Why are there no snakes in New Zealand?

Answer 1

First off let's clarify one point: there are snakes in New Zealand, and in Hawaii. Sea snakes are quite common on both archipeligo. There are however no land snakes.

When New Zealand broke away from Australia and South America both snakes and mammals were already widespread groups of animals, so New Zealand almost certainly started its life with numerous species of snakes and mammals. However none exist there today.

Why? Because over the eons New Zealand has repeatedly been reduced to just a few scattered islands when sea levels rose during warm periods, and then covered in glaciers during the ice ages. All of that disturbance made it impossible for snakes or mammals to survive. Snakes simply don't handle cold conditions too well. Mammals OTOH have such high energy demands that they have difficulty surviving on small, cold islands.

So New Zeland and Ireland both lack snakes for the same reason: snakes can't handle ice age glaciers.

Answer 2

New Zealand Snakes

Answer 3

As pointed out there are no snakes in New Zealand. On the spider front, while we have the native katipo ( which is related to the red back spider) but they are rare (the only time I have ever seen one was at university!) and noone has ever died from them. Apart from that there are a couple of Australian imports that have made their home in NZ. I beleive there are some small populations of red back somewhere in the North Island (the South Island is too cold for them) and the white tail spider, which is reasonalby common and while its not poisonous as such they do bite apparently and can cause some infection issues. I HATE them and kill them whenever I see them. The white tail is pretty common now over NZ and as I said the only one I cannot stand. Kiwis as pretty snake and spider phobic as we don;t have all the poisonous ones that Australia has!

Answer 4

You are correct in stating that New Zealand has no land snakes.

This is because New Zealand has long been isolated from the rest of the world by the Pacific Ocean. However, scientists have found the remains of species of snake in New Zealand dating back 15 to 20 million years. They also found the fossil of a crodile-like reptile and an ancestral tuatara. There are no explanations as yet as to why the species of snake/s died out here.

However, although New Zealand has no land based snakes either native or introduced, due to its sub tropical climate it is visited by two species of sea snake.

The yellow-bellied sea snake. The most widely distributed sea-snake in the world. An infrequent visitor with just 35+ sightings around New Zealand shores since 1930.

The banded sea krait. Comes from India and South-east Asia through New Guinea, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Rarely seen here.

Both species of snakes are highly poisonous but, due to their size, can't penetrate human skin.

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Why are there no snakes in New Zealand?

Answer 6

Outside of zoos there are no snakes in New Zealand (and Hawaii). There were millions of years ago. They do have lizards and other reptiles. The only area without indigenous lizards and snakes is Ant-Artica.

Answer 7

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hey there's no snakes in new zealand. nz is a great place to live but there's just one problem, its spiders. there's no harmful spiders but they are quite gross. apparently the daddy long legs are meant to be very piousness to other insect's, but unharmful to us humans.

Answer 8

I know there are no snakes in Ireland because St Patrick got rid of them...

I'm pretty sure New Zealand has snakes.

Answer 9

Same reason there are no snakes in Bermuda.
The plane with the snakes didnt land there.

Answer 10

there are snakes in New zealand. olso two
legged ones.