This week's critter, found above the treeline in Kā Tiritiri o te Moana the Southern Alps, highlights the resilience and diversity of our alpine fauna.
Meet the black eye grasshopper or māwhitiwhiti (Sigaus villosus), our largest grasshopper species. They are covered in tiny hairs that provide insulation against the cold in their high alpine habitat.
They have no ears, are flightless and don’t sing, relying on their slate-grey colouring to camouflage them in their rocky habitat.
Black eye grasshopper Photo: supplied by Forest and Bird
