Tuatara: Sphenodontidae - Diet

Usually active at night, the tuataras often hunt by ambush, which means that they sit still and wait for a prey animal to come to them. They also forage (FOR-ej), which means that they wander about looking for food. They use their sticky fat tongues to catch and eat mainly non-flying grasshoppers, beetles, and other crawling invertebrates (in-VER-teh-brehts), which are animals without backbones. The unusual arrangement of their teeth is not only excellent for crushing invertebrates but is also well-suited to the occasional meal of a seabird, lizard, or perhaps a smaller tuatara. The younger tuataras are more likely than the adults to hunt during the daytime. This practice may help them avoid being eaten by adult tuataras.