V. Framenau, C. Vink, Bryce N. McQuillan, A. H. Simpson
{"title":"A new genus for a large, endemic orb-weaving spider (Araneae, Araneidae) from New Zealand","authors":"V. Framenau, C. Vink, Bryce N. McQuillan, A. H. Simpson","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1951309","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1951309","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT A new monotypic orb-weaving spider (Araneidae Clerck, 1757) genus, Courtaraneus gen. nov., is described to accommodate the New Zealand species C. orientalis (Urquhart, 1887) comb. nov. This new genus is proposed, as the male pedipalp of the species is unique amongst orb-weaving spiders by the presence of two complex tibial apophyses and a heavily sclerotised cymbial lobe at the base of a strong, elongated paracymbium. The pedipalp bulb is complex with heavily sclerotised sclerites. The median apophysis is situated transverse, the radix strong and wedge-shaped and the terminal apophysis heavily sclerotised and flat, U-shaped. The embolus is accompanied by three terminal apophyses on the elongated stipes. The female epigyne scape forms a tongue, surrounded by an elevated rim, the spermathecae are spherical. The unique autapomorphic characters of the new genus make the phylogenetical placement of the genus difficult. Courtaraneus orientalis comb. nov. is one of the largest endemic orb-weaving spiders in New Zealand and has been found in multiple locations in the North Island in scrub and forest margins. The orb-web is vertical, large, and the catching threads are widely spaced; however, the hub is poorly structured and the orb often incomplete.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"129 - 142"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42194891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Increasing the capture rates of brushtail possums in Victor #1 leg-hold traps","authors":"B. Warburton, G. Morriss, S. Howard","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1926292","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1926292","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Leg-hold or foot-hold traps have been used in New Zealand for trapping brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) since the 1920s. In the mid-1990s, when the National Pest Control Agencies (NPCA) developed a national protocol for monitoring possums, they standardised how traps should be set, which lure to use and where to place it. These recommendations aimed to achieve standardisation (important for population monitoring), not necessarily high capture rates. Recent use of trail cameras has revealed possums eating the lure, but then walking away without stepping on the trap, suggesting that modifications to the way traps are set or lured might enable increased capture rates of possums. We compared the capture rate of four alternative trap sets (i.e. double sets, covered traps, hazed traps, enlarged trigger plates) with standard NPCA-recommended sets. None of these modified sets increased the captures rates. We then compared the capture rate of traps with the lure placed on the ground encircling the trap (including a vertical visual lure) against the NPCA-recommended method of placing the lure behind the trap. This modification resulted in a 33% increase in capture rate suggesting modifications to the luring method can increase capture rates and make ground-based possum control more effective.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"122 - 128"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/03014223.2021.1926292","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48791237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluating the risk of predation for lizards constrained in live traps","authors":"C. Woolley, C. Knox, Michael Watson","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1918730","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1918730","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Live trapping (e.g. pitfall trapping or funnel trapping) is an important sampling tool for a wide range of small terrestrial animals and is one of the predominant methods for survey and monitoring of terrestrial lizards in New Zealand. As it results in the confinement of animals, methods using live trapping must mitigate risks to animal welfare. Foraging predators can kill or injure animals confined in pitfall traps (e.g. lizards); however, visitation rates of various predatory mammals are poorly understood and reported occurrences are largely anecdotal. Following an observation of a rat depredating a skink in a pitfall trap during a lizard salvage operation, we recorded the removal of bait (pear) from traps over a 24-h period and installed motion-detecting cameras to record trap visitation. Bait loss occurred rapidly over the observed period, with 77% removed after 24 h. Three rodent species were detected visiting a trap, with one ship rat (Rattus rattus) entering it and removing the bait. We suggest that operations involving live trapping of lizards should consider predator densities and carefully monitor and report trap disturbance. Further research should examine how different trapping methods (e.g. predator-exclusive trap design, baiting, and timing of trap checks) might reduce the risk of predation to trapped animals.