Search Afternoons

Leopard seals are true seals, great in the water but on land they move like a lumbering caterpillar Audio, Gallery

The Bat-Winged Fly is found in the Paparoa Range south of Fiordland. Audio

Back Beach Beetle, aka Bembidion (Zecillenus) tillyardi is only found in one place in the world - and it also happens to be one of this country's most beautiful beachs, Back Beach, which is part of… Audio

DOC's Threatened Species Ambassador Nicola Toki talks to Jesse about the amazing tuatara in today's Critter of the Week segment. Audio

This endemic moth is found throughout New Zealand. The green or brown caterpillars feed on young leaves of its favoured host plant, kawakawa, Piper excelsum (Piperaceae) and other native trees and… Audio, Gallery

Eldon's galaxiid is one of our non-migratory galaxiids. Audio, Gallery

DoC's Threatened Species Ambassador Nicola Toki tells us all about the fur seal. Usually we do the less cutesy critters, but Nicola says the fur seal is sometimes a bit misunderstood and maligned. Video, Audio

Vegetable caterpillars are neither vegetables, nor caterpillars (well not living ones anyway), but are instead the mummified remains of Porina moth caterpillars found in the forest, that have been… Audio

These tiny little crazy looking aquatic creatures that are some of the most hardy species on earth. They have been around for over 500 million years and have super powers! They can exist at… Audio

DoC's Nicola Toki reckons Giant petrels are truly the vultures of the sea. Audio

DoC's threatened species ambassador, Nicola Toki tells us all about the Jewelled Gecko, which is endemic to the South Island and classified as at risk and declining. Audio

The White Pointer shark is the only marine fish in the Threatened Species Strategy. DoC's Threatened Species Ambassador, Nicola Toki shares what we know about these apex predators. Audio, Gallery

The dog vomit slime mold is a plasmodial slime mold that eats bacteria that breaks down dead things. DoC's Threatened Species Ambassador, Nicola Toki says some old horror movies had creatures inspired… Audio

The 'Bubblegum coral' is found in the continental shelf region both on slope margins, ridges and seamount features, in depths around 800-1000 metres.  DoC's Threatened Species Ambassador, Nicola Toki… Audio

DoC's threatened species ambassador, Nicola Toki, talks about the blind electric ray or Typhlonarke aysoni. The critters look like a small blob of brown jelly but they can produce a powerful electric… Audio

Today DoC's Nicola Toki tells us about the Chatham Island Forget-me-not, Kopakopa, Kopukapuka. Audio

Mole crickets are found around the world, but ours is unusual in having no wings. Nicola Toki has been digging up information about this rare critter, the native mole cricket. Audio

Our critter of the week is Paryphanta busby, the Kauri Snail, Pupu Rangi. Video, Audio

The Castle Hill buttercup, also known as Kura Tawhiti (Ranunculus paucifolius) is confined to an area of 6 hectares of limestone debris in a gently sloping basin surrounded by limestone cliffs, tors… Audio

Nicola Toki, DoC's endangered Species Ambassador tells us all about the NZ ground beetle. New Zealand has about 430 known species of Ground Beetle, all species of endemic NZ ground beetle are… Audio

DOC's threatened species ambassdor, Nicola Toki tells us all about this very small and threatened plant which is only known from the canopy twigs of Rata Moehau. Audio

DoC's threatened species Ambassador, Nicola Toki talks about this carnivorous native plant that gets its nutrients not from the ground but by eating passing insects. Audio

In the depths of the rainforests of New Zealand's rugged Southwest breeds one of the world's rarest penguin species - the Fiordland crested penguin. Audio

The harlequin gecko is a small colourful gecko measuring up to 150mm long. They have a distinctive and variable herring-bone skin colour pattern of olive, brown, grey, maroon and white. Nicola Toki… Audio

The torrentfish is one of five freshwater fish species featuring on NZ Post's latest stamp release of 1 March 2017. Torrentfish or Cheimarrichthys fosteri is an endemic New Zealand freshwater fish… Audio

There are 16 species of grasshopper in NZ, this one likes open, sparsely vegetated, stony slopes. Audio

DoC's endangered species ambassador, Nicola Toki tells us about Orange Fronted Parakeets or karaka kakariki - one of five parakeets native to NZ. Audio

Our critter this week is only found in one location in the world and the total population size is unknown. One catastrophic event - a fire or effects of climate change, could as good as exterminate… Audio

A different Critter of the Week today - an Australian endangered marsupial, the Mardo or yellow-footed Antechinus. It's presented to us by Nicola Toki's Australian counterpart, Gregory Andrews, the… Audio