Are there reptiles in New Zealand?

The herpetofauna animal group includes reptiles and frogs. New Zealand has tuatara, geckos, skinks, and four species of native frog. read more

New Zealand is one of several large islands around the globe where there have never been native snake populations. The others are Antarctica, Iceland, Ireland and Newfoundland. Snakes are more common than lizards around the world, and yet New Zealand is home to several species of lizard and not a single snake. read more

Mainly because there's a 2000km wide moat between New Zealand's North and South islands - and the West Island, the great arid, snake-infested continent you may know as Australia. No Snakes. So that's why you'll find no native snakes in New Zealand. read more

New Zealand has a large number of skinks, plus geckos, frogs and lizards. The tuatara is a favourite, only occurring in New Zealand, and big enough to see easily and be handled (not by amateurs, I should note). read more