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Amazing Weta
What Is A Weta?
Weta are a native insect to New Zealand/Aotearoa.
Weta are invertebrates and they have an exoskeleton. An invertebrate is an animal that has no backbone. They have six legs, ears just below from their knees, and 2 antenna. They also have a thorax and an abdomen. People often think they look very ugly! There are five main types of weta but there are over 70 species. Male giant weta are smaller than the females. Although they don’t look pretty they are important native insects.
Where Do Weta Live?
Weta live in many different places. Tree weta are often found in trees, rotten logs, grasslands and in your firewood pile. Cave weta are mostly found in caves near the shore and the tusked weta can be found in the ground and in extreme weather. The giant weta lives in alpine trees and under rocks. If you found a weta it would most likely to be a tree weta.
What Do Weta Eat?
Every type of weta eats different things. Tree weta and the giant weta mostly eat lichens, leaves, flowers, seed heads, and fruits. They prefer to eat softer leaves and they also eat smaller insects. If you feed a weta you should feed them leaves or grass.
Where do weta breed?
Weta lay their eggs in the soil over the autumn and winter and they hatch the following spring. They breed in alpine environments, forests, grasslands, caves, shrublands and urban gardens. Every time the female lays eggs it is up to 3 or 6. But If the female lives her full 2 years than she can lay up to 300 eggs. Weta lay their eggs at night.
Threats To Weta?
Some weta threats are birds, reptiles, bats, cats and hedgehogs. Before humans came the only threats were birds and tuatara. Humans brought animals like cats, rats, hedgehogs, stoats and ferrets that also eat weta. Humans also destroyed most of their habitat. We can look after weta by making sure they have habitats to live in and predator free areas where they are safe.
BY NOAH
