Misplaced Pages

#559440

37-421: The area's name translates as to eat ( kai ) the saddleback bird ( tieke ). The area's steep rugged hills and valleys were once covered in thick native forest. However, with the arrival of European settlers in the early 1900s, most local forests were felled for farming between 1908 and 1915. Kaitīeke School opened in 1910, and some small sawmills operated in the area during the 1920s. The Spanish flu had

74-523: A behaviour to be both deimatic and aposematic, if it both startles a predator and indicates the presence of anti-predator adaptations . Vertebrates including several species of frog put on warning displays; some of these species have poison glands. Among the mammals, such displays are often found in species with strong defences, such as in foul-smelling skunks and spiny porcupines . Thus these displays in both frogs and mammals are at least in part aposematic. Deimatic displays are made by insects including

111-580: A devastating impact on the community in November 1918, killing about 23% of the local Māori population. Painter Edward (Ted) Lattey farmed south of the settlement in the 1920s, before leaving the King Country to become a professional painter. He became known for his paintings of native forests, including King Country scenes. During World War I and again during the Great Depression , many farmers abandoned

148-515: A hedgehog is startled by, for instance, the sounds made by a scorpion, there is reason to describe the display as deimatic. Spiders make use of a variety of different threat displays. Some such as Argiope and Pholcus make themselves and their webs vibrate rapidly when they are disturbed; this blurs their outline and perhaps makes them look larger, as well as more difficult to locate precisely for an attack. Mygalomorphae spiders such as tarantulas exhibit deimatic behaviour; when threatened,

185-461: A high contrast display. The paper nautilus can rapidly change its appearance: it suddenly withdraws the shining iridescent web formed by its first pair of arms from its shell. Among vertebrates, the Australian frill-necked lizard ( Chlamydosaurus kingii ) has a startling display in which wide semicircular frills on either side of the head are fanned out; the mouth is opened wide exposing the gape;

222-437: A pair of eyespots on the mantle, dark eye rings, and a dark line on the fins, and dilating the pupils of the eyes. The common octopus similarly displays pale skin and dark eye rings with dilated pupils, but also curls its arms and stretches out the web between the arms as far as possible, and squirts out jets of water. Other octopuses such as Atlantic white-spotted octopus turn bright brownish red with oval white spots all over in

259-537: A predator, thus giving the prey animal an opportunity to escape. The term deimatic or dymantic originates from the Greek δειματόω (deimatóo), meaning "to frighten". Deimatic display occurs in widely separated groups of animals, including moths , butterflies , mantises and phasmids among the insects. In the cephalopods, different species of octopuses , squids , cuttlefish and the paper nautilus are deimatic. Displays are classified as deimatic or aposematic by

296-467: A study of the rattling made by rattlesnakes of different species, the Canadian zoologists Brock Fenton and Lawrence Licht found that the sounds are always similar: they have rapid onset (starting suddenly, and reaching full volume in a few milliseconds); they consist of a "broadband" mixture of frequencies between 2 kHz and 20 kHz, with little energy either in the ultrasonic (above 20 kHz) or in

333-420: A vertebrate predator such as an owl . Among butterflies , the peacock butterfly Aglais io is a cryptic leaf mimic with wings closed, but displays four conspicuous eyespots when disturbed, in a display effective against insectivorous birds (flycatchers). An experiment by the Australian zoologist A. D. Blest demonstrated that the more an eyespot resembled a real vertebrate eye in both colour and pattern,

370-506: Is onomatopoeic and comes from one of the species' calls: "ti-e-ke-ke-ke-ke". There are two species: The saddlebacks appear to be a remnant of an early expansion of passerines in New Zealand, and are two of five New Zealand wattlebirds of the family Callaeidae , the others being the extinct huia , the endangered North Island kōkako , and the possibly extinct South Island kōkako . New Zealand wattlebirds have only one close relative:

407-434: The stitchbird . Saddlebacks are larger than other arboreal insectivorous birds in New Zealand forests. They measure as much as 25 cm (10 in) in length and can weigh up to 75 grams (somewhat larger than a common blackbird ). They will tear pieces of bark from tree trunks to find insects beneath, which are then dispatched and consumed with their short, robust, and unusually strong beaks. They will also feed on

SECTION 10

#1733086267560

444-457: The Atlantic white-spotted octopus ( Octopus macropus ), and the paper nautilus ( Argonauta argo ). Deimatic cephalopod displays involve suddenly creating bold stripes, often reinforced by stretching out the animal's arms, fins or web to make it look as big and threatening as possible. For example, in the common cuttlefish the display consists of flattening the body, making the skin pale, showing

481-560: The Canadian zoologists John M. Ratcliffe and James H. Fullard, using dogbane tiger moths and northern long-eared bats ( Myotis septentrionalis ), suggests that the signals in fact both disrupt echolocation and warn of chemical defence. The behaviour of these insects is thus both deimatic and aposematic. Both spiders and scorpions are venomous, so their threat displays can be considered generally aposematic. However, some predators such as hedgehogs and spider-hunting wasps ( Pompilidae ) actively hunt arachnids, overcoming their defences, so when

