The beautifully illustrated and highly informative

Transcription

1 explore the creeks, rivers, lakes and wetlands of New Zealand & discover the animals and plants that live in freshwater habitats. Learn about the amazing journeys of eels and whitebait, secretive birds, and tiny insects that live underwater. The beautifully illustrated and highly informative explore & discover series from the award-winning team of Gillian Candler and Ned Barraud is aimed at children from pre-schoolers up and anyone curious about New Zealand s natural environment.

2 For Bizzy, Georgia, Charlotte, Alexander and Sophia GC For my best friend Zack NB the water safety code 1. Be prepared Learn to swim Set rules for your visit to a river, lake or wetland 2. Watch out for yourself and others Make sure an adult is supervising any activity by or in water Always keep together 3. Be aware of dangers River currents can be very strong Rivers, lakes and wetlands can change from day to day Always check for hazards 4. Know your limits and the limits of others in your group Gillian Candler is an award-winning author who brings her knowledge and skills in education and publishing to her passion for the natural world. She thinks freshwater habitats deserve to be better known and understood. Prior to writing this book she spent five days rafting down the Clarence River and saw many of the birds that live in braided rivers, as well as some of the problems caused by didymo and weeds. Ned Barraud is an illustrator with a keen passion for the natural world. He loves nothing more than swimming in a beautiful, clean river and hopes this will always be possible in New Zealand. Ned lives in Wellington with his wife and three children. Many thanks to Mike Joy and Colin Miskelly for the advice they gave during the creation of this book. First published in 2017 by Potton & Burton 98 Vickerman Street, PO Box 5128, Nelson, New Zealand Illustrations Ned Barraud; text Gillian Candler ISBN PB ; HB Printed in China by Midas Printing International Ltd This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without the permission of the publisher. contents Fresh water 4 Creeks 6 What lives in the creek? 8 Rivers 10 What lives in the river? 12 Braided rivers 14 Lakes 16 Wetlands 18 What lives in the wetland? 20 Fish 22 Kōura, frogs & other creatures 24 Aquatic insects 26 Common birds 28 Less-common birds 30 Plants & algae 32 All about fresh water 34 Glossary, index & find out more 36 For more on water safety, visit watersafety.org.nz

3 Across the land, in rivers, lakes and wetlands, fresh water pours, trickles and pools as it makes its way from the mountains to the sea. Rivers and creeks can be fast and full, gurgling and foaming, or quiet and slow. Still lakes fill with fresh water from rivers and often at the lake or river s edge, the water puddles into swampy wetlands. Fresh water brings life to the land and creates special places for animals and plants to live. Birds hunt for prey along the riverbanks or hide in wetlands. Fish make amazing journeys out to sea and back again. Strange insects live first under the water and then spend a brief few days flying in the air above it. Look into the rivers, lakes and wetlands in this book to learn about some of the interesting creatures that make fresh water their home. 6 7

4 In the rocky creek, water collects into still pools, rushes noisily over boulders and bubbles over the stones in shallow riffles. Further downstream, it forms a run of deep, fast-flowing water. Trees shade the creek, keeping the water cool and dark. A kingfisher has spotted its prey and dives down towards the water. At first glance there isn t much else for us to see, but look closer A dragonfly darts above the water, tiny beetles skim across the water s surface and fish swim in the shallows. Under water and under rocks, other unusual creatures make this stream their home. 8 Turn the page to learn more about some of the animals and plants that live in the creek. 9

5 what lives in the wetland? nursery web spider A has spun this web to try and keep its babies safe. 25 fernbird 30 This is hunting spiders and insects among the plants. 25 southern bell frog is an This spotless crake 31 damselflies fold their wings together when they land (dragonflies don t). raupo- can grow up to 4 metres tall. introduced species. A has woven a nest of grass above the water level. 30 bittern As well as frogs, a will also eat eels, kōura and insects. pukeko live in family 28 groups, and several females will sometimes lay their eggs in the same nest and share the role of raising the chicks. giant ko-kopu can live for up to 20 years. 22 mud Sometimes the in wetlands stinks! This is caused by rotting plant material being broken down by bacteria. While that might not sound very nice, it is an important role of a wetland. 22 If the wetland dries out, this can survive for a long time buried in the mud. mudfish

