Wild About New Zealand ~ Land animals

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Land animals

Lizards and weta are amazing animals. Detailed information about our native friends.

There are two types of lizard in New Zealand: skinks and geckos. Those most commonly seen are small and dull-coloured. But this belies some unique adaptations to a temperate climate, and a great diversity – new species are being discovered all the time.

Wetas

Weta, like other insects, are the children of Tane, however, early Maori thought that they were ugly and called them the children of Punga - the spirit of ugliness. The giant weta was named wetapunga after its parent.