Taxidermy, Pekapeka, Short-tailed bat; RI.W2002.1382
Taxidermy, Pekapeka, Short-tailed bat
About this object
A preserved short-tailed pekapeka (bat). It was mounted on a small piece of card with fastenings at the ankles and wings. Over time the pekapeka shrunk and its feet retracted up towards the body, freeing them from the fastenings.
Pekapeka (bats) are Aotearoa New Zealand's only native land mammals; the endangered lesser short-tailed bat is an ancient species unique to Aotearoa and is found only in a few locations. We believe this one to be a Southern (or South Island) lesser short-tailed bat, found on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island and Fiordland areas.
Pekapeka are associated in several Māori pūrākau (legends, stories) with the mythical, night-flying bird, hokioi, which predicts death or disaster.
'Department of Conservation: Bats/Pekapeka'
'Te Ara: Bats'
h 85 mm x w 130 mm x d 35 mm
Subject and Association Keywords Subject and Association Keywords Object Type Object numberRI.W2002.1382
Rights
Attribution - Non-commercial (cc)
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