Non Native species in the UK
- Thread starter Mr T
- Start date
there are a number of books on the acclimatisation societies of NZ and what their activities were. There are also individual books on the different vertebrate groups, all of which include the introduced species (NZ is very well-served with wildlife guides). The Handbook of New Zealand Mammals by Carolyn King deals almost entirely with introduced mammals and their impact on the country (the only native mammals of course being bats and pinnipeds [cetaceans are not covered in this volume])
Last edited:
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
I'm intrigued that a population of Cirl Buntings persists on South Island :-
Distribution of cirl bunting and dunnock - Introduced land birds - Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
An aviculturalist who caught some or all of these birds might well have some useful genetic material for the ongoing efforts at restoring this bird's fortunes in Southern England.
kind of going off-topic of UK introduced species (although I guess they are UK species introduced elsewhere!), cirl buntings are the rarest introduced passerine in NZ. They are relatively easy to find around Kaikoura and are most common in Otago. They're probably my favourite finch/bunting here but that's probably just because they are the rarest so I don't see them unless I specifically go looking for them. Some of the other introduced passerines that I understand are becoming scarce in the UK, such as skylark and yellowhammer, are very abundant here however. Regarding non-feathery species, I posted a news item in the Conservation section some time ago (2009) on a species of bumblebee being reintroduced to the UK (where apparently they had become extinct) from NZ (where they had been introduced): http://www.zoochat.com/65/bumblebees-going-nz-uk-122125/
Back on topic, there are two species of NZ stick insect wild in the UK somewhere, and there is also the NZ flax which has become a pest [in the Scilly Isles maybe? - I haven't got time to look it up]....and how could anyone forget the earthworm-eating NZ flatworms over there!! (Its about time NZ wildlife got its own back in the introduced pest stakes!!!!)
Back on topic, there are two species of NZ stick insect wild in the UK somewhere, and there is also the NZ flax which has become a pest [in the Scilly Isles maybe? - I haven't got time to look it up]....and how could anyone forget the earthworm-eating NZ flatworms over there!! (Its about time NZ wildlife got its own back in the introduced pest stakes!!!!)
Last edited:
Other than those already mentioned.
In Europe there are feral populations of Siberian chipmunks in France and Germany, muskrats in eastern Europe, African creasted porcupine in Italy, raccoon in Germany and holland, raccoon dogs in eastern Europe, White tailed deer in Finland,
Uk also haven't mentioned glis glis, American mink, sika deer, muntjac deer, Chinese water deer.
And that's just mammals. There are also isolated cases of skunks, racoons, gennets, coatis, arctic foxes and various other squirrel species that pop up. I have friends that once spotted an albino skunk in some woods and tried to catch it but were sprayed!
In Europe there are feral populations of Siberian chipmunks in France and Germany, muskrats in eastern Europe, African creasted porcupine in Italy, raccoon in Germany and holland, raccoon dogs in eastern Europe, White tailed deer in Finland,
Uk also haven't mentioned glis glis, American mink, sika deer, muntjac deer, Chinese water deer.
And that's just mammals. There are also isolated cases of skunks, racoons, gennets, coatis, arctic foxes and various other squirrel species that pop up. I have friends that once spotted an albino skunk in some woods and tried to catch it but were sprayed!
The coypu spread into Suffolk too, I saw several at Minsmere. A run of harder winters played a part in their extirpation.
Alan
its worth mentioning the various exotic fungus and invertebrate species that were actually discovered for the first time living wild in the UK, including (probably most famously) a species of flatworm Bipalium kewensis in one of the glasshouses at Kew Gardens in 1878. In most cases the country of origin is still not known but they have been widely spread around the world via horticultural practices.