Mammals of New Zealand facts for kids

Hector's dolphins at Porpoise Bay, in the Catlins

Prior to human settlement, the mammals of New Zealand consisted entirely of several species of bat, and several dozen marine mammal species. Far earlier, during the Miocene, at least one "archaic" terrestrial mammal species is known to have existed, the Saint Bathans mammal. The Māori brought the kurī (Polynesian dog) and kiore (Polynesian rat) in about 1250 CE, and Europeans from 1769 onwards brought the pig, mice, two additional species of rats, weasels, stoats, ferrets and possums and many other species, some of which cause conservation problems for indigenous species.

Indigenous species

The "Saint Bathans mammal", evidence that terrestrial mammals besides bats once occurred in New Zealand.

• Three recent species of bats: the long-tailed, short-tailed and lesser short-tailed. The Miocene Saint Bathans Fauna showcases a considerably higher diversity of at least four mystacine species, a vesper bat and several incertae sedis taxa.
• Several dozen species of whales and dolphins including the small endemic Hector's dolphin
• Seven species of seal or sea lion
• The Miocene Saint Bathans Mammal.

Conservation status

• The New Zealand greater short-tailed bat is considered critically endangered (CE), while both the other bats are considered vulnerable.
• The sei, fin and blue whales are all endangered (EN), as is the Hector's dolphin which is found only in New Zealand waters.

The Department of Conservation rank priorities for conservation with the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

Introduced species

Māori introduced two species kurī (dog) and the kiore (Polynesian rat) and European settlers introduced many other mammal species.

Agricultural animals such as cattle and sheep were also introduced, as well as alpacas and llamas.