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Native animals

Birds

Northern royal albatross pair. Photo: M F Soper.

New Zealand is known as the seabird capital of the world and is also home to a number of forest birds that live nowhere else on Earth.

Reptiles & frogs

Tuatara. Photo: Mike Aviss.

The herpetofauna animal group includes reptiles and frogs. New Zealand has tuatara, geckos, skinks, and four species of native frog.

Bats

Long tailed bat. Photo: J Sedgeley.

Bats are New Zealand’s only native land mammals. There are two surviving species: the long-tailed bat and the short-tailed bat.

Marine mammals

New Zealand fur seal swimming, Fiordland Marine Area. Photo: DOC.

New Zealand marine mammals include many species of dolphins, seals and whales.

Invertebrates

Giant weta. Photo: J L Kendrick.

Invertebrates have no backbone or spinal column. New Zealand invertebrates include crayfish, snails, octupus, weta and coral.

Freshwater fish

Shortfinned eel. Photo copyright: Stephen Moore ( DOC USE ONLY).

View information on New Zealand's native freshwater fish.

Marine fish

School of Grey drummer, Kermadec Islands. DOC USE ONLY. Photo copyright: James Marsden, james@marsdenfamily.org

Find out about sharks/mangō and spotted black grouper.

 

Find out more

Publication
Threatened species classifications
Publication

The value of conservation

Information

Animals of the Chatham Islands

Contact

DOC HOTline - 24 hour emergency number

Phone 0800 DOCHOTline (0800 362 468) to report:

Sick or injured wildlife
Whale or dolphin strandings

 

Tools

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