Tree Weta Poem

Tree Weta

As night time arrives, your garden comes alive.

High up in the holes of the lowland trees lurks

Weta Rakau making way out of their gloomy galleries.

The six legged invertebrate,

Protected by the nut hard shield,

Creeps through the forest in search of food.

Their mouth running dry at the sight of

leaves, lichen, seed heads,

fruit and flowers appear

they begin to munch on their tasty kai.

As Spring appears they begin to mate,

Males fighting off others with razor sharp jaws

And pointed spiked legs.

Once Naghuru arrives,

Six to ten at a time,

Lay the eggs at night time.

As they mature they’re shedding their skin,

This process continues

Like the shimmery, shining sun passing by.

As predators over there, seek high and low

in search of tasty midnight snacks.

Weka, Kiwi, Reptiles and bats

Were native predators before cats and rats.

  Aotearoa New Zealand fills the ngahere with

Giant weta, Tusked weta, Ground weta and Cave weta.

Danger of soon not being found.

By Greanne