High percentages of New
Zealand's indigenous species are endemic (found only
in New Zealand). This is remarkable internationally.
Britain has only two endemic species: one plant and
one animal. Yet around 90 percent of New Zealand's insects
and marine molluscs, 80 percent of trees, ferns and
flowering plants and 25 per cent of bird species, all
60 reptiles, four remaining frogs and two species of
bat are found nowhere else on Earth.
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