THE TUATARA

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.

Life Cycle The female Tuatara lays up to 15 eggs in a shallow hole and the young tuataras take 12 months or more to hatch. They eat insects and some times the eggs and chicks of the Petrels that inhabit their islands. A tuatara can live up to 100 years.

Threats The biggest problem for the Tuatara is the introduction of predators on to its islands. Rats eat the young and compete for food. There are 3 kinds of Tuatara known but one of these is confined to just one small island where only 300 are believed to survive.