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The tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) is a species of reptile endemic to New Zealand. Despite its close resemblance to lizards , it is actually the only extant member of a distinct lineage, the previously highly diverse order Rhynchocephalia . [ 8 ]
The tuatara has among the highest known ages of sexual maturity among reptiles, [32] at around 9 to 13 years of age, [33] and has a high longevity in comparison to lizards of similar size, [32] with wild individuals likely reaching 70 years, and possibly over 100 years in age. [34]
The tuatara looks like a lizard, but it’s not. The species broke off from the same group that became lizards around 250 million years ago. Though they are similar, there are some key differences ...
The parietal eye is found in the tuatara, most lizards, frogs, salamanders, certain bony fish, sharks, and lampreys. [7] [8] [9] It is absent in mammals but was present in their closest extinct relatives, the therapsids, suggesting that it was lost during the course of the mammalian evolution due to it being useless in endothermic animals. [10]
New Zealand's tuatara isn't a lizard, even if it looks like one. This reptile, which has barely changed in over 200 million years, belongs to a prehistoric order that once dominated the planet.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 6 March 2025. Class of animals This article is about the animal class. For other uses, see Reptile (disambiguation). Reptiles Temporal range: Late Carboniferous–Present Pre๊ ๊ O S D C P T J K Pg N Tuatara Saltwater crocodile Common box turtle Ladder snake Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota ...
The tuatara lays eggs that are usually about one inch in length and which take about 14 months to incubate. [28] While in the egg, the Squamata embryo develops an egg tooth on the premaxillary that helps the animal emerge from the egg. [33] A reptile will increase three to twentyfold in length from hatching to adulthood. [33]
These lizard-like reptiles from New Zealand are older than the dinosaurs’ extinction and still going strong. Tuataras grow painfully slow, with lifespans exceeding 100 years, but that’s their ...