within the park are considered to be nationally or internationally significant.
Gigarcanum delcourti, formerly Hoplodactylus delcourti, is an extinct species of gecko in the family Diplodactylidae. It is the largest known of all geckos, with a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 37 cm (14.6 in) and an overall length of at least 60 cm (23.6 in). It is only known from a single taxidermied specimen collected in the 19th century that was rediscovered unlabelled in a museum in France. The origin of the specimen was undocumented. While originally suggested to have been from New Zealand and the kawekaweau of Māori oral tradition, DNA evidence from the specimen suggests that it originates from New Caledonia.
The black-eyed gecko, also known commonly as Whitaker's sticky-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. An alpine gecko species, discovered in 1970, it inhabits high-altitude mountains in three areas of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the highest-altitude lizard species in New Zealand, living up to 2,200 m (7,200 ft) above sea level.
The West Coast green gecko is a species of the family Gekkonidae (gecko).
The forest gecko is a species of gecko that is endemic to New Zealand. Granulatus refers to the granular texture of the skin. Its Māori name is moko pirirākau. It is found in all parts of the country except the Far North and Canterbury. It is a protected species under the Wildlife Act 1953.
The cloudy gecko is a species of gecko that is endemic to New Zealand. It is found on Stewart Island and outlying islands. It is an arboreal species which prefers a cold, wet climate. Its appearance is very similar in pattern and colour to the forest gecko ; however, there is usually more green and brown rather than grey, and the pattern is less distinct.
The Vietnam mouse-deer, also known as the silver-backed chevrotain, is an even-toed ungulate in the family Tragulidae known only from Vietnam. It was first described in 1910 by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas, who procured four specimens from Nha Trang in Annam. Little is known about its distribution and ecology. After 1910, the Vietnam mouse-deer was reported next in 1990 near Dak Rong and Buon Luoi in the Gia Lai Province. With increasing hunting pressure, habitat loss due to deforestation and no more reports of the species in the wild, the mouse-deer was feared to have gone extinct. The IUCN listed the species as Data Deficient in 2008. In 2019, a study confirmed the presence of the Vietnam mouse-deer in dry low-lying forests of southern Vietnam with camera trap evidence. The mouse-deer is characterised by a rough coat with a strange double-tone coloration unseen in other chevrotains; the front part of the body is reddish brown and contrasts strongly with the greyish posterior. It has big reddish brown ears, white and dark reddish brown marks on the throat.
The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary is a nearly 700 hectare mainland "ecological island" sanctuary located 6 km south of Nelson, New Zealand. The sanctuary is the largest fenced sanctuary in New Zealand's South Island and the second largest in the country; it is the only sanctuary to feature mature New Zealand beech forest.
Izatha psychra is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as Nationally Endangered by the Department of Conservation. In 2020 it was feared that this moth was extinct as a result of a fire at the Pukaki Scientific Reserve, the last known locality of this species. However a 2021 survey found I. psychra present in the small portion of the reserve that was not damaged by the fire.
The South Island kōkako is a forest bird endemic to the South Island and Stewart Island of New Zealand. Unlike its close relative, the North Island kōkako, it has largely orange wattles, with only a small patch of blue at the base, and was also known as the orange-wattled crow. The last accepted sighting in 2007 was the first considered genuine since 1967, although there have been several other unauthenticated reports -. Following the 2007 reports, the Department of Conservation reclassified the species from extinct to data deficient.
Anthony Hume Whitaker was a New Zealand herpetologist, contributing a 50-year career of fieldwork, pioneering research and species discoveries. His is still the largest collection of reptile and amphibian specimens donated to Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Ichneutica averilla is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species is found in the North Island at Mount Taranaki but is widespread throughout the South Island and Stewart Island. It prefers mountainous habitat but can be found down to sea level in the southern parts of the South Island. Adults of the species are on the wing between November and March. Larvae likely exist on a variety of herbaceous plants but have been recorded as feeding on species within the genus Plantago. This species is sometimes confused with I. mutas but can be distinguished from the latter on the basis of forewing colour as well as the absence of or an indistinct antemedian forewing line.
Mokopirirakau is a genus of geckos in the family Diplodactylidae. Mokopirirakau is endemic to New Zealand. Mokopirirakau, meaning "forest gecko", is derived from the Māori language.
The New Zealand Department of Conservation has introduced a number of animal and plant species to Mana Island, near Porirua, New Zealand, as part of an ecological restoration programme since taking over conservation management of the island in 1987. Some were reintroductions of species wiped out during years of agricultural use or the subsequent explosion in the number of house mice on the island. A pest control programme eliminated the mice by 1990 and many species have been introduced since. Notable successes include the spotted skink, Duvaucel's gecko and the flax weevil, which are now regarded as well established, and the yellow-crowned parakeet, which has been described as abundant and widespread. Attempts have been made to introduce several seabird species in what the Department of Conservation describes as "the world's most complex seabird translocation project"; results have been mixed.
Ichneutica nobilia is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the South Island, although not in the Nelson, Dunedin or Southland regions. This species prefers rocky habitats in alpine zones and the blueish-grey sheen on the species' forewings help camouflage it. Adults of I. nobilia are on the wing from December to February and are attracted to light. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae.
The Wharepapa / Arthur Range is a mountain range partially marking the boundary between the Tasman District and West Coast Region of New Zealand's South Island. The range is at the eastern extent of the Tasman Mountains which make up much of the island's northwest, making it easily visible from across the low-lying Waimea Plains further to the east. The range's location and its many uses make it a significant site for local Māori, including the iwi of Te Ātiawa and Ngāti Rārua. This includes the prominent peaks of Mount Arthur and Pukeone / Mount Campbell, which both hold mana in their own right and have become part of the identity of the aforementioned iwi.
