New Zealand Books : NZ Natural History

George Hudson, 1867–1946, was one of New Zealand's pioneer naturalists, who devoted his life to collecting and describing the New Zealand insect fauna. He amassed what is probably the largest collection of New Zealand insects, now housed at Te Papa. Hudson also wrote seven books on insect fauna between 1898 and 1946, each illustrated in colour with immaculate paintings of the specimens, a total of over 3100 paintings, mainly focused on moths and butterflies.

An Exquisite Legacy is a biography of Hudson, written by his grandson Dr George Gibbs, himself a prominent entomologist. Gibbs outlines the life of this naturalist and artist, whose dedication and output was truly remarkable. Hudson remained an amateur naturalist his whole life, but his contribution to our knowledge about the New Zealand insect world is of enduring significance, while his artistic legacy, built up over nearly seven decades, is truly remarkable. This extensive collection of exquisite illustrations is without parallel in New Zealand.

ISBN: 9781988550176
Publication date: 09/10/2020
Price: $59.99
Author: George, Gibbs
Format: Hard Back

This is the first field guide written for the general public and beginners in geology in New Zealand. Now fully revised and updated, it shows travellers in New Zealand something of the tremendous variety of our rocks, minerals and fossils and describes what to look for in many areas where rock formations are prominent. It covers the history of New Zealand from its beginnings on the sea floor some 600 million years ago to its present patchwork landscape of volcano, range and plain. This land was formed from many different layers of rock - volcanic flows, forest debris, ocean mud. All these have special characteristics, which are explained and illustrated to enable readers to find the layers and understand their origins and what they can tell us about the landscapes of the past. The crystals that grew in the rocks and the remains of living creatures that were preserved are also illustrated and described. Written in simplified terms, it includes an introductory chapter on general geology, A geological time chart and quick reference maps of the North Island and the South Island for travellers.

ISBN: 9780143202592
Publication date: 29/05/2009
Price: $50.00
Author: Thornton, Jocelyn
Format: Paperback

If the monumental New Zealand's Native Trees has inspired you to venture into the outdoors to look more closely at our unique tree flora, this field guide is the perfect companion to take along. Compact enough to fit in a day-pack, it contains detailed information on all native trees found on the main islands of New Zealand, including Stewart Island and the Chathams. Field Guide to New Zealand's Native Trees is organised in three main sections - conifers, tree ferns and flowering trees - and covers 209 species. A visual key to leaf shapes will help to narrow down the identification of the numerous flowering trees. Under each species, headings such as Distribution & Habitat, Size, Bark, Foliage & Habit, Flowers & Fruit lead readers straight to relevant information, and a panel of Distinguishing Features is a useful aid to quick identification. More than1500 superb photographs show the whole tree and its key features, some in very close detail. The most comprehensive and up-to-date field guide to New Zealand's native trees, this handy and beautiful reference book deserves a place in every home, bach, library and school.

ISBN: 9781877517822
Publication date: 01/11/2012
Price: $49.99
Author: Dawson, John
Format: Paperback

The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand is the modern classic of the genre - the tried and trusted reference for lovers of New Zealand birds. Comprehensive, reliable and easy to use, this fourth revised edition features: * 374 species, including 35 new additions - the book's biggest revision since first publication * 85 stunning colour paintings of New Zealand birds, including rare and recently extinct species * an introduction to key bird-watching sites * distribution maps and an in-depth guide to field identification * an additional handbook section that includes information on the distribution, habitat, population, conservation, breeding, behaviour and feeding habits of each species The only field guide to New Zealand birds officially endorsed by the Ornithological Society of New Zealand, this is the most authoritative reference available - a wonderful celebration of our extraordinary and diverse birdlife.

ISBN: 9780143570929
Publication date: 22/04/2015
Price: $55.00
Author: Barrie, Heather
Format: Paperback

Rebecca Priestley longs to be in Antarctica. But it is also the last place on Earth she wants to go.


In 2011 Priestley visits the wide white continent for the first time, on a trip that coincides with the centenary of Robert Falcon Scott’s fateful trek to the South Pole. For Priestley, 2011 is the fulfilment of a dream that took root in a childhood full of books, art and science and grew stronger during her time as a geology student in the 1980s. She is to travel south twice more, spending time with Antarctic scientists – including paleo-climatologists, biologists, geologists, glaciologists – exploring the landscape, marvelling at wildlife from orca to tardigrades, and occasionally getting very cold.


A constant companion for Priestley is her anxiety – both the kind that is brought on by flying to the bottom of the world in a military aeroplane; and the kind that clouds our thoughts of how our world will be for our children. Writing against the backdrop of Trump’s America, extreme weather events, and scientists’ projections for Earth’s climate, she grapples with the truths we need to tell ourselves as we stand on a tightrope between hope for the planet, and catastrophic change.



ISBN: 9781776562244
Publication date: 12/09/2019
Price: $40.00
Author: Priestley, Rebecca
Format: Paperback

Until about 100 million years ago, New Zealand lay on the Pacific-facing edge of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana; the formation of our sedimentary rocks provides a fascinating view of the tectonic activity and changes since that time. This volume is the culmination of a comprehensive survey of New Zealand's Cretaceous-Cenozoic strata, begun in 1978, and presents an up-to-date synthesis and interpretation of regional sedimentary information from a variety of sources; the study has been expanded to include large areas of the continental shelf and beyond. Extensive references and indexing complete this essential work, a key resource for students, professional geologists and enthusiastic amateurs.

Topics covered include:
* sedimentary basins during the Cretaceous continental margin break-up;
* the active tectonics of a 'passive margin';
* Late Cenozoic sedimentary basins in a new, evolving plate boundary;
* eustatic sea-level change in an active tectonic setting;
* basin scale and facies change on the new and thin continent Zealandia.

ISBN: 9781927145999
Publication date: 31/07/2020
Price: $89.99
Author: Laird, Malcolm
Format: Paperback

Have you ever wondered why New Zealand's plants and animals are so different from those in other countries? Why kakapo is the only parrot in the world that cannot fly, or why the kiwi lives here and nowhere else? New Zealand is an extraordinary place, unique on earth, and the remarkable story of how and why life evolved here is the subject of Ghosts of Gondwana. The challenge of explaining New Zealand's natural origins is picked up in this fully revised edition of the popular award-winning book. It presents the latest scientific research in highly readable form, highlighting studies that reveal the deep historical background of our landscapes, fauna and flora - from ancient frogs and moa to delicate insects and the magnificent southern beech forests. It introduces the latest discoveries and resolves past issues like the 'Oligocene drowning' hypothesis.
Exciting fossil discoveries are revealed and new scientific technologies and approaches to the discipline of historical biogeography are discussed - approaches that range from undersea geology to molecular clocks - and it inevitably draws attention to the debates and conflicts that distinguish different schools of opinion in this holistic branch of theoretical science. This revision incorporates the results of 10 years of intensive scientific research and includes four entirely new chapters to: focus on 'yesterday's maps' to draw attention to the ephemeral islands in our history that have possibly acted as stepping stones for terrestrial animals and plants but today have sunk into the sea; incorporate the author's own special interest in an ancient group of 'jaw-moths', unknown and unnoticed by most people but with a strong message that New Zealand is part of the world when it comes to explaining where our fauna have come from; present recent research findings on our huge flightless birds, the ratites; and include New Zealand's terrestrial molluscs into the story.
Ghosts of Gondwana identifies New Zealand as one of the most challenging places on earth to explain, but it's readable, engaging style and revised illustrations render this often-controversial discipline of science into a format that is accessible to any reader with an interest in natural history and the unique environment of New Zealand.

ISBN: 9780947503086
Publication date: 24/10/2016
Edition: 2
Price: $59.99
Author: Gibbs, George
Format: Hard Back

The Handbook of New Zealand Mammals is the only definitive reference on all the land-breeding mammals recorded in the New Zealand region (including the New Zealand sector of Antarctica). It lists 65 species, including native and exotic, wild and feral, living and extinct, residents, vagrants and failed introductions. It describes their history, biology and ecology, and brings together comprehensive and detailed information gathered from widely scattered or previously unpublished sources.

The description of each species is arranged under standardised headings for easy reference. Because the only native land-breeding mammals in New Zealand are bats and seals, the great majority of the modern mammal fauna comprises introduced species, whose arrival has had profound effects both for themselves and for the native fauna and flora. The book details changes in numbers and distribution for the native species, and for the arrivals it summarises changes in habitat, diet, numbers and size in comparison with their ancestral stocks, and some of the problems they present to resource managers.

For this third edition, the text and references have been completely updated and reorganised into Family chapters. The colour section includes 14 pages of artwork showing all the species described and their main variations, plus two pages of maps.

ISBN: 9781486306282
Publication date: 20/01/2021
Edition: NE
Price: $190.00
Author: King, Carolyn M
Format: Hard Back