Giant Wetas Arrive and Go on Exhibit at New Zealand's EcoWorld Aquarium

By John Reuhman

Picton, New Zealand - Regan Russell, manager of EcoWorld Aquarium on Picton foreshore loves giant weta. He has no problem with one climbing up his face and inspecting his hair.

“They are just "gentle giants. They are not like tree weta that have big jaws and tend to bite quite hard" he said.

But he was disconcerted when one weta that was crawling on his face let its feelings known when he removed it.

"It had a little hissing fit close to my ear. It must have liked it there and didn't want to be moved," Regan said.

Giant weta are defensive rather than aggressive. If they are really disturbed, they raise their legs and quickly flick them down in the hope of spiking a predator's face.

Or they choose the option of lying on their backs and playing dead.

Department of Conservation officer Mike Avis of the Sounds area office dropped off five breeding pairs of Cook Strait giant weta at the aquarium on Monday evening.

The Giant Weta are from Stephens Island, which is off the tip of d'Urville Island in the Marlborough Sounds. They have been gifted by Ngati Koata and are to participate in a captive breeding programme.

The aquarium has a special enclosure so people can see the weta in their burrows and Mr Russell hopes they will breed.

Giant weta mainly eat plants in nature, but will consume insects as well. In captivity, they have been known to eat ox heart, dog sausage and even carrots, Mr Russell said.

Weta is from the Maori name of wetapunga, which was given to the giant weta. Wetapunga translates as "God of ugly things".

Photo:  A giant female weta examines the face of EcoWorld Aquarium manager Regan Russell.

To view EcoWorld Aquarium's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-3116-EcoWorld_Aquarium