Abstract
Since separating from its super-continental origin 80 million years ago, New Zealand has effectively been isolated from the impacts of terrestrial mammals. The arrival of Polynesians in 13th C heralded the end of this era, with the introduction of kiore, (Rattus exulans, or Pacific rat), which had far-reaching effects on plant regeneration, survival of small ground vertebrates, larger invertebrates, and seabird breeding colonies. This paper reviews the evidence available from raptor nest sites and Quaternary beetle fossils to summarise extinctions thought to be caused by kiore in New Zealand. It also utilises invertebrate comparisons between islands with and without rats, or where rats have been eradicated, in order to document the impacts of rats (R. exulans, R. norvegicus) on invertebrate abundance, body mass, and the behavioural responses of some large New Zealand insects to the presence of rats. The role of a ‘mammal-free’ evolutionary history is discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Atkinson IAE, Taylor RH (1992) Distribution of alien animals on New Zealand islands. 2nd ed. DSIR land resources contract report, No. 92/59
Bremner AG, Butcher CF, Patterson GB (1984) The density of indigenous invertebrates on three islands in Breaksea Sound, Fiordland, in relation to the distribution of introduced mammals. J Royal Soc N Z 14:379–386
Bremner AG, Barratt BIP, Butcher CF, Patterson GB (1989) The effects of mammalian predation on invertebrate behaviour in South West Fiordland. N Z Entomol 12:72–75
Campbell DJ, Moller H, Ramsay GW, Watt JC (1984) Observations on foods of kiore (Rattus exulans) found in husking stations on northern offshore islands of New Zealand. N Z J Ecol 7:131–138
Field LH (2001) Sensory physiology. In: Field LH (ed) The biology of wetas, king crickets and their allies. CAB International 2001, Wallingford, UK, pp 429–458
Field LH, Jarman TH (2001) Mating behaviour. In: Field LH (ed) The biology of wetas, king crickets and their allies. CAB International 2001, Wallingford, UK, pp 317–332
Field LH, Sandlant GR (2001) The gallery-related ecology of New Zealand tree wetas, Hemideina femorata and Hemideina crassidens (Orthoptera, Anostostomatidae). In: Field LH (ed) The biology of wetas, king crickets and their allies. CAB International 2001, Wallingford, UK, pp 243–257
Gibbs GW (1998) Why are some weta (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae) vulnerable yet others are common? J Insect Conserv 2:1–6
Gibbs GW (1999) Insects at risk. Forest Bird 294:32–34
Gibbs GW (2001) Habitats and biogeography of New Zealand’s Deinacridinae and tusked weta species. In: Field LH (ed) The biology of wetas, king crickets and their allies. CAB International 2001, Wallingford, UK, pp 35–55
Hayward BW (1986) Origin of the offshore islands of northern New Zealand. In: Wright AE, Beever RE (eds) The offshore islands of New Zealand. Proceedings of a symposium convened by the Offshore Islands Research Group in Auckland. Dept of lands and survey information series, No. 16, Wellington, 10–13 May 1983, pp 129–138
Hoare JM, Pledger S, Keall SN, Nelson NJ, Mitchell NJ, Daugherty CH (2006) Conservation implications of a long-term decline in body condition of the Brothers Island tuatara (Sphenodon guntheri). Anim Conserv 9:456–462
Holdaway RN (1999) Introduced predators and avifaunal extinctions in New Zealand. In: MacPhee RDE (ed) Extinctions in near time. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, Dordrecht, pp 189–238
King C (1984) Immigrant killers: introduced predators and the conservation of birds in New Zealand. Oxford University Press, Auckland
Kuschel G (1987) The subfamily Molytinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): general notes and descriptions of new taxa from New Zealand and Chile. N Z Entomol 9:11–29
Kuschel G, Worthy TH (1996) Past distribution of large weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the South Island, New Zealand, based on Holocene fossil remains. N Z Entomol 19:15–22
Leschen RAB, Rhode BE (2002) A new genus and species of large extinct Ulodidae (Coleoptera) from New Zealand. N Z Entomol 25:57–64
Leschen RAB, Rhode BE (2004) A replacement name for Archaeophylax Leschen and Rhode (Coleoptera: Ulodidae). N Z Entomol 27:125
Marra MJ (2007) Beetle records/late Pleistocene of New Zealand. In: Elias SA (ed) Encyclopedia of Quaternary science. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 236–246
Martin GR, Wilson K-J, Wild MR, Parsons S, Kubke MF, Corfield J (2007) Kiwi forego vision in the guidance of their nocturnal activities. PLoS ONE 2 e198:1–6
McIntyre M (2001) The ecology of some large weta species in New Zealand. In: Field LH (ed) The biology of wetas, king crickets and their allies. CAB International 2001, Wallingford, UK, pp 225–242
Ramsay GW (1978) A review of the effect of rodents in New Zealand nature reserves. Dept lands and survey information series, No. 4, pp 89–95
Rufaut CG (1995) A comparative study of the Wellington tree weta, Hemideina crassidens (Blanchard 1851), in the presence and absence of rodents. Unpublished MSc thesis, Victoria University Library, Wellington
Rufaut CG, Gibbs GW (2003) Response of a tree weta population (Hemideina crassidens) after eradication of the Polynesian rat from a New Zealand island. Restor Ecol 11:13–19
Stringer IAN, Chappell R (2008) Possible rescue from extinction: transfer of a rare New Zealand tusked weta to islands of the Mercury group. J Insect Conserv 12:371–382
Taylor RH (1989) A register of northern offshore islands and management strategy for island resources. Northern region technichal report series, No. 13, Auckland, Dept of Conservation, NZ
Tennyson A, Martinson P (2006) Extinct birds of New Zealand. TePapa Press, Wellington
Townes DR, Broome KG (2003) From small Maria to massive Campbell: forty years of rat eradications from New Zealand islands. N Z J Zool 30:377–398
Wilson K-J (2004) Flight of the huia: ecology and conservation of New Zealand’s frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch
Worthy TH, Holdaway RN (2002) The lost world of the moa: prehistoric life of New Zealand. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch
Acknowledgments
I am grateful to the initiative of Don Drake and Terry Hunt, University of Hawaii at Manoa for organising the meeting devoted to rats, humans and islands. The New Zealand Department of Conservation have provided support and financial assistance for the author’s numerous island visits. Cathy Rufaut has been an inspiration, while Chris Green, Rich Leschen and Maureen Marra have helped with data and illustrations. My thanks also to two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gibbs, G.W. The end of an 80-million year experiment: a review of evidence describing the impact of introduced rodents on New Zealand’s ‘mammal-free’ invertebrate fauna. Biol Invasions 11, 1587–1593 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-008-9408-x
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-008-9408-x