age

Post-metamorphic body growth and remarkable longevity in Archey's frog and Hamilton's frog in New Zealand

Post-metamorphic body growth and longevity of two archaic terrestrial frogs (Anura: Leiopelmatidae) endemic to New Zealand are described using data from long-term capture-recapture studies and measurements of snout-vent length. Population studies of Hamilton's frog (Leiopelma hamiltoni) on Te Pākeka/Maud Island, Marlborough Sounds, have been undertaken since 1976 and Archey's frog (L. archeyi) in the Coromandel Ranges since 1982.

An analysis of a recreational hunter's red deer tallies in the Tararua Ranges, North Island, New Zealand

We examined the jaw size, age and sex distribution of 324 red deer constituting a comprehensive record of all recreational hunting kills made by a single hunter of the Tararua ranges of North Island New Zealand over a period 20 years (1976-1996). The proportion of stags shot at times other than the rut (March—April) was not significantly different to that in a sample of deer obtained by commercial helicopter hunting and did not change significantly after the first three years of hunting regardless of any effect of helicopter hunting.

Population biology of small mammals in Pureora Forest Park .2. The feral house mouse (Mus musculus)

Over five years from November 1982 to November 1987, we examined 395 mice collected from unlogged and logged native forest and from exotic forest at Pureora Forest Park, in the central North Island of New Zealand. Sex ratio, litter size, and breeding effort (pregnancy rate in females, proportion of males with visible tubules) were similar in all samples.

Population biology of small mammals in Pureora forest park .1. Carnivores (Mustela erminea, M. furo, M. nivalis, and Felis catus)

Populations of four species of carnivores were sampled over the five years 1983-87 at Pureora Forest Park, by regular three- monthly Fenn trap index lines supplemented with occasional control campaigns by shooting and additional traps. Stoats were the most frequently collected (63 captures), followed by weasels (18), cats (15) and ferrets (13). Stoats ranged throughout the mosaic of forest types but especially the older exotic blocks, hunting rabbits, rats, possums and birds. The mean age of 55 stoats trapped was 15 months, and their maximum life span about 5 years.