Friends of Flora - Community helping Conservation

Predators in the Flora Stream area

Stoats
The stoat is a member of the mustelid family, along with weasels and ferrets. It was introduced to New Zealand late last century to control rabbits and hares.

The introduction of stoats is commonly regarded as one of the worst mistakes ever made by European colonists in New Zealand. Stoats are now by far the most common of the mustelids and are widespread in our forests.

Stoats are extremely agile climbers and have a devastating effect on native birds by preying on adult and young birds and raiding nests for eggs. At Kowhai Bush, Kaikoura, a two year study in the late 70s showed that mustelids, mostly stoats, had robbed over 50% of 149 nests of native and introduced birds.

Possum
The Australian brush tailed possum was introduced into New Zealand in 1837 to establish a fur trade.

It is estimated that the New Zealand possum population now tops 70 million and chomps its way through seven million tonnes of vegetation per year.

Possums have eaten whole canopies of rata, totara, titoki, kowhai and kohekohe.

Possums compete with native birds for habitat and for food such as insects and berries. They also disturb nesting birds, eat their eggs and chicks and impact on native land snails.

Rats and mice
The rat is a good climber. It eats small animals, eggs, young birds and a wide range of native fruits, and other plant material.

Mouse populations fluctuate with the availability of food - in the Flora area this is driven by the amount of beech mast available. It is possible that mice can eat all the beech mast present in a forest.