Folly Island, New Zealand facts for kids
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| Geography | |
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| Coordinates | 52°31′48″S 169°02′36″E / 52.5300077778°S 169.0431975°E |
| Archipelago | Campbell Island group |
| Administration | |
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New Zealand
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| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Folly Island is a small, uninhabited island. It is part of the Campbell Island group in New Zealand. This island is located in the subantarctic region. This means it is in a very cold area south of the main continents.
Island Environment and Wildlife
Scientists explored Folly Island in 1976. They found rats living there. They also found a special type of grass. This grass is called Chionochloa antarctica, or tussock grass. It was thought to be the only untouched area of this grass.
Scientists also looked for arthropods. Arthropods are creatures like insects and spiders. They only found one type of arthropod, a Wētā. Wētā are large, cricket-like insects.
Protecting the Island
Rats were removed from the entire Campbell Island group in 2001. This helped protect the native wildlife. The Campbell Island group is very important. It is one of five subantarctic island groups. These groups are recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This means they are special places that should be protected.
Important Bird Area
Folly Island is part of an Important Bird Area (IBA). BirdLife International has named it this. It is a vital place for many seabirds to breed.
The island is also home to two unique birds. These are the Campbell teal and the Campbell snipe. They are found only in this area. Protecting Folly Island helps these rare birds survive.