518-503: The French zoologist Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire to accommodate a single species, the South Island saddleback , which is therefore the type species of the genus. The name combines the honeyeater genus Philedon and the starling genus Sturnus . The saddleback's common name derives from the demarcated brown plumage on its back, which resembles a saddle . The Māori name, tīeke ,

555-693: The New Zealand Wildlife Service (now the Department of Conservation ) barely saved the species from extinction, while the rats' predation soon condemned to extinction the local populations of the South Island snipe , bush wren and greater short-tailed bat . Saddleback have since been relocated to island nature reserves around New Zealand, and also to mainland fenced sanctuaries . Since roughly 2015, sporadic sightings and evidence of breeding has been confirmed in Polhill Reserve, which neighbours

592-412: The New Zealand mainland. By the beginning of the 20th century, both species were confined to a respective island; in the far north, Hen Island off Northland, and in the far south, Taukihepa / Big South Cape Island off Stewart Island / Rakiura . Rats arrived on Big South Cape Island in 1963, accidentally introduced as they escaped from the boats of visiting muttonbirders . A swift rescue operation by

629-427: The effect of a rattlesnake's rattling could be deimatic (startle) in inexperienced animals, whether predators or large animals that might injure the snake by stepping on it, but aposematic (a warning signal) in animals that are aware of the rattle's meaning. They refer to the work of Fenton and his colleague David Bates on the responses of the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus , to the defensive clicks made by moths in

666-399: The family Callaeidae . Both are glossy black with a chestnut saddle. Their taxonomic family is also known as that of the (New Zealand) "wattlebirds" and includes the two species of kōkako , and the extinct huia . All members of the family Callaeidae have coloured fleshy wattles on either side of the beak; the saddlebacks' are a vivid red. The genus Philesturnus was introduced in 1832 by

703-542: The fenced Zealandia wildlife sanctuary. These have been the first sightings on New Zealand's un-fenced mainland since the bird was declared extinct on the mainland in 1910. The recovery of the saddleback is considered by many to be one of New Zealand's greatest conservation success stories. Threat displays Deimatic behaviour or startle display means any pattern of bluffing behaviour in an animal that lacks strong defences, such as suddenly displaying conspicuous eyespots , to scare off or momentarily distract

740-478: The genus Pleurodema have lumbar glands (making the animals distasteful, so in their case the display is likely aposematic); these glands are usually boldly contrasted in black as a further warning. Non-bluffing (aposematic) displays occur in mammals which possess powerful defences such as spines or stink glands, and which habitually warn off potential predators rather than attempting escape by running. The lowland streaked tenrec ( Hemicentetes semispinosus ) raises

777-496: The grasshopper Phymateus displays red and yellow areas on its hind wings; it is also aposematic, producing a distasteful secretion from its thorax. Similarly the threat display of the walking stick phasmid ( Peruphasma schultei ) is not a bluff: the insect sprays defensive dolichodial -like monoterpene chemical compounds at attackers. Among moths with deimatic behaviour, the eyed hawkmoth ( Smerinthus ocellatus ) displays its large eyespots, moving them slowly as if it were

SECTION 20

#1733086267560

814-528: The ground in leaf litter. However, their diet is not strictly insectivorous: they have been observed eating fruit and drinking nectar. Like their close relative the kōkako, saddlebacks are poor fliers and mostly bound from branch to branch, but can fly short distances. Territorial birds, the saddlebacks display antagonistic behaviour in this regard on three levels of intensity, singing out at dawn to mark their territory, making threat displays , which can include head bobbing, tail fanning, and warbling (during which

851-564: The ground, and their fledglings will leave the nest to hop around in a typically noisy fashion while they build wing strength. Saddlebacks traditionally held a strong place in Māori belief systems: their cries were viewed as good omens when they came from the right, and bad omens if from the left. Their cheeky nature is reflected in the Māori legend that tells of how the birds acquired its distinctive chestnut coloured saddle. Fresh from his battle to ensnare

888-534: The land. By the mid-1930s about half the land cleared for farming had reverted to fern and scrub, and high rainfall caused soils to leach and lose their fertility. It was not until the introduction of aerial fertiliser topdressing after World War II that farming conditions began to improve. The Kaitieke War Memorial was installed in January 1923, commemorating the 23 local men who died in World War I . A further inscription

925-649: The large red underwing ( Catocala nupta ), are cryptic at rest, but display a flash of startlingly bright colours when disturbed. Others, such as many species of genus Speiredonia and Spirama , look threatening while at rest. Also saturniid moths of the genera Attacus and Rothschildia display snake heads, but not from the frontal position. Many arctiid moths make clicks when hunted by echolocating bats; they also often contain unpalatable chemicals. Some such as dogbane tiger moths ( Cycnia tenera ) have ears and conspicuous coloration, and start to make clicks when echolocating bats approach. An experiment by

