Skip to main content

Story: Evolution of plants and animals

Giant snails and wētā

Video file

Watch footage of giant snails and wētā, illustrating gigantism in New Zealand animals.

Using this item

Whakapapa Productions

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Matt McGlone, Evolution of plants and animals – Distinctive qualities, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/12436/giant-snails-and-weta (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Matt McGlone, published 1 March 2009.