Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

The war on Waihi newts has begun

Bay of Plenty Times
10 May, 2014 03:04 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

European alpine newt.

European alpine newt.

An eradication programme is under way at Waihi to destroy a foreign newt population that could wipe out endangered native frogs.

In July last year, three European alpine newts, which are a small lizard-like amphibian, were discovered and 300 have since been captured.

It was one of three new organisms discovered in the Western Bay of Plenty since 2012.

The other cases were ants at Mount Maunganui that had been eliminated.

A monomorium ant.
A monomorium ant.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Plants and environment response manager Edwin Massey said it was informed about the European alpine newt in July 2013 when three were found.

During its response, which is ongoing, 300 have been captured within 330m of the original site.

Following surveys, an eradication project was launched.

"We found a number of newts in a small number of water bodies within a 500m area of the original find," Mr Massey said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"An eradication response is still under way, which involves searching and trapping of all the water bodies and risk areas within the area as typically these newts don't move far from their home.

"This is the first attempt at eradicating a newt in New Zealand."

The European alpine newts were voracious predators and would eat anything they could overpower.

"They feed on a variety of things, including amphibian and fish eggs and larvae, aquatic invertebrates and small vertebrates. The newts are an additional risk to New Zealand's already endangered native frogs."

If the European alpine newt were to establish, it would add a significant threat to the already endangered native Hochstetter's and Archey's frogs.

In 2012, a single incursion of brown crazy ants (Paratrechina longicornis) and Monomorium ants were found at Mount Maunganui.

Both the exotic species had not established in New Zealand and were detected as part of the Ministry for Primary Industries National Invasive Ant Surveillance Programme.

"Exotic ants pose a risk to New Zealand's native fauna and flora, as well as the lifestyle of New Zealanders," Mr Massey said, adding they were eradicated.

In 2012 and 2013, 31 new pests and diseases were identified by MPI.

These included a black widow spider in Taupo, a black rock scorpion in Queenstown and an Australian subterranean termite in Auckland.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Bay of Plenty Times

'A f****** ugly mess': Gang boss' text after fatal hotbox attack on mate of 20 years

04 Jul 12:24 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM

Peter was trapped under a tractor for hours on his Mangakino farm.

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

'A f****** ugly mess': Gang boss' text after fatal hotbox attack on mate of 20 years

'A f****** ugly mess': Gang boss' text after fatal hotbox attack on mate of 20 years

04 Jul 12:24 AM
Traffic concerns grow as Tauriko roading developments advance

Traffic concerns grow as Tauriko roading developments advance

03 Jul 11:48 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP