Creature Feature
Hawaiian Hawk
Posted: Oct 10, 2009
Hawaiian Name: 'Io Scientific Name: Buteo solitarius Status: Endangered Native Species A symbol of Hawaiian royalty and favored by ali'i (chiefs). Currently, habitat destruction, nest disturbance and hunting threaten survival of this species. Distribution: Hawai'i Island, from sea level to...read moreRed Billed Leiothrix
Posted: Jun 6, 2009
Scientific Name: Leiothrix lutea Endemic to: Asia The Red Billed Leiothrix, also known as the Japanese Hill Robin, was introduced to Hawaii in the early 1900's from the US mainland and Asia as a cage bird. Found mainly in wet forests, their diet consists primarily of fruits and invertebrates....read moreWekiu Bug
Posted: May 5, 2009
Scientific Name: Nysius wekiuicola Distribution: Summit areas of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa (above 13,000ft) on Hawaii Island. Diet: Straw like mouth parts are used by most seed bugs to pierce and suck out the insides of seeds. But on the barren mountain summits there are no seeds, so the Wekiu Bug...read moreFeral Goat
Posted: Apr 4, 2009
Scientific Name: Capra hircus History: Introduced to Hawaiian Islands in 1778 by Captain James Cook. Distribution: Sea level to higher elevations on all main islands. Prefer rocky slopes and open lava fields in drier areas. Ecological Impact: Feral Goats forage on grasses and other vegetation...read morePalila
Posted: Mar 3, 2009
Scientific Name: Loxoides bailleui Distribution: Hawai'i Island only, in mamane-naio dry forests of Mauna Kea from 6,000 to 9,000 elevation. Today, the Palila occupies only 5% of its historic range on Hawaii Island. Diet: Feeds mostly on immature mamane seeds. Also takes naio berries, insects...read moreHawaiian Bat
Posted: Feb 2, 2009
Hawaiian Name: Opeapea Scientific Name: Lasiurus cinereus semotus The Hawaiian Bat is the only endemic land mammal in Hawaii that is extant (surviving). The Hawaiian Bat has been on the federal list of endangered species since the 1970s. Population size is difficult to determine for the...read moreCarnivorous Catepillar
Posted: Jan 1, 2009
Scientific Name: Eupithecia spp. Family Geometridae (Inchworms), Eupithecia spp. Found in wet forests and shrublands, 18 known species of Eupithecia in Hawaii are unique from all other members of the genus: unlike their herbivorous brethren, these Hawaii Eupithecia are carnivorous and capture...read moreHawaiian Monk Seal
Posted: Dec 12, 2008
Hawaiian Name: Ilio holo ikauaua Scientific Name: Monachus schauinslandi Most Hawaiian Monk Seals live in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, but a small number can be found on the main islands. Hawaiian Monk Seals live up to 30 years and grow up to 7 feet & 500 pounds. Their diet consists of...read moreKamehameha Butterfly
Posted: Nov 11, 2008
Scientific Name: Vanessa tameamea Distribution: Endemic to Hawaiian islands, found mainly in upland woodlands. The Kamehameha Butterfly was the first of the Lepidoptera to be described in the Hawaiian Islands and named in the early 1800s for Kamehameha I. Diet: Adults are sap and nectar feeders...read more‘I’iwi
Posted: Sep 9, 2008
Scientific Name: Vestiaria coccinea Distribution/Habitat: Once widely distributed on all islands, the 'i'iwii are highly susceptible to avian pox and malaria and are now mostly found in 'ohi'a and koa forests above the "mosquito zone", on Hawai'i, Maui and Kaua'i. Diet: Primarily nectarivorous...read moreFeral Pig
Posted: Aug 8, 2008
Hawaiian Name: Pua'a Scientific Name:Sus scrofa History: A descendant of the small Asiatic domestic pigs introduced by Polynesians in the early colonization period (400AD) and the larger European domestic pigs first introduced by Captain James Cook in 1778. Distribution/Habitat/Diet: Found on...read moreSmall Indian Mongoose
Posted: Jul 7, 2008
Scientific Name: Herpestes 'auropunctatus History: Introduced in 1883 from Jamaica (originally from India), to control rat populations in the sugar cane fields. However, because the mongoose is diurnal and the rat primarily nocturnal, they were not an effective bio-control. Distribution &...read moreHappy-Face Spider
Posted: Jun 6, 2008
Hawaiian Name:Nananana Makaki'i Scientific Name: Theridion grallator This spider is normally shy and retiring. It lives on the undersides of leaves in rainforests, mainly on the Big Island. It hunts primarily at night and feeds on small insects that it encounters. The "happy face" pattern is...read more
