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Otago Species
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Our indigenous species and their habitats are a taoka (treasured possessions).
The Department of Conservation | Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) is tasked with managing indigenous species nationally, but regional and district councils have statutory obligations to maintain indigenous biodiversity under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), including to manage the habitats of threatened species.
Nationally, the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) is used to assess species and is administered by DOC on behalf of all New Zealanders.
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. For example, a key requirement of managing the habitats of threatened species is to understand regional distributions and population sizes.
ORC has completed several regional threat assessments, with plans for more in the near future.
Amphibians
Amphibians are small vertebrates that need water, or a moist environment, to survive.
Bats
Pekapeka or bats are Aotearoa New Zealand’s only native land mammals.
Birds
Birds are vertebrates with feathers. They have distinctive bills, produce eggs, often elaborate parental behaviour, and can have extraordinary vocal abilities.
Fish
Blurb to define what fish in Otago are like. Are we focusing mainly on freshwater fish?
Reptiles
Reptiles are vertebrates covered in special skin made up of scales, bony plates, or a combination of both. They include tuatara, lizards, snakes, turtles, and tortoises. All regularly shed the outer layer of their skin.
Velvet worms
Peripatus or velvet worms are little-known nocturnal invertebrates of Aotearoa New Zealand’s undergrowth.
Plants
Otago is one of the most botanically diverse regions in Aotearoa New Zealand, with a high proportion of national flora found here.
