These fun facts about wildlife in New Zealand will give you more information before backpacking to explore around. So, no need to waste any minute, let’s jump right into the business.
New Zealand Has Only One Type of Native Land Mammal – Wildlife in New Zealand
The only land mammal species in New Zealand are long-tailed and short-tailed bats. Other types are reptiles and birds, which now account for the largest part of New Zealand’s land wildlife.
The smaller part you can see include stoats, cats, rats, dogs, possums, rabbits, etc.
However, these species are unlike those in every other part of the world. New Zealanders find them a threat to the native wildlife.
New Zealand is home to the World’s Heaviest Insect
You may get shocked when seeing crazy enormous New Zealand bugs. This oversized weta is the weightiest insect in the world. It is even heavier than a sparrow.
New Zealand has about 70 species of weta. You can find them mostly in forests and caves. The best time to see them is at night.
There are Six Diverse Species of Penguin in New Zealand – Wildlife in New Zealand
The world has 17 species of penguins, and there are six of them live and reproduce in New Zealand. The most familiar ones you may catch when traveling around New Zealand are the little blue penguins, Fiordland-crested penguins, and yellow-eyed penguins.
To boost your opportunities of glimpsing feral penguins is to embark on a wildlife-spotting expedition.
There are No Dangerous Animals in New Zealand
Unlike its friendly neighbor – Australia, New Zealand has no animals that can threaten your life. You are truly safe here.
But please notice that they still have spiders that can bite you. There are 3 types of spiders in New Zealand, including the katipo, the redback, and the white-tailed.
There are No Land Snakes in New Zealand – Wildlife in New Zealand
When it comes to wildlife, the most common question is “Are there any snakes on land?”. Well, the good news is that New Zealand has no land snakes, unlike Australia, again.
However, they have yellow-bellied snakes and kraits in the ocean. You may only catch them are occasionally so no need to worry. And New Zealand does have, on the other hand, some types of lizard
A Kea Will Pull Your Car Apart
The kea is a slick native pretender that is renowned for tearing rubber seals and windscreen wipers in cars apart. They are the planet’s only alpine copyists, so you are probably to see these brilliant birds in mountainous habitats in on the South Island.
New Zealand Used to Have Giant Birds – Wildlife in New Zealand
New Zealand had an enormous kind of bird in history – the moa. It can even grow to 3.6m (11.8ft) in height and weighs more than 230kg (507lbs).
They soon became vanished after the humans started relocating to New Zealand. People killed them for food and other purposes. Many galleries across the nation now display moa bones and skeletons to relish the size of these birds.
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