Taxonomic and conservation review of the New Zealand herpetofauna

Abstract

The extant New Zealand herpetofauna is now considered to consist of at least 65 endemic species of terrestrial reptiles and amphibians, an increase of about 64% in the size of the known fauna since 1980. The list includes four species of Leiopelma*, two species of Sphenodon, seven Naultinus, 22 Hoplodactyius, eight Cyclodina, and 22 Leiolopisma, all endemic to New Zealand. Discoveries in the past decade include many cryptic species identified using allozyme data, but also some morphologically well-differentiated forms not previously known. At least 30 species (46%) are rare, threatened, or endangered, and 26 species (40%) are restricted largely or entirely to offshore islands. All but three species are protected. The New Zealand Department of Conservation has developed a comprehensive scheme for establishing management priority for indigenous species. At present, formal Recovery Plans exist in draft or approved form for at least 11 species, and more are in preparation.

Quaternary fossil fauna of South Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand

“…Atkinson 1978;Cassels 1984;Worthy 1987a;Holdaway 1989;Daugherty et al 1994;Towns & Daugherty 1994). It is now generally agreed that kiore caused the extinction and range reduction of many micro-vertebrates and macro-invertebrates in New Zealand.…”

The ten cytological races of the Scilla autumnalis species complex

“…Such complexes have been described in a number of taxa, perhaps most notably invertebrates (Collins & Paskewitz, 1996;Knio et a!., 1996), but also in vertebrate and plant systems (Coates, 1992;Daugherty et at., 1994). Cryptic species have been identified in some cases by careful morphological analysis, DNA or allozyme analysis, karyotype change or chromosomal inversions.…”

The vascular flora of Aorangi Island, Poor Knights Islands, northern New Zealand

“…The Poor Knights Islands are renowned for their diversity of reptiles, which include the northernmost extant population of tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus punctatus), and eight lizard species of which two are endemic (Daugherty et al 1994). Aside from reptiles, 10 species of burrowing petrels and shearwaters use the islands, which encompass the only known breeding site for Buller's shearwater (Puffinus bulleri).…”