Childrens Illustrated Animal Atlas

80

Auckland tree wetas can raise their

spiny back legs for defense.

New ZealandNew Zealand is made up of two main islands—North and South Island—and many smaller ones. Lots of birds live here, some of which cannot fly. Unfortunately, many were killed by cats, rats, and other predators brought

by European settlers. Now, rare birds such as the

kakapo are protected.

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Auckland tree weta Wetas are much larger cousins

of crickets. A tree weta’s body is about 1

1 ⁄^2

in (4

cm) long, but a

giant weta can be 4

in (10

cm)—

longer than your hand!

Wellington

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These huge trees only grow on the North Island. Birds eat the seeds from the cones they produce.

Kauri

This enormous snail grows to 3

1 ⁄^2

in (9 cm)

across and loves to eat earthworms.

New Zealand

land snail

This rare frog lives mostly on tiny Stephens Island, where it is safe from tuataras and rats.

Hamilton’s

frog

New Zealand’s national symbol, the kiwi is a bird that cannot fly. It lives mostly in burrows and only comes out at night.

North Island brown kiwi

Bats are New Zealand’s only native mammals. This one spends more time on the ground than in the air.

New Zealand lesser short-

tailed bat

This bus-sized whale often raises its tail like a sail, letting the wind push it along the surface of the ocean.

Southern right

whale

Found only in New Zealand, this crayfish buries itself in mud to survive droughts.

LocationLocated in the

southwestern Pacific

Ocean, New Zealand’s

closest neighbor is

Australia, 932 miles

(1,500

km) to the northwest.

SCALE

250 kilometers

0 0

250 miles

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US_080_081_New_Zealand.indd 80 31/03/2017 14:49