What kind of snakes are found in New Zealand? 50 interesting facts about New Zealand animals
An old Irish legend says that when St. Patrick baptized the country, he banished all the snakes from the Emerald Peninsula. First, the reptiles were collected on the top of Mount Crow, and then in the name of the Lord they were ordered to throw themselves into the sea. Historians believe that the patron saint of Ireland did a lot for the country, but the banishment of snakes cannot be attributed to his merits. The truth is that there have never been any creepy crawlies on this island nation.
Archaeological data
Let's start with historical and archaeological data. Ireland is a northern island country. None archaeological excavations they could not find any signs of snake fossils in the country. Historians believe that for a long time, even before the islands broke away from the landmass, a cold climate prevailed here and there was a kingdom of ice. Thus, the reptiles were in no hurry to occupy the territory of modern Ireland. And after the warming occurred, British Isles became independent objects. Only now the snakes living on land in Europe could not reach the northern latitudes. Before them stood an impressive obstacle in the form of melted glaciers, leveled with sea water.
Animal migration
After the last ice age, the migration of animals from Europe began. This was approximately 10,000 years ago. At that time, the lands of Ireland and England had not yet acquired their modern contours, but they gradually dumped annoying glaciers into the sea. The first thing that began to explore new territories was large mammals: wild boars, bears and lynxes. It is believed that Ireland and England split over 8,500 years ago. The British Isles separated completely from Europe 6,500 years ago. This means that snakes had two thousand years to penetrate the territory of modern Great Britain. This is what happened, currently Foggy Albion snakes, copperheads and vipers live. 
Other places where there are no snakes
Besides Ireland, there are other island states and regions large countries where there are no snakes. For example, snakes are not found in Greenland, New Zealand, Hawaii, Antarctica, parts of Canada and northern Russia. It turns out that St. Patrick was too busy exorcizing evil spirits. Well, all jokes aside, snakes deserved contempt among Irish Christians. People here have a pathological fear of reptiles and still blame them for the expulsion of Eve from paradise.
The former patron was depicted in the guise of a serpent
It is also known that the Celtic god of fertility was depicted as a reptile. His name was Cernunnos, and it was he who was worshiped local residents before the reign of Christianity on the island. It is believed that this is where the legend of driving out snakes came from. Saint Patrick succeeded his predecessor and got rid of the reminder. However, we already know the truth, and it is confirmed by scientists Nigel Monaghan, Guardian of Natural History at National Museum Ireland in Dublin, and Mark Ryan, an expert at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. 
The only exception
Almost everyone fears or dislikes snakes. There are three types of people: 1% love snakes (they pick them up, play with them, have them at home), 94% would like to stay away from them. And there are 5% who are afraid of snakes more than anything else. Everyone has a friend like this: nod at any string - oh, snake! And that’s it, he already squeals and runs away in horror. It's easier for them to die than to stay in a room with snakes. But how much do we know about snakes? The majority knows almost nothing - let's fix that.
Actually, snakes kill people all the time.
Do you think it is very rare and exotic - death from a snake bite? It depends where you live. If you live in India, bad news: more than 80 thousand people are bitten by vipers and cobras every year, and 10 thousand of them die. This is the most dangerous region in terms of snake activity and aggressiveness. Obviously, somewhere in Vermont the chances of encountering a snake are much less, but we implore you - watch your step, wherever you are.Is there a place on Earth completely without snakes?
The general rule is: the colder it is, the fewer snakes there are. It’s almost safe in the Arctic Circle and Antarctica, but you can’t go there on vacation. Few snakes in Iceland, Ireland and New Zealand. Some countries are full of snakes, but generally most are non-venomous. It is important for you to know that the snakes themselves do not want to meet you at all; they avoid people with all their might. Actually, there's another great way to avoid snakes: stay home.
Vessey's Snake, Maine's Favorite
One of the places where there are no poisonous snakes is the American state of Maine. But they have a snake known as Vessie (similar to Nessie, the Loch Ness monster). They say she is as long as a huge truck and has a head the size of a football. Fear, of course, has big eyes. The press reported: "A snake was seen in the park area feasting on a large mammal - probably a beaver." Which beautiful place, right in the park, next to the playgrounds, snakes the size of trucks are eating beavers! This is where you should go on vacation - adventures are guaranteed.
