The Tuatara - Stock-Fotografie

Tuatara are reptiles endemic to New Zealand. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of their order, which flourished around 200 million years ago. Tuatara are greenish brown and gray, and measure up to 80 cm from head to tail-tip and weigh up to 1.3 kg with a spiny crest along the back, especially pronounced in males. The name "tuatara" derives from the MÄori language, and means "peaks on the back". The tuatara Sphenodon punctatus has been protected by law since 1895; the second species, S. guntheri, was not recognised until 1989 Tuatara