Did you know bats are Aotearoa’s only native land mammals? This post spotlights the pekapeka tou roa (long-tailed bat), a tiny but impressive native bat, just 60mm long with a wingspan of 180mm. These Nationally Critical bats face numerous threats, from predators to habitat loss. They’re insect-eating experts, using echolocation to hunt and consuming up to 1,000 mosquitoes a night! Learn more about their amazing lives in our full post here.
📸: Ben Paris (NZ Batman)
Did you know dragonflies and damselflies belong to the ancient order Odonata, dating back over 250 million years? Aotearoa has only 14 species, most of which are endemic. Despite their similar appearance, damselflies are typically smaller with wide-set eyes and closed wings when resting, while dragonflies are larger with close-set eyes and outstretched wings. Known for their hunting skill, Odonata capture up to 97% of their prey by intercepting it mid-flight with impressive precision. Find out more about Odonata here.
Bonus spotlights: Kapokapowai / Carové’s Giant Dragonfly and Kihitara / Red Damselfly.
📸: Eric van Essen
🕊️ Kererū
Kererū, also known as kukupa or kuku, are iconic New Zealand pigeons with an impressive wingspan of up to 75cm. These large, fruit-loving birds play a crucial role in our native forests by spreading the seeds of big fruits like karaka and tawa – something only they can do since the extinction of the moa. You might hear their distinctive wing beats as they fly or spot males performing their dramatic ‘nuptial dives’ to attract mates. Kererū usually nest between September and April, with both parents caring for a single chick.
📸: Eric van Essen
A favorite for visiting kids, our local tuna / longfin eels, also known as ōrea, are impressive creatures. Female longfin eels can grow up to 2 meters, making them the world’s largest freshwater eels, while males reach around 1 meter.
These eels live up to 100 years before embarking on an epic journey to the Tonga Trench to spawn and then die.
Sadly, these remarkable eels are at risk due to habitat loss, pollution, and overfishing.
📸: Leah Nielsen
Aotearoa is home to around 30 species of native slugs, each with a unique leaf-vein pattern that helps them blend into their surroundings. Known as putoko ropiropi in te reo Māori, their habits are still mostly a mystery. Unlike some introduced species, these nocturnal slugs feed on algae and fungi on plants rather than on the foliage itself. Interestingly, they’re hermaphrodites, meaning each slug has both male and female organs, though they still need to mate to fertilize their eggs.
📸: Leah Nielsen
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