Don't mess with the black Mamba
If you've ever seen Tarantino's Kill Bill, you probably remember the mention of the black mamba as the most dangerous snake. Most herpentological experts agree: the black mamba is the most dangerous of all snakes in the world. Why is the mamba a symbol of horror? What's so scary about it? In addition to its strong poison, the black mamba is damn fast and fast, reaching speeds of over 11 km/h over short distances. But that's not the main thing. Its open mouth is black on the inside and to many it seems like a coffin, which instantly makes it creepy. The mamba lives in Africa, so walk there with double caution.
Does the snake eye have no eyelids?
The unblinking gaze of a cold-blooded killer...fear has big eyes, what people can’t come up with! So why don't snakes blink? It turns out that it’s not because they don’t have eyelids. Snakes have eyelids, you just can’t see them - they are transparent and fused. The thin skin that protects the eyes comes off together with the snake's skin in one "stocking" when molting. So the hypnotizing gaze of a snake is a pure myth.
Lebanese commandos are so tough they eat live snakes
During the annual ceremony, Lebanese commandos tear live snakes with their teeth. The senseless cruelty is intended to confirm their willingness to defeat the enemy with their bare hands. Yeah, that's probably true: if you can tear apart and eat a live snake, then you can probably do a whole bunch of super-tough stuff on the battlefield. There's no time for jokes here, poor snakes.
It was no coincidence that Voldemort called Nagini that way
Nagini is a huge poisonous one that belongs to Lord Voldemort. In Sanskrit and North Indian languages, naga means "king cobra" and naginii is feminine, female cobra. In "Harry Potter" there is a clear reference to the character of Kipling's fairy tale "Riki-tiki-tavi", where the king cobra was called Nagana (actually that cobra was called "Naked", because Kipling almost all the names of animals are just their names in Hindi) . The transliteration “Nagaina” has taken root in the Russian translation, and it was this that was included in “Riki-Tiki-Tavi” and in “Harry Potter”.
What do rattlesnakes rattle?
Something, a rattle, of course! And not just like that, the rattlesnake seems to say: I’m here, don’t step on it, stay away from me! When a rattlesnake is excited, its tail vibrates and rattles the rings at the end of the tail hitting each other. The result is a sharp buzzing sound. It can be heard at a distance of 20 meters and can be avoided by the snake.
Fairytale boomslangs exist
The boomslang snake, whose skin someone was always trying to steal from Snape's laboratory in Harry Potter, actually exists (boomslang skin is an important ingredient in witchcraft potions, for example, it is part of Polyjuice Potion). Its name comes from the African boomslang and means "tree snake". The boomeslang's green eyes have excellent vision, and the snakes almost always manage to avoid encounters with humans. But if they are caught, they sting. There are even several deaths reported as a result of a boomslang bite.
Titanoboa were the largest snakes on Earth
Those who are afraid of snakes probably don’t need to imagine what titanoboa mastodons looked like (although they would be better off not reading this post at all). Titanoboa snakes are long extinct; they lived on Earth approximately 58 million years ago. They were huge: the length reached 15 meters, the girth of the body was about a meter, and the weight was more than a ton. Unfortunately, we are not destined to meet such beauty in reality, but there are models of giants in several museums.
Snake with a coin
The Barbados narrow-mouthed snake or "Charles' snake" is the smallest in the world. An adult baby snake is no longer than 10 centimeters. They live only on the island of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea. They are completely harmless, they don’t even have teeth. Apparently this is why the snake is on the verge of extinction (or because the forests where they lived were all cut down). And it was named by the American biologist Hedge in honor of his wife, herpentologist Carla Ann Hass, about whose character history is silent.
