New Zealand Weta

Prehistoric giant Weta from the Jurassic period at Mount Tutu Eco-Sanctuary, New Zealand. A "grasshopper" like Invertebrate.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• New
• Zealand
• Weta
• Wildlife
• Insect
• Invertebrate

[PottyEsq]

Yup, this is a Wellington Tree Weta (male)

You could let him crawl on your hand no worries.

They very rarely bite. I prodded one with my finger in a video to make it put its back legs up, but afterward it walked casually onto my hand, all forgotten :)

[MountTutuEco]

@PottyEsq Wellington??? this one lives no where near Wellington, in fact in the Bay of Plenty at Mount Tutu Eco-Sanctuary :)

[NZwaynebeau]

thats not the giant weta but just the common tree or sometimes called tusked weta. Giant weta is world heaviest insect at about 8grams and much much bigger than this one.

[MountTutuEco]

@NZwaynebeau -the use of the word "giant" in the description was not meant as the "Giant Weta" which can in fact weigh up to 25 gms and be 50mm long - but big enough if you find one on your leg - Giant Weta's now mainly on offshore islands.

[MountTutuEco]

@NZwaynebeau the use of the word "giant" in the description was not meant as the "Giant Weta" which can in fact weigh up to 25 gms and be 50mm long - but big enough if you find one on your leg - Giant Weta's now mainly on offshore islands.

[MountTutuEco]

@NZwaynebeau the use of the word "giant" in the description was not meant as the "Giant Weta" which can in fact weigh up to 25 gms and be 50mm long - but this one big enough if you find one on your leg - Giant Weta's now mainly on offshore islands.

[videowilliams]

I've read that the Weta occupies the niche in New Zealand's ecosystem that small rodents occupy in other places. Glad to see you're taking good care of its rainforest home!

[Azoozano]

If they are not protected, you could keep them.

THEY'RE PROTECTED!

[KvvTsniper]

Looks like an ant fucked a spider

[watermellony]

murray? 

[greyalien12]

I just watched The Beggining of The End. O8}

[JediAcademia]

BIXO DO INFERNO

[Verena1720]

KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!

[MenCap7]

gross



[okaminess]

Somebody drop kick it. NOW. :'(

[bob84676]

@PivotPenguin415 Living fossils are generally scary looking, but Thats why I like them! They are different, like you think they shouldn't be around anymore, like you stpped back in time itself! Brilliant.

[1BustedMyth]

I thought Weta's were only in NZ, seems we have some in Australia as well!?

I think I may have one, possibly, only 3 times I have seen this insect in my life

[gavinpow77]

Beautiful creature. Wish I could convince my Kiwi girlfriend. She hates them! says her mum squishes them. New Zealand is so much more exciting that Australia when it comes to fauna. There's practically bugger all that's venomous in NZ. No snakes. A loose relative of the redback - the katipo roams on beaches. The whitetail spider and huntsman are relatively common. But they are pretty damn harmless too