Killing machines: humble British hedgehog causes havoc in New Zealand
Australian spider that crushes its prey among species taking hold in New ZealandBrought over by British settlers to make themselves feel more at home, the diminutive mammals are thriving - which spells doom for native wildlife
Consider the hedgehog. Tiny, rotund, bright-eyed and snuffling, they are shampooed for internet videos, fed saucers of milk by children, and have been immortalised by Beatrix Potter’s Mrs Tiggy Winkle. Of all the nocturnal mammals one may encounter poking through the backyard at night, they are surely the most beloved.
But in New Zealand, these small, trundling, spiky creatures are killing machines.
New Zealand is a hedgehog paradise. Whereas in Europe they are hunted by pine martens, foxes and badgers, New Zealand’s hedgehogs have few predators. Unchecked by the food chain, they meander blissfully through forests and gardens, hoovering up an astonishing number of native creatures.
Little humped spider usually found in Sydney is now thriving in Christchurch and is just one of dozens of invasive spider species
An Australian spider that crushes its prey in a tightly spun web is one of dozens of new trans-Tasman arrivals making itself at home in New Zealand, where it has few predators and often lives completely undetected.
The Philoponella congregabilis, sometimes called the little humped spider, is usually found in Sydney and along the east coast of Australia, but has recently been tracked to the South Island city of Christchurch, where it is thriving.
