Native Animals of New Zealand
Every time I hear New Zealand there is one specific animal that comes to my mind — the Kiwi. This little nocturnal flightless bird with nostrils on the end of its large beak is known all over the world, although it is now endangered and difficult to find in the wild. It isn’t much of a surprise though, as “Kiwi” is used internationally as the nickname for people from New Zealand. However, I think it’s a bit unfair towards the other native animals of New Zealand that only the Kiwi gets to be in the spotlight. But don’t you worry, I’m here to help out. And therefore, I want to present you three more amazing animals.
- Tuatara: This little guy is said to be the only surviving reptile species from the dinosaur era and the only beak-headed reptile left in the world. Adult tuatara grow up to around 80 centimetres from head to tail-tip and weigh up to just 1 kilogram. Despite being rather small they can live for over 100 years. Nowadays the tuatara only live on protected offshore islands in the Cook Strait, and off the North Island’s east coast.
2. Hamilton’s Frog: This species is one of the most world’s most endangered frogs and is only found on Stephens Island in the Cook Strait. It is one of the rarest and most ancient frogs in the world. The Hamilton’s Frog is a ground-dwelling and night-active species that hides during the day. It may only be around 50mm long, but still is New Zealand’s largest native frog. A little fun fact: Hamilton’s frogs do not croak.
3. Māui dolphin: The Māui dolphin are a subspecies of Hector’s dolphin, which is the world’s smallest dolphin. They are one of the rarest dolphins in the world with fewer than 100 left in the wild and therefore are critically endangered. Māui dolphin are found in coastal waters of New Zealand’s West Coast North Island and every sighting should be reported straight away to a emergency hotline.
I think New Zealand’s wildlife is one of the most fascinating in the world. There are so many different species that I’ve never heard of. Sadly many of them are endangered and about to become extinct, which hopefully won’t happen anytime soon.
