Little Spotted Kiwi
The Little Spotted Kiwi or Little Gray Kiwi, Apteryx owenii, is a small species of kiwi originally from New Zealand's South Island (what is known is they used to live near Marlborough and where Tokoeka currently live) that, around 1890 and 1910 was captured (for conservation purposes) and later released on Kapiti Island. Little Spotted Kiwis are the smallest species of kiwi, at about .9–1.9 kg (2.0–4.2 lb), about the size of a bantam.
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Taxonomy
The Little spotted kiwi is a ratite and belongs to the Apterygiormes Order, and the Apterygidae Family. Their binomial name Apteryx owenii breaks down to without wings and owenii which is named after Sir Richard Owen. Today, only the nominate subspecies A. o. owenii exists. The little-known and somewhat mysterious North Island Little Spotted Kiwi A. o. iredalei from the North Island went extinct in the late 19th century.
The Little Spotted Kiwi was first described as Apteryx owenii by John Gould, in 1847, based on a specimen from New Zealand.
The Little Spotted Kiwi was first described as Apteryx owenii by John Gould, in 1847, based on a specimen from New Zealand.
