A Few NZ Creatures

I have taken various pictures of animals over the last few months, and thought that it might be nice to share some of them.

This first one I actually took not very long after we arrived in NZ. I remember that when I saw this snail, I was shocked and amazed to see one that big! Now, having built a Bug Hotel with my kindergarteners and found many snails to put in it, this looks like a completely normal sized snail. So... I'm wondering... have I simply become accustomed to the large range of NZ snails, or are they actually not particularly bigger than American snails, or was this actually a huge one and I just can't tell in the picture? In any case, there are lots of snails here, and the children and I love finding them.

Firmly within the "abnormally huge" category, however, are the wetas we find. They are native insects of NZ (I believe I mentioned them after I learned about them in the Te Papa museum in Wellington). Most types of weta like to live in the forest, so we don't find a lot at kindergarten, but it is very exciting when we do.

In my kindergarten explorations, I have learned that girl wetas (like the one I'm holding) have long egg tubes, and do not bite. The boys can bite, but apparently it's not too bad. The spines on the back of their legs can hurt a bit, but we are very careful and not one of the kids has gotten jabbed, so it's all good. Each time we find one, the kids are quite nervous to hold something that big for the first two minutes or so, then they're all demanding turn after turn, until I eventually assert that the weta is all tired out and must be retired to the Bug Hotel for a rest. (Part of the goal of building the Bug Hotel was to have a safe, respectful place to put bugs, so that they don't get "explored" to death by troves of well-meaning children. It works very well.)

Holly is so cute when she sleeps all curled up! I know that she's not really a "NZ creature," but she is from here!

I love that I can see new baby calves nursing on my way to work!

I was all excited to get this picture when J and I were in the park, because I think that these birds are quite pretty, but they hop around so fast, usually pictures are out of the question. I got home and googled it to see what kind it is, and it's a Common Blackbird. For the record, I don't believe that names of things that people might get excited about should include the word "common." It's like the name itself forbids you to think that it's cool. Well, I think it's cool anyway. So there.

J and I have been taking Holly for lots of walks, now that the weather is warmer and it doesn't get dark so early. That is making her a very happy NZ creature, and also making it almost impossible to leave the house without her thinking that she's going on a walk.

Because NZ is so awesome, a family came over to kindergarten one morning and said, "I brought some of our new baby animals to Puketapu School for the kids to see. Do your kindergarteners want to come visit?" Not surprisingly, we did! 

This gorgeous calf tried to suckle on everyone's clothes and hands, and the children were so calm and caring, even though it was a bit scary to have that big mouth close on you!

I have been loving seeing all the lambs in the fields, so I was very excited to finally get to see one up close!

The girl holding the lead is the granddaughter of the animals' owner, and used to come to kindergarten before I started. She was so proud to show off her grandma's animals!

(Also, I am so used to seeing that particular child in that dinosaur costume, I almost blurred out the dinosaur's face to protect his identity. I might be losing my mind.)