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Tuatara: Sphenodontidae

Physical Characteristics, Habitat, Diet, Behavior And Reproduction, Conservation Status, Northern Tuatara (sphenodon Punctatus): Species AccountGEOGRAPHIC RANGE, TUATARAS AND PEOPLE



NORTHERN TUATARA (Sphenodon punctatus): SPECIES ACCOUNT

Tuataras have a small range, living on about 30 tiny and hard-to-reach islands off New Zealand's shore.

The people of New Zealand hold the tuatara in high regard and consider them to be living treasures. Tuataras have also caught the eye of the science community. In the 1800s, for example, so many scientific institutions wanted their own tuataras to study that the local government in 1895 was forced to protect the reptile before its population dropped too low.



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Animal Life ResourceDinosaurs, Snakes, and Other Reptiles