A close up of kākāpo feathers
Image: Sabine Bernert | ©

Wednesday Conservation Week quiz

Introduction

Test your knowledge with the Wednesday Conservation Week quiz.

Do the quiz below and make sure to keep track of your score.

If you have any problems viewing the quiz, try using a different browser or view all the questions on one page.

Conservation Quiz 2020: Wednesday 19 August

Measuring tuatara
DOC and Ngāti Awa volunteers surveying tuatara

Q1: Tuatara grow at a quicker rate than any other reptile – true or false?

Tuatara
A tuatara on Moutohorā (Whale Island)

Nope - it's false!

Tuatara have one of the slowest growth rates of any reptile, and they keep growing until they are about 35 years old.

Tuatara
A tuatara on Moutohorā (Whale Island)

Yes - it's false!

Tuatara have one of the slowest growth rates of any reptile, and they keep growing until they are about 35 years old.

Q2: The Te Reo Māori name for a silvereye or wax-eye is…

Incorrect!

Its Māori name is tauhou, which means 'stranger', or more literally, 'new arrival'.

 

The silvereye was first recorded in New Zealand in 1832. There is no evidence it was artificially introduced so its classified as a native species.

Correct! It's tauhou

Its Māori name is tauhou, which means 'stranger', or more literally, 'new arrival'.

 

The silvereye was first recorded in New Zealand in 1832. There is no evidence it was artificially introduced so its classified as a native species.

Q3: There are over how many species of wētā in New Zealand?

Giant Tree weta at Zealandia
Giant wētā / wētāpunga

Incorrect - it's over 100!

There are more than 100 species of wētā in New Zealand, 16 of which are at risk.

 

There are five broad groups of wētā, one of which is giant wētā. Giant wētā have been around for 190 million years making them one of New Zealand’s oldest creatures.

Giant Tree weta at Zealandia
Giant wētā / wētāpunga

Correct - it's over 100!

There are more than 100 species of wētā in New Zealand, 16 of which are at risk.

 

There are five broad groups of wētā, one of which is giant wētā. Giant wētā have been around for 190 million years making them one of New Zealand’s oldest creatures.

Q4: DOC’s successful predator control programme, Tiakina Ngā Manu (formerly named Battle for the Birds) translates as:

Incorrect - it's 'protect the birds'

'Tiakina Ngā Manu' translates as ‘protect the birds’. In the context of our programme, ‘manu’ symbolises all our forest creatures.

Correct - the answer is 'protect the birds'!

'Tiakina Ngā Manu' translates as ‘protect the birds’. In the context of our programme, ‘manu’ symbolises all our forest creatures.

Q5: What’s the greatest distance male kākāpō can be heard while ‘booming’ on flat ground to attract a female?

Stella the kākāpō on Codfish Island
Stella the kākāpō exploring in the bush

Incorrect - The answer is 400 m!

Male kākāpō can be heard up to 400 m away on flat ground. After 20–30 booms the male kākāpō makes a high-pitched metallic ‘ching’. It helps females pinpoint his position.

 

Press play to hear a kākāpō booming below:

Stella the kākāpō on Codfish Island
Stella the kākāpō exploring in the bush

Correct - The answer is 400 m!

Male kākāpō can be heard up to 400 m away on flat ground. After 20–30 booms the male kākāpō makes a high-pitched metallic ‘ching’. It helps females pinpoint his position.

 

Press play to hear a kākāpō booming below:

Q6: Estuaries are special places where rivers meet the sea. They can be lagoons, harbours, inlets, sounds, river or stream mouths and wetlands. How many estuaries are in New Zealand?

Correct - it's over 300!

New Zealand has more than 300 estuaries, offering a unique habitat to our wildlife. Each one is unique, ranging from small lagoons to extensive wetland harbour systems.

Incorrect - it's over 300!

New Zealand has more than 300 estuaries, offering a unique habitat to our wildlife. Each one is unique, ranging from small lagoons to extensive wetland harbour systems.

Maud Island frog
Maud Island frog

Q7: New Zealand native frogs do not have a tadpole stage – true or false?

Archey's frog and froglet
Archey's frog and froglet

Nope - it's true!

Our native frog species do not have a tadpole stage. Instead they hatch as an almost fully-formed frog known as a froglet.

 

Many rely on their parents while small. The male Archey’s frog sometimes carries his young on his back.

Archey's frog and froglet
Archey's frog and froglet

Yes - it's true!

Our native frog species do not have a tadpole stage. Instead they hatch as an almost fully-formed frog known as a froglet.

 

Many rely on their parents while small. The male Archey’s frog sometimes carries his young on his back.

Q8: What mammal has recently been identified as presenting a risk to New Zealand’s dolphins?

Incorrect! It's cats.

Cats can carry a parasitic disease known as a toxoplasmosis which is a confirmed cause of death for Maui and Hector’s dolphins. They are the only animal in which the parasite can reproduce.

Correct! It's cats.

Cats can carry a parasitic disease known as a toxoplasmosis which is a confirmed cause of death for Maui and Hector’s dolphins. They are the only animal in which the parasite can reproduce.

ruru-morepork-whenua-hou.jpg
Morepork/ruru

Q9: Like many bird species, male morepork/ruru are larger than females.

Morepork/ruru with it's wings spread
Morepork/Ruru

Yes - it's false!

Female morepork/ruru are bigger than the males. Head to tail they measure around 29 cm and weight about 175 g.

 

Only ruru females incubate eggs. To discourage predators, they may stretch up, puff their feathers and hold out their wings to seem larger.

 

Morepork/ruru with it's wings spread
Morepork/Ruru

Nope - it's false!

Female morepork/ruru are bigger than the males. Head to tail they measure around 29 cm and weight about 175 g.

 

Only ruru females incubate eggs. To discourage predators, they may stretch up, puff their feathers and hold out their wings to seem larger.

 

Q10: How do albatross keep cool when they get too warm?

Incorrect! The answer is all of the above.

Albatross can overheat in warmer temperatures and they pant similarly to dogs to keep cool. They also stand to lose heat from their legs and feet. If caring for young, they will block the sun while they stand to cool their chick.

Correct! The answer is all of the above

Albatross can overheat in warmer temperatures and they pant similarly to dogs to keep cool. They also stand to lose heat from their legs and feet. If caring for young, they will block the sun while they stand to cool their chick.

Well done - you completed Wednesday's Conservation Week quiz!

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