The spiny plates on the back and tail of the tuatara resemble those of a crocodile more than a lizard, but the tuatara shares with lizards the ability to break off its tail when caught by a predator, and then …

tuatara, (Sphenodon puntatus), a species of moderately large lizardlike reptiles endemic to New Zealand, specifically to North Island, roughly 30 islets off the island’s northeast coast, and a handful …

In fact, the tuatara is among the most unusual wildlife in the world. Although it looks like a lizard, it really is quite different. Found in New Zealand only, the tuatara’s closest relatives are an extinct group of …

The Tuatara is a reptile of the family Sphenodontidae, endemic to New Zealand. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of the Sphenodontians who flourished around 200 million …

Two hundred and twenty-five million years ago — about the time the first dinosaurs arrived on the scene — the ancestors of the tuatara were roaming the world. Now, 65 million years after the last …

Jul 21, 2025 · Tuatara are found only in New Zealand, where they’re the country’s largest endemic reptile. Fossils evidence indicates they were once widespread across both the North and South Island.

All except for the tuatara apparently went extinct around 60 million years ago, in the late Cretaceous period. The tuatara has been falsely called a living fossil. Though very similar to its extinct ancestors, …

Tuatara are a rare reptile found only in New Zealand. They are the last survivors of an order of reptiles that thrived in the age of the dinosaurs.

Tuatara are the only living representatives of an ancient lineage – the order Sphenodontia, over 250 million years old. The other reptiles – crocodiles, turtles, snakes and lizards – have many species …

Tuataras are dragon-like creatures measuring up to 80 centimetres in length. They are the last surviving member of an ancient lineage of animals that originated in the Triassic era, some 250...