Animal pests

Animal pests in NZ

 Search for a species
Browse for a species


Animal Pests in NZ



Stoat
(By: Department of Conservation)

Introduced animals encompass any organism that has been introduced byhumans be it accidentally (such as rats and wasps) or deliberately (such as sheep and cows). Most pest species have both direct and indirect impacts on New Zealand native flora, and unravelling these can be complex. The most well known example of this is the Australian brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) which is a serious pest in New Zealand. Direct impacts of  these animals include their intense, selective browsing of favoured food plant species (e.g., tree fuchsia – Fuchsia exorticata, mistletoe – Peraxilla tetrapetala and northern rata – Metrosideros robusta) often resulting in extensive canopy defoliation and mortality.
Possum
(By: Rod Morris)

However, it is now known that possums also eat eggs, nestlings, and even adult birds of species that are crucial pollinators and seed dispersers, so impacting on an even wider range of plants and animals than previously believed. Nevertheless possums may even have a minor beneficial role, e.g., their pollination and dispersal of kiekie (Freycinetia banksii) fruits, a role more usually associated with bats. These same patterns are common to many of our introduced animal pests, yet unravelling these complex interactions and predicting their ultimate impact on our indigenous biota is still in its infancy.


For more detailed information about animal pests follow the links below:

For more information about New Zealand’s animal pests see the following:

Websites:

Wasp
(By: Department of Conservation)

Books:
King, C.E. (ed.) 2005. The handbook of New Zealand Mammals. Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Australia. Pp. 610.