davidb Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 “NZ Life in Cold Blood” - a two part seminar by Ben Barr & Dylan van Winkel Ben Barr: Investigating chevron skink (Oligosoma homalonotum) ecology and the benefits of rodent control on Great Barrier Island. The chevron skink (or chevy as Ben calls it) is Nationally Endangered and is only found on Little Barrier and Great Barrier Islands. The threats to chevron skink are currently unknown, therefore its very existence hangs in the balance. Chevies went missing for over 70 years before turning up on Great Barrier Island in the 1970's. Since then just over 300 records have been reported, which makes this a very enigmatic species. Ben’s research was aimed at learning more about the ecology and behaviour of these incredible animals, with results suggesting that the biggest adults might be too much for a rat to handle, and flooding makes them head for the hills. Dylan van Winkel: Translocating Duvaucel’s geckos (Hoplodactylus duvaucelii) and native bird predation on lizards. New Zealand’s native herpetofauna are highly susceptible to introduced mammalian predators and as a result, the distribution of many species has contracted to only a few offshore islands. Translocating threatened species to protected, predator-free islands may help to secure further populations. However, very little is known about the post-translocation response of lizards, following an inter-island translocation. Using radio-transmitters, a variety of survey methods, and a lot of persistence Dylan and co-workers managed to describe how Duvaucel’s geckos behaved and responded to a translocation from Korapuki Island (Mercury Islands, Coromandel) to Tiritiri Matangi and Motuora Islands (Hauraki Gulf). Predation by native birds (e.g. kingfishers, morepork) will also be discussed, in the context of maximising translocation success. DATE & TIME: Thursday 20 August 6:30 – 8:00 pm Grasslands Room, Auckland Zoo. Meet 6:25 pm sharp at Auckland Zoo front gate off Motions Road, Western Springs. COST (per seminar): ZSA Members and Auckland Zoo Staff - Free Auckland Zoo Volunteers, OAP and tertiary students on presentation of Student ID card - $5.00 General Entry - $ 10.00 (Door fee provides donation for work of the Zoological Society of Auckland) Tea, coffee, soft drinks and biscuits are provided before and after the seminar, during which time there will be opportunities to ask questions and mingle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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