Sutamam

This photo was taken on Christmas Day. We went to my brother in laws place for Christmas dinner, and I took this photo not far from his house.
These little things are known as Sutamam. They are native of New Zealand and they are very rare. They are mostly found in the parts of this country where the Lord of the Rings was filmed. (So much of New Zealand was covered during these movies that Middle Earth is also known as New Zealand.) Anyway, I can not remember if these wee guys appeared in the movies or not, but maybe they should have.
These guys make no sound at all. They have a coat that is so thick and coarse that it is difficult to tell one end from the other, and very hard to see any features. When you look at them, they do not move, but rather freeze on the spot. I have in my life time seen very few, and this was by far the most I had ever seen in one place. A group of them is called a 'gully', and there is no plural of the name. In some areas of the country, further north from here, they are sometimes called 'Mealamu' and I am led to believe this is because they operate very close to the ground.
If you see any of these sutamam, you should get in touch with your local Dept. of Conservation office. They are always pleased to see them.