Frequently asked questions about new zealand. Why are there no snakes in Ireland? New Zealand fur seal
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. Not a single archaeological excavation in the country has been able to find any signs of snake fossils. 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, 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 natural history V National Museum Ireland in Dublin, and Mark Ryan, an expert at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. 
The only exception
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 snakes are the most different types more than enough. 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
They are animals - no one denies this. However, in addition to searching for pictures of Grumpy Cat or adorable pugs, we use our time on the Internet to search for other animals. In this list, we will tell you which animals are the most searched on Google or the most popular in the US trend since 2014. In addition, we will tell you some interesting facts about them so that you will have something to surprise your friends. So, we present to you the twenty-five most popular animals in Google search.
25. Bison
Despite only being the 129th most searched animal in 2014, the bison made it into the top 10 trending animals last year. The American bison was driven to near extinction by hunting in the 1800s, but has since recovered largely due to the commercial raising of bison for meat.
24. Dolphin
Dolphins, being very intelligent animals, are also very social - they help sick or injured members of their pod to rise to the surface of the water for air and can even change their pod.
Although the bald eagle is best known to Americans, there are about 60 species of eagles in the world, most of which live in Eurasia and Africa - 44 species. IN North America There are only two endemic species - the bald eagle and the golden eagle.
22. Pony
A pony is a small horse, however, contrary to popular belief, it is not a foal or a young horse. Most likely, these horses developed shorter legs, thicker manes, and smaller bone structure due to living at the very edges of areas suitable for horse survival.
21. Apes
The easiest way to distinguish an ape from a normal monkey is by looking at its backside - apes do not have a tail. Great apes of Africa on this moment are under threat, mainly due to the spread of the Ebola virus.
20. Lobster
At the bottom of the top 20 searched animals on Google is the lobster, which can live up to 70 years. Unlike humans, lobsters do not become weaker with age; on the contrary, they become more fertile.
Its unique natural and animal world, rich in endemic plants and birds, is due to its remoteness from other lands and long-term historical isolation for 60-80 million years.
2. About 1000 years ago, when there were no permanent inhabitants on the islands, there were no mammals living on the territory of New Zealand, except for two species of bats, as well as whales, sea lions and seals that lived in coastal waters.
3. The active formation of European settlements in the 19th century provoked the emergence of new animal species. During the settlement of New Zealand lands, dogs and rats appeared on the islands, and later Europeans brought them to New Zealand goats, cows, pigs, cats and mice.
4. This 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 because they had no natural enemies.
5. Currently, New Zealand's environmental authorities carefully monitor New Zealand's fauna, and some areas have been completely rid of animals that pose a threat to the country's fauna and flora.
New Zealand takahe bird
6. New Zealand is home to two types of endemic mammals, which are descended from rare species of bats. Animals of New Zealand, which can be called the most striking representatives of the fauna of this country: the kiwi bird, the world's largest owl parrot, the kakapo, one of the oldest reptiles, the tuatara, the only mountain parrot, the kea, the hatteria, and the European hedgehog.
7. Animals of New Zealand are also freshwater fish species, of which twenty-nine species live here. Eight of them are now on the verge of extinction.
8.More than 40 species of ants also live in this country.
9. For a long period of time it was believed that snakes did not live in New Zealand. But in the 2000s, a group of researchers from Australia and New Zealand discovered the remains of these reptiles. This discovery was proof that snakes did live in New Zealand approximately 15-20 million years ago.
10. 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 simply could not 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.
Kiwi bird
11. The symbol of New Zealand - the kiwi - is positioned as a bird, although it cannot even fly, it does not have full wings.
12. Representatives of this genus of wingless do not have feathers, instead they grow hair, and they also have very powerful paws, with the help of which these creatures walk and run.
13.Kiwi are nocturnal animals. They developed the ability to hide in forests or bushes and be nocturnal, which reduced the likelihood of being eaten by other animals. The main enemies of kiwi are birds - eagles and falcons.
14.They are very aggressive. By the way, kiwis do not defend themselves with their beaks, like birds, but use their sharp claws.
15.There are five types of kiwi in total.
Owl parrot kakapo
16. Kakapo is a single representative of the subfamily of owl parrots.
17. His facial plumage is very developed, so he is similar to owls.
18. The parrot's feathers are green with black stripes on the back. The kakapo has excellent wings, but due to the fact that the keel of the sternum is practically undeveloped and the muscles are very weak, it cannot fly.
