Home > Otago drylands > Animals
As Central Otago's original dryland vegetation was destroyed by human fires and farming, so too many of its animal species were lost through habitat degradation and the impact of introduced mammals.
Browse the animal species gallery to get a taste of some of the animals native to the Central Otago drylands.
Species gallery
Scientific name: Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae. Common names: Kakariki, Red-crowned parakeet. Image: Francesco Veronesi. CC-BY-SA 2.0
Scientific name: Prodontria lewisii. Image: Bruce McKinlay CC-BY-4.0
Scientific name: Sphenodon Image: Bernard Spragg, Public domain.
Scientific name: Nestor notabilis. Image: Bernard Spragg, Public domain.
Family: Geometridae, Genus: Dichromodes. Image: Birgit E. Rhode CC-BY 4.0
Scientific name: Hemideina. Image: Jerome Albre CC-BY 2.0
Scientific name: Dinornithiformes. Extinct. Image: John Megahan CC-BY 2.5
Scientific name: Gallirallus australis. Image: Sid Mosdell CC-BY 2.0
Scientific name: Acanthisitta chloris. Image: Shellie Evans CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0
Scientific name: Sceloglaux albifacies. Extinct. Image: John Gerrard Keulemans. Public domain.
Scientific name: Porphyrio hochstetteri. Image: Harald Selke. CC-BY-SA 2.0
Family: Hepialidae. Image: Birgit E. Rhode. CC-BY 4.0
Scientific name: Coturnix novaezelandiae. Extinct. Image: Charles Joseph Hullmandel.
Scientific name: Nestor meridionalis. Image: Digitalrails CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0
Scientific name: Deinacrida connectens. Image: NZSnowman CC-BY-SA 2.0
Scientific name: Harpagornis moorei. Extinct. Image: John Megahan CC-BY 2.5
Scientific name: Cnemiornis calcitrans. Extinct. Image: Public domain.
Scientific name: Apteryx australis. Maori name: Tokoeka Image: Glen Fergus CC-BY 2.0