6 12 kōura freshwater crayfish gills 7 8 cm long did you know? All animals need oxygen to survive. Above water, animals get oxygen from the air that they breathe. Most animals that live underwater have gills. They suck in water through their gills and extract the oxygen from it. Polluted water contains little or no oxygen so animals are unable to live in it. freshwater snail up to 12 mm high These tiny snails use their rough tongues to scrape algae off rocks. They are eaten by many animals, including fish, kōura and even diving birds. freshwater mussel kākahi up to 9 cm freshwater shrimp up to 25 mm Kōura are native freshwater crayfish. They help to keep streams clean by scavenging for food, such as leaves and insects, on the riverbed. Female kōura carry their eggs around with them. When they hatch, baby kōura hang on to their mother until they are about 4 mm long. Freshwater shrimps use brushes on their front legs to collect up tiny pieces of food to eat. freshwater limpet kākihi under 1 cm freshwater clam under 1 cm Freshwater mussels and clams are filter feeders, meaning they sieve the water for scraps of food. Baby clams live within their parents gills until they grow shells of their own. One species of freshwater limpet has luminescent (glow-in-the-dark) slime. ko - ura, frogs & other creatures frog facts There are four native frog species, and three introduced species from Australia. If you see tadpoles, frog eggs or frogs by a pond or river, they are most likely from an introduced species. Native frogs are very rare and live mostly in damp places in the bush. Hochstetter, s frog (under 5 cm) is the only native frog that might be found in a stream. They are found only in the upper North Island. Native frogs are quiet, so if you hear a frog calling loudly, it will be an introduced species. The introduced southern bell frog grows up to 10 cm long and is the largest frog found in New Zealand. water spider microscopic life Water spiders don t live in the water but beside it. They use their legs to feel for vibrations of struggling insects and can walk on water to reach their prey. Can you spot the water spider on page 14? A close relative of nursery web spiders, water spiders spin their webs among stones to protect their young. 6 cm, including legs There are lots of things living in fresh water that are so tiny you need a magnifying glass or microscope to see them. They include tiny animals, bacteria and algae. This microscopic life plays an important role in fresh water, eating plant material, being eaten by other creatures and helping to decay rotting plant material such as leaves. 13

7 common birds The black swans we see today were introduced from Australia, but they are similar to a native swan that used to live in New Zealand. They mostly eat plants that grow underwater. Although swans can sometimes be seen on the sea, in harbours or estuaries, they can t live without fresh water. paradise shelduck pūtangitangi female male 67 cm white-faced heron matuku moana Matuku moana are relative newcomers from Australia. They eat frogs (also from Australia), tadpoles, worms, fish and mice. While they are seen mostly on the ground, they roost and nest up in the treetops. 63 cm cm game bird facts black swan kakı Game birds are those that are allowed to be hunted by humans for food. Some water birds, such as black swans, pūkeko and mallard and paradise ducks, are game birds. Hunters must follow rules that help to protect waterways and other species. pūkeko cm - ānau Pūkeko mostly eat grass, rushes and sedges, which they hold with their feet and cut with their bills. Sometimes they eat insects, worms and young birds. 58 cm These native ducks like living in fields as well as by water. Their population has increased as bush has been cleared to make fields. If you get close enough to pūtangitangi and listen carefully, you can hear that the male and female ducks make different noises. They mostly eat grass and other plants. male mallard duck rakiraki female Mallard ducks are an introduced species and are now the most common duck in New Zealand. Other birds that might look similar to female mallards are the grey duck, brown teal and the grey teal, all of which are native. All teal species are protected by law. 40 cm sacred kingfisher kōtare Although they are called kingfishers, kōtare don t eat only fish. They also eat insects, lizards, kōura and even mice. scaup pāpango Scaup are diving ducks that are found mostly on lakes or large, slow rivers. Their legs are set back on their body, making it easier for them to swim but harder for them to walk on land. 23 cm warou welcome swallow little shag kawau paka 56 cm Little shags are the smallest shags found in New Zealand. They can be black-and-white, or all black. They have yellow beaks, unlike little black shags cm If you see birds darting back and forth over the water s surface, they are likely to be welcome swallows catching insects. Swallows build nests out of mud, sometimes on the side of buildings or under eaves. 15