Activity

Prey behaviour: freeze or flee

In this activity, students take on the role of a native frog, native bird or introduced mammalian predator and participate in a physically active simulation. The activity highlights different predator/prey strategies and one aspect of why mammalian predators have had such a dramatic effect in New Zealand.

Maud Island frog (Leiopelma pakeka).

Maud Island frog

Maud Island frogs are one of 4 endemic frog species found in New Zealand.

Points of interest

  • How are New Zealand’s endemic frog species different to frogs introduced from Australia?

  • What is being done to conserve the Maud Island frog?

Rights: Professor Phil Bishop

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

  • give examples of different strategies used by predators to capture prey as well as defence strategies used by prey to avoid predation

  • describe some of the unique features of New Zealand frogs

  • better understand why introduced mammalian predators have had such a dramatic effect in New Zealand.

Download the Word file (see link below) for:

  • introduction/background notes

  • instructions on what you need and what to do

  • discussion questions

  • activity area set-up.

Useful links

Visit the NZFROG website for more information about our native frogs and their conservation.​​​

Published: 18 January 2010,Updated: 18 January 2010