wildlife

[Maritfri]

Hi,

Not exactly wildlife, but here are the"sister". Only fur on her too





Marit

  Okay,  I believe you! 

[Anthony Darby]

There is a pets thread.

[Maggi Young]

These are the rare Norwegian Cattus fattus subsp. furriest - clearly wildlife !!  I mentioned their photos among Marit's wonderful wild bird photos on her blog site, so that's how they got here..... 

[Maritfri]

Excuse me

This was the last time the cats appear here. I know there is a separate place for pets Sorry!

Marit

There is a pets thread.

[Anthony Darby]

No need to apologise.

[Anthony Darby]

One gecko I have seen in a pest-free sanctuary is the Pacific gecko (Hoplodactylus pacificus). http://www.doc.govt.nz/about-doc/news/media-releases/2014/reptile-revival-on-motuihe-island/

[Anthony Darby]

Four species of bumble bee were brought over from England to New Zealand between 1880 (at the fourth attempt) to 1906. European honey bees and native bees could not pollinate the red clover crop. This is a black form of Bombus ruderatus.

[Maggi Young]

I remember we have mentioned before in the forum the pleasure many of us had in watching the TV programmes of Hans and Lottie Haas and their underseas advantures  - back in the middle of last century -   I read that Lottie Haas has just passed away at the age of 86  :

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11368317/Lotte-Hass-undersea-film-maker-obituary.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[Mark Griffiths]

Anthony, one of those bumble bee species taken over to New Zealand has now been lost from the UK. I was listeneing to a guy on the radio and he was saying they looked into the possibility of using NZ stock for a re-introduction programme but he said they were too inbred and I think they went with Norweigan stock.

[Matt T]

The short-haired bumblebee and the interview was with Dave Goulson, founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Swedish bees have been released at Romney Marsh, Kent. The full story is recounted in his book 'A Sting in the Tale', which as a good read (and writtenin the same relaxed and engaging style he had when he taught at my Uni) but you can also find out more here: http://www.bumblebeereintroduction.org/

[Anthony Darby]

I think it was Bombus subterraneus that they tried, and failed, with New Zealand stock. The hibernating queens died, so they used Swedish stock. This shows the bees we have here: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/11163/distribution-of-bumblebees and http://www.terrain.net.nz/friends-of-te-henui-group/local-flies/bumble-bee.html

[mark smyth]

and NZ queens have recently been sent back to England

[Anthony Darby]

How recently Mark? I thought it failed, so they tried Swedish stock. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-haired_bumblebee

[mark smyth]

last couple of years. I didn't hear it failed. Nearly sure it was on Countryfile

[mark smyth]

2013 http://www.rspb.org.uk/whatwedo/projects/details.aspx?id=299380