[3][4] Tors are separated by alpine meadows with no rocks and therefore are assumed to have no wētā, causing population fragmentation.

[4] The mountain wētā do not move far during their lifetime, and are exposed to high winds and low temperatures all year round.

[7] Studies of mountain stone wētā frass have found that they eat many plant species such as tussock grass (Poa colensoi) and moss (Polytrichum juniperinum) as well as invertebrates.

[3] Males can show extreme dimorphism in weaponry that appears to be a result of sexual selection of male-male combat for access to females.

[3] A hybrid zone between the two colour forms (melanic and yellow) of Hemideina maori has been studied in the Rock and Pillar mountain range and.

[10] Mountain stone wētā can survive being frozen solid over winter and are estimated to be inactive for at least 5 months of the year.

[11][12] During winter, their haemolymph contains low molecular weight cryoprotectants such as amino acids, especially proline (up to about 100 mM) and the disaccharide trehalose.

[3][4][13] Just like other tree wētā species however, H. maori leave their refuges at night to forage and oviposit in soil.

[14] They lie still for a short time on their back, with legs splayed, claws exposed and jaws wide open ready to scratch and bite.

[6] This means that native nocturnal predators of the mountain stone wētā are most likely to be reptiles such as geckos and skinks or birds such as ruru (morepork).