A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Sphenodon
The tuatara is a reptile endemic to New Zealand which, though it resembles most lizards, is actually part of a distinct lineage, order Sphenodontia.[2][3] The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of its order, which flourished around 200 million years ago.[3] Their most recent common ancestor with any other extant group is with the squamates (lizards and snakes). For this reason, tuatara are of great interest in the study of the evolution of lizards and snakes, and for the reconstruction of the appearance and habits of the earliest diapsids (the group that also includes birds, dinosaurs, and crocodiles).
3 Comments
At least they weren't behind glass. :) Apparently the little ones hunt in the day because the big ones hunt at night, and the little ones are on the menu if they get caught out.
It was in Zealandia bird santuary. So not totally in the wild, but not in captivity neither! It was so cute!
Lucky you. I've only seen them captive at Invercargill.