Whether you spend time in the wilderness areas of National Parks or lovingly manicured private gardens, you'll find an abundance of fascinating native plants found nowhere else on earth but New Zealand. Many of these unique species managed to survive the stresses of colonization and even today, only 10 percent of the native plants and animal species are considered endangered.
FLORA - New Zealand's Native Plants
80 percent of the trees, ferns, and flowering plants being native, and 75% of native flowering plants are unique to New Zealand.
New Zealand’s most famous tree is a kauri called Tane Mahuta. Named after the Maori god of the forests, Tane Mahuta stands over 51 meters high, has a girth of over 13 meters, and is believed to be over 2,000 years old.
The large coastal pohutukawa trees - known as the "New Zealand Christmas tree" for their abundant red flowers that open in December.
  
FAUNA - New Zealand's Native Animals, Birds, Reptiles, and Insects
New Zealand has more species of flightless birds (including the kiwis, several species of penguins, and the takahe) than any other country. One reason is that until the arrival of humans roughly 1000 years ago, there were no land mammals in New Zealand other than three species of bat; the main predators of flightless birds were larger birds.
The New Zealand Kea, believed to be the only true alpine parrot, are a protected species as only approx. 5,000 are still in existence. A crow-sized parrot native to New Zealand's South Island, the kea's intelligence rivals that of monkeys, but on the island it is best known for its playful, inordinately destructive behavior.
New Zealand has a range of small reptiles, including the tuatara, the only known species of a separate order of reptiles and a close living relative of the dinosaur.
No snakes, native or introduced, live in New Zealand and none of the reptiles are poisonous or harmful. All are unique to New Zealand, as are virtually all of the native insects, spiders, snails and earthworms. The world's heaviest insect is the weta, a large cricket-like creature of fierce appearance, but harmless unless annoyed. Giant snails and unique frogs survive in isolated environments on mountains and islands. Many fish species are unique to New Zealand waters.
The kiwi (bird) is unusual in at least two respects. First, it is the only bird in the world that has its nostrels at the end of its beak. Second, the female kiwi has the largest egg, in proportion to its body size, of any bird in the world (except possibly for the hummingbird). Kiwis are about the same size as chickens, but their eggs are almost as big as those of ostriches!
Seals, sea lions, whales, and dolphins are also found in New Zealand's surrounding oceans and bays.
Sources: www.wikipedia.org, www.purenz.com, www.aatravel.ac.nz
|