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2024 Creature Features - Top 5

These five native 'creatures' found across Waimakariri were the most popular of our weekly 'Creature Feature' posts for 2024.


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  1. Canterbury Grass Skink (Oligosoma aff. polychroma Clade 4 )

    The Canterbury Grass Skink, formally known as the common skink (which is now split into five separate species) is a small brown striped skink found in the Canterbury and West Coast regions.

    They are diurnal (active during the day) and occupy a wide range of habits from coastal to alpine areas. They prefer open areas of grassland, tussock, rock piles and shrubland where they can find both sufficient cover and bask in full sunlight.


    They reach maturity at round 1.5 - years and females reproduce annually in summer to litters of up to six juveniles

    They are active hunters and eat a wide range of small invertebrates such as spiders and insects as well as berries and fruit from native plants such as pöhuehue (Muehlenbeckia complexa).


    They have a conservation status of ‘At Risk - Declining’ and suffer from predation by introduced mammals such as cats, rats, mice and mustelids. Loss of habitat has also contributed to their decline through in the introduction of browsing mammals and removal of logs and rocks for shelter.

    Photo credit: Geoff Henderson




  2. New Zealand Nursery Web Spider (Dolomedes minor)

    The New Zealand Nursery Web Spider is a large, nocturnal spider that is endemic to New Zealand. Females can grow up to 25 mm with a leg span of 70 mm. Their bodies feature distinctive dark markings for camouflage.

    They are found in forests, gardens, and near water. They can survive in a variety of terrains, from sea level up to subalpine areas.


    These spiders are agile hunters that catch prey like insects and small invertebrates without relying on webs. They are also known for their ability to walk on water.

    Females create nursery webs for their eggs and carry the egg sac in their jaws before attaching it to a secure spot. They can carry the egg sac for up to 5 weeks! They guard the eggs until the babies hatch and are ready to disperse.

    Photo credit: Bryce McQuillan




  3. Pouched Lamprey/Kanakana

    Lamprey (Geotria australis) are primitive fish, which have existed for more than 360 million years. They look like eels, but are more closely related to sharks and batoids (rays).

    They are jawless, but have a large circular, toothed sucker (oral disc) instead. They only have one nostril but their olfactory organ is large relative to their head size and their sense of smell is extremely sensitive. Like sharks, they breathe through seven gills on each side of their head and don’t have bones.

    Lamprey feed on fish or marine mammals as adults, and do this by attaching their oral disc to the animals body and use their toothed tongue to bore into the flesh of their prey to suck their blood, body fluids and flesh.


    They are anadromous, which means they start their life in freshwater, migrate to sea after a few years, then return to freshwater to breed. We are lucky to have them in some of our waterways in Waimakariri!

    Lamprey are threatened by migration barriers, loss of habitat, poor water quality, parasites and disease.

    Photo credit: Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls and Aquatic Ecology Limited



  4. Coloburiscus/Spiny Gilled Mayfly

    Coloburiscus is a type of mayfly that has prickly cactus-like gills. Their spiny gills are used to breathe oxygen from the water. The spikes are to maximise how much water flows over the gills and increases the amount of oxygen absorbed.

    They also have prickly legs, which allows them to filter feed. This is achieved by using the prickles like a comb to brush small bugs and plants out of the water. This allows them to sit in one place and the food comes to them, instead of hunting for food.


    They are most abundant in stony-bottomed, cool, bush covered streams. They are very sensitive to changes in water quality. High abundances of Coloburiscus are indicative of good water and habitat quality.

    In Waimakariri, you can find Coloburiscus in our upland rivers and streams!

    Photo credit: Vaughan Turner



  5. Kōura/ Freshwater crayfish

    Kōura are a freshwater crayfish found only in Aotearoa and there are two species of kōura found here. Paranephrops planifrons is found in the North Island and in the northwest of the South Island and Paranephrops zealandicus is distributed along the eastern side of the South island.

    They are crustacean with a hard shell-like skin (exoskeleton), which they moult as they get grow in size. During moulting they become soft for a short time as the new outer shell hardens.


    They are found in streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and wetlands. They are well camouflaged and often hard to spot as they stay hidden during the day. moving around mostly at night. They can burrow deep into the mud of wetlands during the summer months when water levels are low.

    They move by walking along the lake or stream bottom or flicking their tail to swim rapidly backwards.


    They feed on leftovers that float by in the water or settle on the bottom; favoring old leaves and small insects.

    Females produce between 20-200 berry-like eggs between April and December, and most in May and June ,which they carry under the side flaps of their abdomen. Small kōura hatch about 3 to 4 months later, clinging to their mothers pincers until they are 4mm long.


    Kōura are threatened by predation from introduced species, loss of habitat, and poor water quality. Kōura are a taonga species and we are lucky to have them in some of our waterways in Waimakariri.

    Photo credit: Department of Conservation


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