Tuatara

Tuatara
Sphenodon punctatus

The Tuatara may look like a lizard but it belongs to its own reptile group Rhynchocephalia. This group flourished during the Mesozoic but only the Tuatara survives today – a living relic from the age of dinosaurs, uniquely representing 225 million years of evolutionary heritage. It’s now only found on islands around New Zealand as mainland populations disappeared over a century ago due to land clearing, and hunting by humans and feral animals. Until recently it was believed there were two species, but DNA studies indicate differences are due to geographic variation.

Distribution: islands of New Zealand
Conservation status: Least Concern
Evolutionary distinctiveness: High