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Tuatara
Tuataras are reptiles from New Zealand. They resemble lizards, but are actually in a species of their own. They grow to be about 30" long, and they have a spiny ridge down their back.
500 Questions
What is the population of the tuatara now?
Asked by Wiki User
The tuatara is an endangered reptile endemic to Ne Zealand. Its current population is estimated at around 100 000, but it is listed as endangered because it now survives only on islands off the coast of New Zealand. This means that genetic diversity is reduced, leading to greater possibility of weaker animals, and even the possible development of disease.
What adaptaitons have enabeled the tuatara to live for 200 years?
Asked by Wiki User
The longest recorded lifespan of a tuatara is about 80 years. Most authorities think 100 years is possible but more than that seems to be pure speculation. Reptiles in general can have longer life spans than similarly sized mammals, and this is probably down to their metabolisms' being much slower so that cell damage is less likely to occur. I think you may mean 'Why has the species remained unchanged for 200 million years?' This is because their environment didn't change very much until very recently, so there was no evolutionary pressure to change.
What is the Latin name for the tuatara lizard?
Asked by Wiki User
There are two species: Sphenodon guntheri and Sphenodon punctatus.
Are the tuatara extinct?
Asked by Wiki User
Tuatara are not extinct yet but some believe that they are going extinct.
There are 2 species of them. They diverged from the lizards in the late Triassic but were never as abundant as lizards. While lizards are known to not live that long, the Tuatara may live for more than 30 years.
Rats prey on their eggs as well as some juveniles.
Rats were introduced to more of the islands in which the remaining Tuatara are living in so researchers believe that once this generation die out, there wouldn't be a following generation to carry on because of the rats.
I'm taking a herpetology class that just answered this question by my professor
-William Carey University
Blackout12091: Just as a slight correction to this, the Tuatarra can live well past 100 years of age. They are not even sexually mature until the age of 20.
What do you call a baby tuatara?
Asked by Wiki User
There is no particular name for a baby tuatara. Newly hatched tuatara are called hatchlings, and tuatara that are not yet adult are simply called juvenile tuatara.
Can tuataras swim?
Asked by Wiki User
A tuatara is a fully terrestrial animal, so a typical tuatara cannot swim.
What eats tuatara?
Asked by Wiki User
The kiore, or Polynesian rat, is one of the main predators of the tuatara. Dogs and cats, along with other introduced species such as stoats and ferrets, are significant predators as well.
