#829: Weta

Weta are various species of flightless crickets, endemic to New Zealand. This giant weta, weighing in at around 35g (but with some individuals weighing 70g or more), is one of the heaviest insects in the world. Diet varies between species, with some preying on invertebrates, whereas the giant weta favours lichens, leaves and flowers. With her powerful jaws, she is capable of inflicting a painful bite, although she prefers to threaten her prey and retreat, rather than attack. Her ovipositor, which resembles a stinger, is used to deposit her eggs deep into rotting wood or soil.

#603: Possum

The Possums are a diverse range of medium-sized marsupials, found in Australia. They are named after the oppossum from the Americas, to which they bear not-really-that-much of a resemblance. This fellow is the Brushtail Possum. He is omnivorous, feasting on leaves, fruit, flowers, insects, birds eggs and occasionally the birds themselves. Adaptable in nature, he can be found in urban environments, using powerlines as a means of locomotion and occasionally denning down in the eaves of houses. Introduced to New Zealand in the 1850s, in the hope of establishing a fur industry, he flourished and became an invasive pest. Now perhaps 30 million possums inhabit the New Zealand forests, defoliating trees and destroying the fragile ecosystems. Like all marsupials, baby Possums are born after a short gestation period, before developing further within the mother's pouch.

Creature Feature #472: Monarch

Today's entry is dedicated to the memory of Carol "Monarch" Schmidt, a fine artist who helped welcome me to the world of Artist Trading Cards and whom dedicated her time and passions to these astonishing insects.

The Monarch Butterfly is a milkweed butterfly with a cosmopolitan distribution. She is found in America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and parts of Asia. She has even been transported into space and bred in the international space station. In America, she is most noted for her long migration. During the summer months, her range extends up into southern Canada, but as the days grow shorter, individuals gather together and begin a journey south to overwinter in California and Mexico. Colonies can travel over 4,000 kms. In New Zealand the Monarch also migrates, albeit a much shorter journey. The life cycle of the Monarch is one that  most people are familiar with: they are reliant on milkweed plants, specifically the "swan plant" to reproduce. The female lays her eggs, and the tiny yellow and black striped caterpillars hatch. These caterpillars strip the swan plant, becoming somewhat toxic from their diet. This does not deter all predators however, and some will fall prey to other invertebrates such as praying mantises or paper wasps.

Creature Feature #372: Kea

Another New Zealand parrot, the Kea is also something of an oddity. He is the only parrot to live in an alpine environment. This harsh environment has led to some rather interesting adaptions - the Kea is one of the most intelligent birds in the world. He is intensely curious, using his long beak to rip aside anything in search of food - or for fun. Kea were once maligned for the rather unfortunate behaviour of tearing flesh from sheep, seeking the protein it provided, and large numbers were shot. In more recent times this curiosity and powerful bill has led to them stripping rubber from cars, and also to chewing on nails. Lead poisoning from these nails is a big problem, combined with being killed by cars or attacked on the nest by stoats. This charming alpine clown is now considered vulnerable to extinction.

Creature Feature #365: Kakapo

The Kakapo is a flightless parrot, found only in New Zealand. He is classified as Critically Endangered with a population of less than 130 and a dedicated consevation program in place. Kakapo are long-lived and slow-breedings, only reproducing when the rimu trees mast-seed, about every 3-5 years. The male digs himself a shallow bowl and crouches in it, inflating himself up like a balloon and emitting a low booming call, that can be heard up to 5 kms away. Once mated, the female lays her eggs in a burrow - which makes her vulnerable to predators such as stoats and feral cats. It takes 9-10 years for these chicks to reach sexual maturity. Once Kakapo were common throughout the country, but a combination of this slow breeding system, habitat destruction and hunting by humans and introduced mammal led to its very-near extinction, with only 51 birds left in 1995.

Creature Feature #258: Galaxias

The Galaxias are a Genus of small freshwater fish, found in southeast Australia and  New Zealand with representatives in South America and Africa. They are specialised in living in the higher, cooler climates such as alpine streams, rivers and lakes. Despite this, many species include a marine stage in their life cycles. Larvae are washed out to sea to develop, swimming back up the river as small fry. The introduction of trout to New Zealand waterways has severely and negatively impacted many of these fish species, with populations now becoming fragmented and restricted. This wee fellow is a New Zealand Flathead Galaxias, his range restricted to a few rivers in Otago.

For more on freshwater fish of New Zealand, look out for Inanga and Kokopu.

Creature Feature #148: Dabchick

The Dachick is a small grebe now found only in the North Island of New Zealand, having become extirpated on the South Island at some point in the past. He spends most of his life on the water and rarely, if ever, will come ashore.  Inept on land, he is expert on water and will make dives of up to 30 seconds to forage on the lake bed for aquatic invertebrates. Most are consumed underwater, with only the larger morsels being brought to the surface. Courtship is an elaborate ritual of preening, diving and head shaking with nests being constructed from aquatic vegetation. These are anchored to emergent vegetation, or occasionally hidden under boat shelters or in partly submerged caves. The striped chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and will ride on their parents' backs when tired.

Creature Feature #35: Arrow Squid

Squids originated from the mollusc line, and are characterised by  their distinctive head, symmetrical shape, distinct mantle (“body”) and their tentacles. They have ten limbs - eight of which are arms, and two of which are longer tentacles, used to grasp their prey and crack it apart with their only solid organ - their chitin beak.

According to Wikipedia, the New Zealand Arrow Squid is also known as the Wellington Flying Squid. Alas for this poor, unappreciated Cephalopod, very little is known about it except for its value as a foodstuff -  for endangered New Zealand animals - like the fur seal and the yellow eyed penguin, and also for its purpose upon our plates, in the form of calamari.