Kiwi

Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae. At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any [3] species of bird in the world. There are five recognised species, two of which are currently vulnerable, one of which is endangered, and one of which iscritically endangered. All species have been adversely affected by historicdeforestation but currently large areas of their forest habitat are well protected in reserves and national parks. At present, the greatest threat to their survival is predation by invasive mammalian predators. The kiwi is a national symbol of New Zealand, and the association is so strong that the term Kiwi is used all over the world as the colloquial demonym for New Zealanders.

Kea
The Kea (/ki./; Mori: [k.a]; Nestor notabilis) is a large species of parrot(superfamily Strigopoidea) found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About 48 cm (19 in) long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wings and has a large, narrow, curved, grey-brown upper beak. The Kea is the world's only alpine parrot. Its omnivorous diet [2] includes carrion, but consists mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects. Now uncommon, the Kea was once killed for bounty due to concerns by the sheepfarming community that it attacked livestock, especially [3] [4] sheep. It received full protection only in 1986. The Kea nests in burrows or crevices among the roots of trees. Kea are known for their intelligence and curiosity, both vital to their survival in a harsh mountain environment. Kea can solve logical puzzles, such as pushing and pulling things in a certain order to get to food, and will work together to achieve a certain objective.

New Zealand red admiral

The New Zealand Red Admiral (Vanessa gonerilla) is a butterfly that is endemic toNew Zealand. The Mori name is kahukura which means red cloak. The Red Admiral is a member of the family Nymphalidae, the subfamily Nymphalinae as well as the tribeNymphalini. There are two sub-species of Vanessa gonerilla, V. g. gonerilla, which occurs on the mainland of New Zealand, and V. g. ida, which occurs on the Chatham Islands. A medium sized butterfly with a 5060mm [1][2] wingspan. The top side of the forewings is basically black with a central bright red bar running back from the front edge. There are white spots, fringed with light blue, near the tips. The rear wings are more a dark reddy brown with a red area containing four black circles. The centre of each circle is pale blue. The underside of the rear wings is a mottled collection of shapes and white/brown/black colours very camouflaged when at rest.

Hector's dolphin
Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) is the best-known of the four dolphins in thegenus Cephalorhynchus and is found only in New Zealand. At about 1.4 m in length, it is one of the smallest cetaceans, and New Zealand's only endemic cetacean. Hectors dolphin was named after Sir James Hector (18341907). He was the curator of the Colonial Museum in Wellington (now the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa). He examined the first specimen found of the dolphin. The species was scientifically described by Belgian zoologist Pierre-Joseph van Beneden in 1881. There are two subspecies: Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori, the more numerous subspecies, found around the South [2] Island, and Maui's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui), found off the northwest coast of the North Island. Maui's dolphin is one of the eight most endangered groups of cetaceans. A Department of Conservation survey found only 55 adults in 2010/2013.

Katipo
Latrodectus katipo, the katipo, is an endangered species of spider native to New Zealand. A member of the genus Latrodectus, it is related to the Australian redback spider, and the North American black widow spiders. The species is venomous to humans, capable of delivering a comparatively dangerous spider bite. Katipo is a Moriname and means "night-stinger". It is a small to medium-sized spider with the female having a round black or brown pea-sized body. Red katipo females, found in the South Island and the lower half of the North Island, are always black, and have a distinctive red stripe bordered in white on their bodies. In black katipo females, found in the upper half of the North Island, this stripe is absent, pale, yellow, or replaced with cream-coloured blotches. The two forms were previously thought to be separate species, but 2008 research determined they were the same species with different colouration. The male is much smaller than the female and quite different in appearance, being white with black stripes and red diamond shaped markings. Katipo have a narrow habitat, being only found living in sand dunes close to the seashore. They range throughout most of coastalNew Zealand, but are not found at the southernmost regions. Spinning an irregular tangled web amongst dune plants or other debris, they feed mainly on ground dwellinginsects.