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"166 - 173"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/03014223.2021.1918730","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46514389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impacts of environmental and human disturbances on behaviour of captive kiwi (Apteryx mantelli)","authors":"K. Davison, R. Farrell, S. Miller, C. King","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1905007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1905007","url":null,"abstract":"We studied the behaviour of 15 captive brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli), and the effects of disturbance on their behaviour. They were all held in nocturnal display facilities, known in New Zealand as Kiwi Houses and referred to here as enclosures 1–4. Our detailed study first compiled a baseline assessment of normal behaviours of captive kiwi from which to define the abnormal. We found that abnormal behaviours (pacing and startle responses) were usually stimulated by one of three different sources of disturbance: noise generated by visitors viewing the kiwi through glass-viewing windows, noise resulting from heavy rainfall, and keeper interactions. As noise was a major contribution to disturbance, we quantified the volume of sound that reached the interior of the kiwi display spaces within each enclosure, and correlated it with kiwi behaviour. Our results show how abnormal behaviours among captive kiwi can be minimised by eliminating or reducing disturbances, and we suggest how the design and structure of the enclosures can be improved in the future by mitigating noise disturbance, (1) from visitors by installation of double or triple glazed window joinery, and (2) from outside by greater insulation in the roof and walls. ARTICLE HISTORY Received 1 July 2020 Accepted 15 March 2021 First Published Online 21 April 2021 HANDLING EDITOR James Briskie","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"1 1","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/03014223.2021.1905007","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42866204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Distribution and detectability of mammalian pests in the Waikato Region","authors":"Brandon Breedt, C. King","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1908369","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1908369","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT We used systematic arrays of camera traps combined with site-occupancy analyses to estimate the site-specific presence and probability of detection the principal target pests across the three main habitats of Waikato Region, classified by season. Cameras easily identified brushtail possums, hedgehogs, ship rats, wild house mice, and mustelids, i.e., stoats, feral ferrets and weasels taken as a group. The data comprise four sets of estimates, one set of 15 (five targets, three habitats) for each season of the year, total of 60. Of these, only 10 (17%) returned probabilities of detection of more than 50% for that species in that habitat at that season, given that at least one individual was present then. All pest species we monitored were present on pastoral land. Pasture makes up more than half of the land cover of the Waikato, so it supports large numbers even of species that are not abundant in that habitat. Hence, pest control operations intended to conserve indigenous species in protected forests need to allow for the important effects of rapid reinvasions of controlled areas from adjacent pasture.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"37 - 52"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/03014223.2021.1908369","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48528419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Josephine E. McCambridge, C. J. Painting, Leilani A. Walker, G. Holwell
{"title":"Contests between male New Zealand sheet-web spiders, Cambridgea plagiata (Araneae: Desidae)","authors":"Josephine E. McCambridge, C. J. Painting, Leilani A. Walker, G. Holwell","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1909081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1909081","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/03014223.2021.1909081","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47586251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
B. David, D. R. Fake, A. Hicks, Shaun P. Wilkinson, M. Bunce, Josh Smith, D. West, K. Collins, D. Gleeson
{"title":"Sucked in by eDNA – a promising tool for complementing riverine assessment of freshwater fish communities in Aotearoa New Zealand","authors":"B. David, D. R. Fake, A. Hicks, Shaun P. Wilkinson, M. Bunce, Josh Smith, D. West, K. Collins, D. Gleeson","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1905672","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1905672","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT There is increasing interest in the health of waterways in Aotearoa New Zealand. The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPS-FM) places a greater onus on resource managers to report on the state of freshwater ecosystem health, including fish. Routine fish monitoring is time intensive and is principally conducted in ‘wadeable’ stream reaches. In comparison, environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling is a relatively recent and rapid technique that likely detects fish and other vertebrate and invertebrate taxa over a broader spatial scale. In this study, we present data for five wadeable streams comparing diversity derived from multi-year standardised electrofishing with eDNA samples collected from the same reaches. Further, we explore whether the number of eDNA monitoring ‘reads’ for species at a site may provide an approximate (semi-quantitative) indication of their ‘near field’ relative abundance based on one-pass electrofishing captures. Results indicated that while some aspects of the methodology require fine-tuning, eDNA sampling shows substantial promise for complimenting state of the environment (SOE) reporting for describing fish diversity in wadeable streams. The use of aquatic eDNA monitoring to provide a cost-effective indication of broader catchment scale biodiversity (e.g. birds and exotic pests) in wadeable and non-wadeable streams is also discussed.