Spring work in the woods

This spring I've been working on some projects I helped set up two years ago. I am enjoying being back out in the quiet woods and finding small (lizard) treasures.

We found a ngahere gecko in the deep furrow of a large pine tree. You can see their chameleon-like color change abilities since the next two photos are the same gecko. 

Same ngahere gecko where we found him, hiding from the rain.

Copper skink, a somewhat rare find in our surveys.

Poisonous Amanita muscaria mushrooms had popped up all over the place after the week of rain.

The cryptic and reclusive peripatus (ngaokeoke), New Zealand velvet worm.