Taipans are the most poisonous
Australian inland taipan, also called the "fierce snake". If you want to look at taipans, they live in the central part of Australia. This is the most poisonous of land snakes; the venom in one bite is enough to kill a hundred people. So, it’s probably better not to meet with them, they are very fast: when they see danger, they raise their heads and sting with lightning speed several times in a row. Before the invention of the antidote in 1955, 90% of their victims died from the bite of taipans.
The snake's heart is mobile inside its body
The snake's heart is not fixed: due to the lack of a diaphragm, the snake's heart is mobile and is able to move inside its body, dodging damage when something large goes down the esophagus. So if a snake eats something really huge, its heart will just roll away and then come back. The cardiovascular system of snakes has a unique system where blood from the snake's tail passes through the kidneys before returning to the heart. Isn’t it true how wisely nature arranged everything?
The unique arrangement of internal organs is not at all human
This is exactly what you didn’t know: unlike paired human organs, located symmetrically, internal organs the snakes have an elongated shape, are completely asymmetrical and solitary. Some of the snake organs used to have a pair, but during the process of evolution they lost their significance and became unpaired. Most snakes have only one lung, the second is usually rudimentarily developed.
Deadly poisonous or slightly toxic - it is better not to experiment
The venom of a viper and a cobra, of course, is different from what a girlfriend might pour into your glass. Eaten poison and a poisonous snake bite somewhere in the neck are two different things, and in the second case the action occurs many times faster. Whether it is toxic or deadly is never known for sure, and individual reactions to a poison can be unpredictable. We hope you never have to find out about this in real life. And remember that the snake cannot harm you if it is at a distance. Watch your step, stay away from snakes and take care of yourself!
New Zealand is a country that will surprise every traveler picturesque natural and rare wildlife. When you get here, you literally find yourself in a fairy tale, where the landscapes amaze with their pristineness and grandeur.
New Zealand nature and animals that live in it harmoniously, are the basis of the mood of this state.
If you are wondering which animals in New Zealand are unique representatives of the local fauna, then you it will be interesting to know learn more about the flora and fauna of these islands in the Pacific Ocean.
A thousand years ago When there were no permanent inhabitants on the islands, there were no mammals living in New Zealand, except for two species of bats, as well as whales, sea lions and seals that lived in coastal waters.
As soon as Polynesians began to actively populate New Zealand lands, dogs and rats appeared on the islands, and later Europeans brought goats, cows, pigs, cats and mice to New Zealand.
Such a turn of events became a real test for the fauna of the islands. Rabbits, rats, stoats, ferrets and cats, which were brought in for hunting, reached large sizes, since they had no natural enemies.
This caused great harm at the time. agriculture as well as public health. Flora and fauna of New Zealand was under real threat!
Currently, New Zealand environmental authorities flora and fauna are carefully controlled New Zealand, and some areas were completely rid of animals that pose a threat to the fauna and flora.
Animals of New Zealand that can be named the most prominent representatives fauna of this country:
- Kiwi bird;
- kea parrot;
- owl parrot;
- tuateria;
- European hedgehog
Interesting fact! In New Zealand, the remains of flightless giant moi birds, exterminated more than five hundred years ago, were found, the height of which was three and a half meters.
New Zealand's animals also include freshwater fish, of which there are twenty-nine species. Eight of them are now on the verge of extinction. Also in this country lives more than 40 species of ants.
Why are there no snakes in New Zealand?
For a long period of time it was believed that in New Zealand there are no snakes.
But in the 2000s a group of researchers from Australia and New Zealand discovered the remains of these reptiles.
This discovery provided evidence that approximately 15-20 million years ago There were snakes in New Zealand after all.
But for what reason these animals became extinct is not known to this day. A number of scientists suggest that this happened due to the ice age.
Snakes are simple couldn't stand the cold, and since New Zealand is located at a fairly distant distance from civilization, new species of reptiles could not be brought here in time.
The question arises, “Why aren’t snakes brought to New Zealand today?” Of course, if there was such a need, snakes could have been brought here, for example, from neighboring Australia, but that is not the question. The fact is that snakes in New Zealand outlawed.
