New Zealand is home to some incredibly long living species. Here are 6 New Zealand long living species, and a possible explanation for why they live so long.
The more I learn about the marvels of the natural world of Aotearoa, the more I am aghast at its wonders. The land of the long white cloud is home to many endemic species, including kiwi, tui, weta, kauri, and kowhai. These endemic species have unique traits, such as being flightless. Well, another unique trait to many of the endemic species is that they have long lifespans when compared to species living in other parts of the world.
Why are New Zealand’s species long living?
This is a very good question and honestly I can’t give a definitive answer on it, but I will give you my best understanding of it. This comes from an article published in New Zealand ecology here. To summarise their report, the authors conclude that the longevity of many of New Zealand’s animal species may in part be due to a low adult mortality rate. For millions of years there were few predators (no mammalian predators) on the islands and over time animals evolved to favour long life and low reproductivity rates. Since they didn’t need to worry about dying young they didn’t need to reproduce so quickly.
6 New Zealand Long Living Species
Here are just a few of the many long living species that live in New Zealand.
Powelliphanta – These unique giant snails have very long lives for snails. Estimates are that these snails can live for 20 years or more.
Tuatara – This reptile is incredibly long living with a lifespan of up to 60 years.
Kiwi – There are 5 species of kiwi in the country. These flightless birds can live for up to 50 years.
Geckos – New Zealand’s geckos are another type of endemic animal that live for a long time. All of the gecko species that have been measured live for more than 20 years and oftentimes much longer!
Something that often accompanies a long life is being a slow breeder. In other words the longer an animal lives the fewer offspring they’ll have and the longer they’ll raise them. New Zealand geckos give birth to just two young while in other parts of the world geckos can have ten or more eggs.
Longfin Eels – These are very slow growing and long living fish that are native to New Zealand. These species can grow large and live for up to 80 years.
Kakapo – This is another one of the special birds of New Zealand. This ground dwelling parrot can live for up to 90 years.