Unique travel: This country has no native snakes!

If you are suffering from ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) and are used to avoiding nature explorations at all cost because of this crippling fear, we have one destination for you that will change your life, and maybe teach you how to enjoy the outdoors. New Zealand, known for its breathtaking landscapes, unique wildlife, and adventure activities, is, believe it or not, a snake-free country. Yes, you read that right, New Zealand has no native snakes.

Unusual? Yes.


Most of the world we know has to coexist with snakes. The ones in Australia may give you nightmares, while there is a village in Maharashtra, India, where snakes and people coexist, and most of the time, in the same house. But New Zealand is one of those very few places on earth where there are no snakes. Fun fact: In countries like Iceland and Greenland, there are no snakes due to the cold temperature.


Coming back to New Zealand, the absence of snakes in New Zealand is not because of extreme cold temperature. It is due to the country’s geographical location. Due to the remoteness of this country, no snake species could actually establish properly.


New Zealand has been like this for as long as one can remember, so because of this, there are extremely strict biosecurity laws to see to it that no non-native species, including snakes, are ever introduced in the country. The country’s ports and borders are thoroughly monitored to make sure that snakes aren’t accidentally introduced.

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And because of this snake-free status, many tourists can roam the country without fearing any venomous encounters. This is a major draw for tourists who enjoy the outdoors but may be wary of visiting places where snakes are prevalent. In New Zealand, one can explore the outdoors freely.


But is it really completely snake free? Well, Yes and No.

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Although there are no land snakes in New Zealand, there have been occasional spotting of the sea snakes in the waters. These marine snakes sometimes drift into New Zealand waters with the currents. One can’t really stop that, now can they? So there you have it, New Zealand as a snake-free destination…if you don’t count the occasional sea snake.