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"48 1","pages":"217 - 244"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/03014223.2021.1905672","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48732316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Environmental DNA as a tool for monitoring Antarctic vertebrates","authors":"L. Howell, M. Larue, S. Flanagan","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1900299","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1900299","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Antarctica is home to numerous species that are vulnerable to environmental change, and assessing species responses requires long-term monitoring. However, Antarctica’s extreme nature presents limitations to conducting the type of long-term or broad-scale studies necessary for understanding changes in community composition. In this paper, we evaluate the potential for the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) methods in expanding scientific research efforts for biodiversity monitoring and conservation genetics in Antarctica. Through a systematic literature review, we identify that most Antarctic eDNA studies have focused on microbial metabarcoding using samples from soil, sediment, snow, and water. Few eDNA studies in Antarctica have focused on vertebrate biodiversity or population genetics, but we highlight several examples that have effectively and creatively used eDNA to study vertebrates. We highlight the potential for the use of portable sequencing technologies in the future of Antarctic eDNA research. We conclude that eDNA could be a valuable tool for researchers in their efforts to assess, monitor, and conserve biodiversity in the Antarctic.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"48 1","pages":"245 - 262"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/03014223.2021.1900299","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47624515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Samantha J. Chiew, K. Butler, K. Fanson, Simon Eyre, G. Coleman, Sally L. Sherwen, V. Melfi, P. Hemsworth
{"title":"Effects of the presence of zoo visitors on zoo-housed little penguins (Eudyptula minor)","authors":"Samantha J. Chiew, K. Butler, K. Fanson, Simon Eyre, G. Coleman, Sally L. Sherwen, V. Melfi, P. Hemsworth","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1896560","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1896560","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Little penguins (Eudyptula minor), or Kororā in Māori, show variation in their behavioural responses towards zoo visitors in Australian zoos. We experimentally examined the effects of visitor presence on the behaviour and stress physiology of little penguins at Wellington Zoo, New Zealand. The two treatments were: (1) Visitor presence – the exhibit was open to visitors; and (2) Visitor absence – the exhibit was closed to visitors. We found that when the exhibit was closed to visitors, the percentage of penguins observed close to the visitor viewing pier increased from about 1% to 9%, but there was little effect on other behaviours and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations. This result of increased avoidance of the visitor viewing pier when the exhibit was open to visitors suggests close visitor contact, particularly from above, may be fear-provoking for these penguins. We conclude that designing enclosures to allow close viewing proximity of visitors, such as visitors looming over the pool, may be futile in improving visitor experience, since this species of penguins is likely to avoid these types of viewing areas when visitors are present. Visitors positioned close to and above penguins may be particularly problematic since visitors in this position may be perceived as threatening.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"1 - 22"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/03014223.2021.1896560","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42719533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Terrestrial vertebrate survey of Motukawanui","authors":"Zachary T. Carter, Thomas W. Bodey, J. Russell","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1883680","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1883680","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT We describe the history of Motukawanui, the largest island of the Cavalli Islands, off New Zealand’s Northland east coast, and report on a survey of terrestrial vertebrates undertaken in February 2020. We compare our findings to the previous published survey conducted in December 1979–January 1980. Over the last 40 years, the island’s landscape has changed dramatically from one of farmland to predominantly native forest. As a result, the habitat has shifted toward supporting a larger assemblage of endemic and native birds, and away from supporting those that are non-native. Kiore, or Pacific rats (Rattus exulans), remain abundant across the island, though densities are lower compared to estimates of the previous survey. The richness of reptile species also appears to have declined over the past few decades. Overall, we suggest Motukawanui is a relatively straightforward island from which to eradicate rats. Such an eradication would require approval from local iwi but would directly contribute to meeting interim goals of the Predator Free 2050 initiative.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"48 1","pages":"174 - 184"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/03014223.2021.1883680","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47637193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}