Nicola Toki
Critter of the Week puteketeke
This week's critter isn't tiny, unloved or even unattractive, but it is bizarre. The puteketeke or Australasian crested grebe was crowned Bird of the Century last year thanks to an 'alarmingly… Audio
Critter of the Week: putawa or bracket fungus
This week’s critter is the pūtawa or bracket fungus (also known as white punk, pangu or morepork bread). The fruiting body of this fungus looks a bit like a caramel-coloured flying saucer that crashed… Audio
Critter of the Week
The ghost moths are an ancient group of moths that appeared over 100 million years ago. Named after a ghostly European moth, the ghost moths are often thought to be the souls of the departed come back… Audio
Critter of the Week: The Great Giant Scale
This week's critter, the great giant scale, (Coelostomidia zealandica) is a native specie of scale bug. Females have pink wingless bodies and look like they have terrible dandruff, with a dusting of… Audio
Critter of the Week: Ram's Horn Squid
You might have come across the creamy white spiral shells of this week's critter on the beach. The enigmatic ram's horn squid, Spirula spirula is a squid-like cephalopod mollusc. Audio
Critter of the Week: weweia New Zealand dabchick
This week's critter is the weweia New Zealand dabchick, also known as the New Zealand grebe. If the word 'grebe' gives you flashbacks (positive or otherwise) to last year's Bird of the Century… Audio
Critter of the Week: The ghost shrimp
This week's critter is the ghost shrimp (Filhollianassa filholi) - a type of mud or burrowing shrimp only found in Aotearoa. They dig themselves elaborate burrows in the sand between the high and low… Audio
Critter of the Week Fischer’s egg fungus
Summer is officially over and Autumn has begun. It's a time of year that fungi lovers across the country get excited about as all sorts of weird and wonderful fruiting bodies emerge out of the dark… Audio
Forest and Bird concerned over Govt Fast Track bill
The Government's Fast Track Approval bill will put New Zealand's threatened species on a fast track to extinction and leave a mess for future governments to clean up.
That's the assessment of… Audio
Critter of the Week: black cockroach hunter wasp
If you're a native New Zealand cockroach, the ngaro wiwi black cockroach hunter wasp is the stuff of your worst nightmares. Audio
Critter of the Week: waikaka black mudfish
Today is World Wetlands Day and this week's critter, the waikaka black mudfish, reveals just how vital these boggy ecosystems are for some of our more elusive and endangered fish species. Waikaka… Audio
Critter of the Week: Giant land snail
The first Critter of 2024 is the largest snail in Aotearoa - the superb giant land snail, Powelliphanta superba. These snails are big, golden and fabulous, and they're a worm's worst nightmare! Audio
Critter of the Week: Redcoat Damselfly
Santa isn't the only one zipping around in a red coat at this time of year. The beautiful redcoat damselfly, Xanthocnemis zealandica, is commonly seen flitting around streams and ponds all over the… Audio
Critter of the Week: Kiwaia moth
This week's critter is a tiny jumping moth. The flightless and dusty-looking Kiwaia "Cloudy Bay" moth only lives on one type of mat daisy (Raoulia australis) in a few areas of north-eastern… Audio
Critter of the Week: The Mt Arthur giant weta
Monday December 11 is International Mountain Day - a day to celebrate mountains and the incredible role they play in our world. It's also a great day to celebrate the Mt Arthur giant weta, Deinacrida… Audio
Critter of the Week: Spittlebug
The week's critter is a native species of spittlebug. Spittlebugs get their common name from the spit-like substance the young bugs create on plants. Audio
Critter of the Week: The giant nematode
This week's critter is a giant species of nematode (a type of worm) that is longer than a small shipping container and roughly the volume of an oil drum! The giant nematode, Placentonema gigantissima… Audio
Critter of the Week: Alexander Beetle
The Alexander beetle is a beautiful iridescent green beetle that is only found in Canterbury. It's a fierce predator of critters smaller than itself and has long slender legs which are excellent for… Audio
Midweek Mediawatch - feathers fly over election outcomes
In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about allegations of foreign interference in the Bird of the Century vote - and dubious concerns about the general… Audio
Critter of the Week: wheku, laughing owl, hakoke or korehengi
The whekau (also known as the laughing owl, hakoke, or korehengi) is one of only two species of owls native to Aotearoa. Audio