Nicola Toki

This week's critter is a true vagabond - it lives its life blowing around in hot, dry lands, going wherever the wind takes it. Famous (amongst lichenologists) for its powers of resurrection, the… Audio

Forest & Bird is taking the Department of Conservation to court over their treatment of Kororā penguins at Kennedy Point on Waiheke Island.  

It argues the department shouldn't have issued authority… Audio

This week's critter is the critically endangered carnivorous snail Rhytida occonori that lives in just two locations in the beautiful Abel Tasman National Park. Audio

This DOC threatened species ambassador Nic Toki wants people to be able to enjoy and appreciate the nature - but maybe not love it too much. This week's critter is one that people might also want to… Audio, Gallery

Salps are gender-fluid, translucent jelly-beans which band together to form long chains, travelling the oceans in a gelatinous tunic! The world's largest salp is called the Twin-sailed Salp and was… Audio

This week's critter is the mysterious Takitimu gecko that lives in the scree slopes and subalpine forests of Southland's mountains. Audio, Gallery

This week’s critter is the Chatham Islands’ stag beetle. There are only two species of stag beetle surviving on the Chathams and both are endangered, living in fragmented habitats and vulnerable to… Audio

This week's critter is the Tailed Forest Spider. Also called scorpion-tailed spiders or drag-tailed spiders, the female Tailed Forest Spider, Arachnura feredayi, has a long body that looks like an… Audio

The rare Freshwater Bristle Worm, Namanereis tiritae, is proof that the world of worms is weird and wondrously diverse. Audio

Jellyfish are thought to be the oldest multicellular animals on the planet! They swarm our coasts in summer and are an important part of a healthy marine ecosystem. This week's critter is the tiny but… Audio, Gallery

The redfin bully is the jewel of New Zealand's freshwater fish species with distinctive red patterning on its fins and tail.  Audio

They might be a pest in the vege garden, but aphids are fascinating critters. They poop sugar, give birth like Matryoshka dolls, and fight off their enemies like powerful kickboxers. Audio

Within this group, there are 6 wingless species that sport antlers as impressive as any reindeer or stag. Audio

The New Zealand Bat Flea is the only threatened species of flea endemic to this country. Audio

This week's critter is a super rare fungus that attacks giant weta. It's only been seen a handful of times and might be more threatened than the weta it feeds on! Audio

You might find this week's critter on your rose bush, munching on the leaves of your plum tree, or in native forests.  The prickly stick insect, Acanthoxyla prasina, is incredibly good at looking like… Audio

This week's critter is the Giant Bladder Kelp, or Rimurimu, can grow up to 50 metres tall and up to 70cm in a single day. It's swirling fronds create dense canopies called kelp forests which provide… Audio

This week's critter is New Zealand's largest native parasitoid wasp, Certonotus fractinervis (Giant Ichneumonid Wasp).  Audio

Cockroaches are one of the least-loved critters in the world but not all roaches are disease-infested household invaders. Te Pāpapa Pango is one of 21 cockroaches native to Aotearoa and is this week's… Audio