|
A
juvinile
tuatara
born
at
the
National
Wildlife
Centre
|
The
Tuatara
is
a
lizard
like
creature
that
is
only
found
on
certain
small
islands
around
New
Zealand.
It
is
not
a
true
Lizard
but
a
"Living
Fossil",
a
survivor
of
a
group
of
animals
that
were
once
more
widespread.
They
look
very
much
like
lizards
but
their
skeleton
shows
many
differences.
They
are
the
only
extant
members
of
the
Order
Sphenodontia,
which
was
well
represented
by
many
species
during
the
age
of
the
dinosaurs,
some
200
million
years
ago.
All
species
apart
from
the
tuatara
declined
and
eventually
became
extinct
about
60
million
years
ago.
Only
Tuatara
survived
to
become
a
"living
fossil".
Tuataras
survived
because
no
predators
invaded
New
Zealand.
Terrestrial
mammals
failed
to
cross
the
Tasman
Ocean,
which
separated
New
Zealand
from
Australia
by
opening
about
90
million
years
ago.
Tuataras
are
unusual
reptiles,
since
they
like
cool
weather.
They
do
not
survive
well
over
25
degrees
centigrade
but
can
live
below
5
degrees,
by
hibernating
in
burrows.
New
Zealand
climate
was
just
right.
Then
humans
arrived
and
introduced
kiore,
dogs,
ferrets,
pigs
and
cats...
Tuatara
once
lived
throughout
the
mainland
of
New
Zealand
but
have
survived
in
the
wild
only
on
32
offshore
islands.
These
islands
are
characteristically
free
of
rodents
and
other
introduced
mammalian
predators
which
are
known
to
prey
on
eggs
and
young
as
well
as
compete
for
invertebrate
food.
The
islands
are
usually
occupied
by
colonies
of
breeding
seabirds
that
contribute
to
the
fertility
and
hence
the
richness
of
invertebrate
and
lizard
fauna
needed
by
tuatara
We
hold
three
tuatara
at
the
National
Wildlife
Centre.
There
are
2
adults
and
one
of
their
juveniles.
The
adults
were
captured
on
Stephens
Island
and
so
we
are
unsure
of
their
age.
They
spend
their
winter
months
inside
wooden
burrows
in
their
enclosure
and
we
use
a
tiny
infrared
camera
inside
the
male’s
burrow
to
display
the
tuatara
to
members
of
the
public.
There’s
also
a
heat
lamp
inside
their
enclosure.
Rewa,
Tahu
and
Sam
are
the
names
of
our
3
tuatara.
The
female,
Rewa,
was
captured
on
Stephens
Island
in
the
1980s
and
as
she
was
caught
as
an
adult,
we
cannot
tell
how
old
she
is.
Her
mate,
Tahu,
was
caught
in
the
same
place.
In
October
2004
we
started
a
“close
encounter”
talk
with
the
tuatara
and
members
of
the
public
have
a
chance
to
see
a
tuatara
up
close.
There
is
information
given
on
tuatara
behaviour
and
ecology
and
the
reasons
for
the
decline
of
this
species
in
the
wild.
Did
you
Know?
-
Tuatara
are not true lizards and are the only living member
of their order. Their only relatives are fossils
remaining virtually unchanged since dinosaur times
225 million years ago..
-
Tuatara
do everything in life very slowly. They are slow to
mature at 15 years of age, slow to reproduce breeding
only every 3 or 4 years and they have a long life-span
up to 100 years, maybe more.
- The
female tuatara lays up to 15 eggs in a shallow hole
and the young tuataras take 12 months or more to hatch.
- If
a predator grabs their tail it can fall off and will
regrow.
- Odd
anatomical features including a pineal or third eye
on the top of young Tuataras which becomes covered over
as adults.
-
Their teeth are solid projections of the jawbone and
the bottom jaw fits perfectly between the two rows of
“teeth” on the top jaw.
- Unusual
breeding characteristics e.g. the determination of gender
by the incubation temperature of the eggs. ( Warmer
produces males, cooler produces females).
- Performs
best at temperatures around 12 C – 17 C which
is the lowest requirement for warmth in all the reptiles.
( Average temperatures for reptiles are 25 C –
38 C).
- Males
have no sexual organ.
Free
tuatara pictures
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