Why are tuatara endangered?

Answer 1

The main reason why tuatara are endangered is the threat caused by introduced predators. Once found throughout the mainland, the tuatara is now found in the wild only on offshore islands. The kiore (Polynesian rat) is responsible for the decreasing tuatara population, as are the two species of rats introduced by Europeans, while cats, dogs, stoats and ferrets have also contributed to the tuatara's decline.

On the mainland, deforestation has resulted in habitat loss, which has meant less food and safe shelter for the tuatara.

The tuatara's own breeding cycle and slow growth rate makes this reptile one of its own worst enemies. Tuatara only breed every second year and they are long-lived, meant they do not begin reproducing until they are 15-18 years old. They cannot reproduce quickly enough to compensate for their numbers being reduced by predators.

Answer 2

The kakapo, also called the owl parrot, is a nocturnal parrot of New Zealand. It is critically endangered, and extinct on the mainland. Its main defence is to freeze in place when it senses danger.

Prior to European settlement, there were no native predators of the kakapo in New Zealand. They are particularly subject to predation by stoats and feral cats, both of which have been introduced. Feral cats have virtually decimated the poulation on Stewart Island. Also, when the Polynesians arrived, the kiore, or Polynesian rat, was introduced into the kakapo's habitat, whereupon they began to feast on the kakapo's eggs. The Polynesians themselves raided nests and ate eggs, and they used the kakapo as a source of food for the new human population as, being flightless, they were easy to catch. The feathers from the kakapos were also valued. With the arrival of new people from Europe, the situation became worse with more rats, imported cats and stoats, and more hunting by the new residents of the birds for food.

To add to the difficulties, the Kakapo have long breeding cycles, of approximately 3 years, so population growth is not sufficient to replace the birds lost to predation by other species. As well the berries they eat during breeding seasons apparently suffered a down turn too, and the quantity of berries became insufficient to sustain the breeding populations as needed. Introduced plant species took over the kakapo's habitat, pushing out the kakapo's native foods. Land clearing by Europeans exacerbated the situation.

The current recovery programme involves relocation of the kakapo to protected islands. Since the implementation of the Kakapo Recovery Plan which was established in 1989, numbers have gradually increased, but the bird is still critically endangered. They are currently critically endangered, with a population that fluctuates between 120 and 131, but this is a vast improvement on the 51 known birds in 1995.

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Answer 3

The main reason why tuatara are endangered is because of the impact of human settlement and the introduction of non-native predators. The kiore (Polynesian rat) is responsible for the decreasing tuatara population, as are the two species of rats introduced by Europeans. these rats steal the eggs from burrows, and eat hatchlings. Introduced cats, dogs, stoats and ferrets have also contributed to the tuatara's decline.

On the mainland, deforestation has resulted in habitat loss, which has meant less food and safe shelter for the tuatara. Because they are now lited to islands, their genetic diversity is reduced, meaning that they are more susceptible to diseases.

The tuatara's own breeding cycle and slow growth rate makes this reptile one of its own worst enemies. Tuatara only breed every second year or third year, and they are long-lived, meant they do not begin reproducing until they are 15-18 years old. They cannot reproduce quickly enough to compensate for their numbers being reduced by predators.

Answer 4

The main threats to the tuatara are introduced predators. The kiore (Polynesian rat) is responsible for the decreasing tuatara population, as are the two species of rats introduced by Europeans, while cats, dogs, stoats and ferrets have also contributed to the tuatara's decline.

On the mainland, deforestation has resulted in habitat loss, which has meant less food and safe shelter for the tuatara.

The tuatara's own breeding cycle and slow growth rate makes this reptile one of its own worst enemies. Tuatara only breed every second year and they are long-lived, meant they do not begin reproducing until they are 15-18 years old. They cannot reproduce quickly enough to compensate for their numbers being reduced by predators.

Answer 5

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