The harlequin gecko does many things that seem high risk. It stays stock still whenever it’s cold. It lives in extreme slow ...

The Mokohinau stag beetle is one of the world’s most endangered species, occupying less than an acre of scrub on a rocky tower in the middle of the ocean. Its habitat is so precarious that Auckland ...

Male and female dusky pipefish look exactly the same in all but one aspect—males have a pouch for incubating eggs when they ...

Powerful waves, jagged rocks, black sand and spectacular scenery. Piha, on Auckland’s west coast, is a magnet for beachgoers with a taste for the dramatic. But the currents are treacherous, and each ...

For all their showiness, tree ferns are extraordinary survivors. They hold their secrets close—but now, scientists are ...

Three pot plants, a barbecue and four bikes—we load up Toyota’s fully electric car for a classic southern summer roadie.

Mowing a blob shape into a field can dramatically help insects, research has found—and it’s better for pollinators than ...

Bats need the forest, but the forest also needs bats: they are thought to play crucial roles as efficient, prolific pollinators of forest species. David Pattemore, an ecologist and pollination ...

The last 50 years has seen a focus on cleaning up environmental messes—in policy jargon, mitigating the effects of human activities. This approach has led to the creation worldwide of institutions ...

Tussock Tops near Pinnacle, in the West Coast’s Victoria Range. Full moon, the air crisp and still. I’m listening attentively for kiwi, hoping to hear a shrill whistle above the faint murmur of the ...

New Zealand’s forests were once the home of the largest eagle in the world. This enormous bird had claws as big as a tiger’s, and could strike its prey with the force of a concrete block dropped from ...

Dogs wag their tails in all sorts of ways—side to side, up and down, round and round—as well as up high or down low. They use ...