Tuatara

Spikes are a protective feature that has evolved over time to save them from predators.

Not enough information is known to tell the exact quantity of food which Tuataras consume on a daily basis but we do know what they consume. It seems to be that they are mainly insectivores and thus they would eat a large quantity of these to satisfy the daily requirement of survival. They do however also eat frogs, other lizards and the young offspring of birds.

One interesting fact to note is that there is evidence to suggest that Tuataras have a slower metabolic rate so this may influence how much they have to eat. However, as I said earlier, no study has been able to study Tuataras long enough and on a large enough sample to conclusively say how much food Tuataras eat.

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.

Tuataras have only two eyes.

buttholes

There are two species: Sphenodon guntheri and Sphenodon punctatus.

there is said to be only one left

Tuataras are known to live up to 100 years in the wild, and even longer in captivity, with some individuals reaching over 100 years of age. They are one of the longest-living reptile species in the world.

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.

A tuatara is a fully terrestrial animal, so a typical tuatara cannot swim.

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.

It means "peaks on the back" in Maori.

buttholes

The tuatara is a kind of reptile of which there are only two species, both found in New Zealand. Although the tuatara looks like a lizard it is not. Rather, it is the last surviving member of the order Rhynchocephalia.

The Maori name of tuatara is translated as "peaks on the back". This is because this New Zealand reptile, is characterized by raised peaks along its back.

The main reason why the tuatara is endangered is the threat caused by introduced predators. The kiore (Polynesian rat) is responsible for the decreasing tuatara population, as are the two species of rats introduced by Europeans, while cats, dogs, stoats and ferrets have also contributed to the tuatara's decline.

On the mainland, deforestation has resulted in habitat loss, which has meant less food and safe shelter for the tuatara.

The tuatara's own breeding cycle and slow growth rate makes this reptile one of its own worst enemies. Tuatara only breed every second year and they are long-lived, meant they do not begin reproducing until they are 15-18 years old. They cannot reproduce quickly enough to compensate for their numbers being reduced by predators.

Tuataras are reptiles that do not drink water. These animals are carnivores and eat insects, spiders, birds eggs, and frogs. They also get moisture from the air around them.

The Kakapo brought itself, presumably in the shape of a predecessor that still could fly some time way back when.

Exactly how no one knows, but presumably through birds being swept away from the mainland by storms.

The true and full answers are not known. But obviously they survived the catastrophe at the Cretaceous/Tertiary extinction event. The Tuatara is only known from New Zealand, and though it is often referred to as a "living dinosaur" this is incorrect as it has changed from from ancestral types.

After the Chixculub meteorite landed in Mexico some 65 million years ago, there were probably devastating fires world wide, and ash showers etc, clouding the sky. This would have destroyed much herbage, and some of the ash could have been toxic.

The animals best equipped to handle this were those that could hibernate (if adequately prepared - a chance of seasons); those that could secrete themselves; and of course, the higher predators in the oceans such as sharks.

The Tuatara is an animal of very slow movement, and usually lives in a burrow which has been excavated by a seabird, though it may make its own burrow if it has to. It takes about 12 to 15 months between copulation and hatching. It is a carnivore.

Tuatara live in their natural refuges of Stephens Island and Brothers Islands in Cook Strait. Some have been transferred to the Coromandel, and Little Barrier.

But the Little Barrier population were threatened by kiore, the native rat, and a small breeding population was rescued and established on Hen island.

they can also be found in queens town new zealand

Tuatara are ancient reptiles, endemic to New Zealand. Carnivorous creatures which feed on small mammals, birds, insects such as weta, frogs and other reptiles, they are equipped with very sharp teeth which they use to catch their prey. They simply draw close to these smaller creatures, and pounce quickly to catch them. The tuatara grip their prey with their two sets of upper teeth and one set of lower teeth which hold the prey firmly. These strong teeth are also used to break through egg shells to eat the chicks of the seabirds that share the tuatara's habitat.