19. Previously, these endemics were widespread in New Zealand, but now they remain only in the southwestern part South Island. The parrot lives in forests and areas with high humidity.
20. Kakapo is the only parrot that leads a predominantly nocturnal or crepuscular lifestyle. During the daytime, it hides in burrows or rock crevices.
New Zealand tuatara
21. Tuatara is a unique animal of New Zealand, a descendant of dinosaurs.
22.It is protected at the legislative level, and the government is trying to prevent the extinction of the population, since there are only one hundred thousand reptiles left.
23.They have a lot of enemies, including themselves (male tuatara are considered cannibals and can eat eggs and young offspring). They are also attacked by birds and other predators.
24. Among tuatara, mortality exceeds birth rate. Reproduction of offspring requires a long period.
25.These reptiles live up to about a hundred years. Tuatara's favorite food is insects.
Ermine
26. An ermine is a predator animal; it has 34 sharp teeth and paws with tenacious claws. These animals are very agile and crawl well through trees. The stoat eats small rodents and birds.
27. The stoat was brought to New Zealand to control the rabbit population. But the animal successfully acclimatized and began to reproduce very intensively, which led to an increase in the population. So the ermine turned from a helper into a pest, which began to destroy the chicks and eggs of local birds.
28. In New Zealand, they found the remains of flightless giant moe birds, exterminated more than five hundred years ago, whose height was three and a half meters.
New Zealand Kangaroo
29. There are also kangaroos here. These New Zealand animals prefer to lead nightlife and live in groups of several individuals. Many kangaroo species are on the verge of extinction.
30. New Zealand animals that cannot survive on their own live in 14 national parks and hundreds of small reserves under the constant supervision of specialists. Almost all animal species in this country are under state protection.
New Zealand giant skink
31. New Zealand lizards are skinks. There are three types of skinks: otago, sutera and greater skink.
32.They can often be seen on the rocks, where they bask in the sun. The number of large skinks alone, according to the Ministry of Nature Conservation, is 2-3 thousand individuals.
33. Otago is a giant among endemic lizards and reaches 30 cm in length.
34. Skinks breed every year. The offspring are usually 3–6 young. Lizards feed on insects and plant fruits.
35. Skinks have greenish-yellow skin with stripes that provide excellent camouflage in rocky, lichen-covered environments.
New Zealand fur seal
36. The New Zealand fur seal belongs to the species of eared seals. Their fur is grayish-brown in color. Males have a luxurious black mane.
37.These animals of New Zealand live throughout the ocean, primarily on Macquarie Island. It is inhabited year-round by young males who are not yet able to conquer their own territories.
38. At the end of the 19th century, large populations of fur seals were almost completely exterminated. Currently, the animals are listed in the Red Book; there are approximately 35 thousand of them.
39. Why aren’t snakes brought to New Zealand today? Of course, if there was such a need, snakes could be brought here, at least from neighboring Australia, but the fact is that snakes are outlawed in New Zealand.
40. Breeding or keeping this reptile at home in New Zealand is strictly prohibited! Also, those who accidentally saw a snake but did not report it to the relevant authorities will also face a fine.
New Zealand sea lions
41.The New Zealand sea lion is brown and black in color. Males have a mane that covers their shoulders, which makes them appear larger and more powerful. Females are much smaller than males, their fur is light gray.
42.95% of the fur seal population is found on Auckland Island. Each male protects own territory from other males. In battles, the most resilient and strongest representative wins. There are approximately 10-15 thousand individuals of this species.
43.But still, there are snakes in New Zealand, only not terrestrial, but sea snakes - the already visible sea krait and the yellow-bellied bonito. These reptiles were left alive only because they do not crawl onto land and are practically not found near the coast of New Zealand.
44.So why are the authorities so sensitive and categorical about preventing snakes from appearing in New Zealand? And the answer is simple - the snakes would immediately destroy the main symbol of the country - the kiwi bird.
45.The most dangerous representative of the animal world in New Zealand is the feral boar.
New Zealand insect - weta
46.Weta lives here. This huge insect, weighing more than a sparrow, resembles a huge cockroach.
47.But there are no mosquitoes in New Zealand.
48. The carnivorous snail Powelliphanta, listed in the Red Book, is also found in the country. She is capable of devouring worms that are not inferior to her in size.
49.The smallest species of dolphin, Hector’s dolphin, lives off the coast of New Zealand. An adult reaches 1.4 m in length, which is smaller than the average adult.
50.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.
photo from the Internet