962-436: The more effective it was in scaring off insectivorous birds. In another experiment using peacock butterflies, Blest showed that when the conspicuous eyespots had been rubbed off, insectivorous birds (yellow buntings) were much less effectively frightened off, and therefore both the sudden appearance of colour, and the actual eyespot pattern, contribute to the effectiveness of the deimatic display. Some noctuid moths , such as

999-416: The praying mantises ( Mantodea ) and stick insects ( Phasmatodea ). While undisturbed, these insects are usually well camouflaged . When disturbed by a potential predator, they suddenly reveal their hind wings, which are brightly coloured. In mantises, the wing display is sometimes reinforced by showing brightly coloured front legs, and accompanied by a loud hissing sound created by stridulation . For example,

1036-429: The rattlesnakes' hearing range (below 700 Hz); and the frequencies do not change much with time (the rattling after two minutes having a similar spectrum to that at onset). There was no clear difference in the sounds made by the different species measured: Crotalus horridus , Crotalus adamanteus , Crotalus atrox , Crotalus cerastes , Crotalus viridis and Sistrurus catenatus . This pattern implies that

1073-506: The rattling "could serve as a general attention-getting device", which "is designed as a deimatic or startle display". Its similarity to the "broadband, harsh sounds" used as warning calls by birds and mammals may enhance its effectiveness. Since rattlesnakes can barely hear the sound, it is unlikely to serve as any form of communication to other snakes of the same species. Finally, the sounds are not in themselves loud enough to cause pain and hence keep predators away. Fenton and Licht note that

1110-402: The responses of the animals that see them. Where predators are initially startled but learn to eat the displaying prey, the display is classed as deimatic, and the prey is bluffing; where they continue to avoid the prey after tasting it, the display is taken as aposematic, meaning the prey is genuinely distasteful. However, these categories are not necessarily mutually exclusive. It is possible for

1147-602: The spider rears back with its front legs and pedipalps spread and fangs bared. Some species, such as the dangerous Indian ornamental tree spider ( Poecilotheria regalis ) have bright colouring on the front legs and mouthparts which are shown off in its threat display when it "rears up on its hind legs, and brandishes the fore limbs and palpi in the air". Scorpions perform non-bluffing threat displays, as they have powerful defences, but various predators still eat them. When provoked, they spread their pincers and in some cases raise their abdomens, their tails standing near-erect with

Kaitieke - Misplaced Pages Continue

1184-441: The spines on its head and back when confronted by a predator, and moves its head up and down. Porcupines such as Erethizon erect their long sharp quills and adopt a hunched, head-down posture when a predator is nearby. The spotted skunk ( Spilogale putorius ) balances on its front legs, its body raised vertically with its bold pelage pattern conspicuously displayed, and its tail (near the scent glands) raised and spread out. In

1221-477: The sting ready for immediate use. Some scorpions in addition produce deimatic noises by stridulating with the pedipalps and first legs. Deimatic behaviour is found in cephalopods including the common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis , squid such as the Caribbean reef squid ( Sepioteuthis sepioidea ) and bigfin reef squid ( Sepioteuthis lessoniana ), octopuses including the common octopus Octopus vulgaris and

1258-559: The sun, a thirsty Māui (a virtual demi-god in Māori folklore) asked the tīeke to bring him some water. The bird rudely pretended not to hear his request, at which Māui, becoming angry, seized it with his still fiery hand, leaving a brown scorch mark across its back. Their breeding behaviour (nesting near the ground and fledglings hopping noisily around on the ground) make them especially vulnerable to predation from introduced mammals, including mustelids , brown rats and ship rats . This resulted in both species swiftly disappearing from

1295-462: The tail is waved over the body, and the body is raised, so that the animal appears as large and threatening as possible. Frogs such as Physalaemus nattereri , Physalaemus deimaticus , and Pleurodema brachyops have a warning display behaviour. These animals inflate themselves with air and raise their hind parts to appear as large as possible, and display brightly coloured markings and eyespots to intimidate predators. Seven species of frogs in

1332-411: The wattles dilate). When a direct challenge is made to a bird's territory, fights can occur in which combatants attempt to grapple with the wattles of their foe. Saddlebacks are notoriously fearless and noisy, and frequently enchanted 19th-century European naturalists with their behaviour. Saddlebacks nest in epiphytes , in tree-fern crowns, and in holes in tree trunks. They have a tendency to nest near

1369-731: Was made after World War II for the six local men who died in that war. The Kaitieke and Retaruke Valley sports contest took place annually during Easter Weekend from 1917 until 2017, before ending because of a dwindling local population. The final event, in April 2017, featured period costumes. Kaitieke School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 9 as of August 2024. 39°06′03″S 175°16′23″E  /  39.100827°S 175.272985°E  / -39.100827; 175.272985 Tieke P. rufusater P. carunculatus The saddlebacks or tīeke ( Māori ) are two species of New Zealand birds of

#559440