Attention! Breeding or keeping this reptile at home is strictly prohibited! Also, those who accidentally saw a snake but did not report it to the relevant authorities will also face a fine.
But still, there are snakes in New Zealand, but not terrestrial ones, but sea ones - the sea krait and the yellow-bellied bonito. These reptiles were left alive only because they do not crawl onto land and are practically never found off the coast of New Zealand.
So why are the authorities doing this? reverently and categorically Do you think about snakes appearing in New Zealand? The answer is that the snakes would immediately exterminate main symbol countries - the kiwi bird.
However, despite strict control, there is still a certain advantage in the absence of snakes in New Zealand - the country is considered one of the safest countries in the world for outdoor travel.
Flora of New Zealand
New Zealand plants are approximately two thousand different different types
, 70% of which are endemic to the islands.
As for New Zealand world famous forests, in which the most iconic films are shot, they are divided into two types - evergreen in the south and mixed subtropical in the north.
Artificial forests, that is, planted by humans, occupy an area of about 2 million hectares. These are forests of radiata pine, which were brought to New Zealand by colonists in the 19th century. The radiata pine forest, which is located in the Kaingaroa Forest area, is the largest on the planet artificially grown planting.
In addition, on the islands of New Zealand liver moss grows, of which there are a large number here. Today, more than six hundred of its varieties are known on the territory of this state, half of which are endemic.
Also growing in New Zealand thirty types of forget-me-nots out of seventy known in the world.
The flora of New Zealand is also famous for its ferns. This marvelous, since the New Zealand climate is far from the most suitable for this plant.
Cyathea silver or silver fern - one of the national symbols New Zealand.
As for the diversity of herbs, the island of the archipelago grows 187 species of herbaceous plants, of which 157 grow in New Zealand alone.
Like this controversial and interesting flora and fauna in New Zealand. A large number of different species of birds - from exotic small birds to huge flightless representatives of avifauna. Undoubtedly, New Zealand plant and animal world is one of the most interesting to learn.
Did you know that there are no snakes in New Zealand? And, not only are they not in wildlife, you won’t even find them in local zoos and research laboratories.
Snakes are literally outlawed in New Zealand. Keeping and breeding reptiles of this species is strictly prohibited. You will be fined even if you simply saw a snake and did not report it to the appropriate authorities. However, according to the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries, which is responsible, among other things, for environmental safety, the likelihood of such an incident is virtually zero, because there really are no snakes in the country.
True, we need to clarify, terrestrial snakes. Two species of sea snakes - the yellow-bellied bonito (Pelamis platurus - pictured) and the sea krait (Laticauda colubrina) - are still found in New Zealand waters. However, these snakes never crawl onto land, and cases of their appearance near the New Zealand coast are quite rare. However, both species are poisonous, but do not pose a serious danger to humans, since they are too small for their venom to penetrate human skin when bitten.
By the way, if land snakes did appear in New Zealand, they would inevitably exterminate the main New Zealand symbol - the flightless kiwi bird (pictured).
Also, due to the absence of dangerous snakes and poisonous spiders, New Zealand is considered one of the safest countries in the world for outdoor travel.
So why are there no snakes in New Zealand?
For a long time it was believed that there were never snakes on the New Zealand islands. However, in the early 2000s, researchers from New Zealand and Australia discovered the remains of these reptiles (National Geographic News: “Fossil Find Proves New Zealand Once Had Snakes”). This discovery proved that 15-20 million years ago, snakes in New Zealand, apparently, were still found, but for some reason they completely died out.
It is believed that this could have happened during the Ice Age, when a sharp cold snap occurred in New Zealand. Subsequently, the geographical isolation of the islands was the reason that this species did not appear in New Zealand again.
Of course, if desired, creeping reptiles could have been introduced into the country long ago. For example, from neighboring Australia, where there are more than enough snakes of various types. However, the strict policies of the New Zealand authorities leave little chance that the snakes will ever appear in New Zealand again.
You're probably wondering, what does Malakhov have to do with it? I just made a Coub with Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, and at the same time I decided to add some useful information to the post. I'm done, kick me
