A lizard-like reptile found only in New Zealand, and the last survivor of the order Rhynchocephalia, the dominant group of small reptiles in the Jurassic. Tuatara stay active at temperatures as low as 5 °C, much colder than most reptiles tolerate. The name is Māori for "peaks on the back".
Quick answers
What is it?Reptile
Carnivore?Insects only
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Hibernates?Yes
Tuatara hibernate during winter.
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inNew Zealand
ColoursGreen, Grey, Brown
SizeSmall
LengthMales about 61 cm; females about 45 cm
WeightMales up to 1 kg; females up to 0.5 kg
Legs4
Covered inScales
Lives alone
Lives for60–100 years
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- New Zealand, mainly on 32 offshore islands, with fenced sanctuaries on the mainland.
- What it eats
- Mostly beetles, crickets, spiders, wētā, earthworms and snails, plus frogs, lizards and seabird eggs and chicks.
Did you know
The last survivor of an order that ruled small-reptile life in the Jurassic, with a light-sensing third eye.
It has a light-sensing third eye on top of its head, visible only in hatchlings.
The average lifespan is about 60 years, and tuatara can live to well over 100.
Often confused with
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