Skip to main content

Tuatara

The two species of Tuatara, Sphenodon guntheri and Sphenodon punctatus are the only living members within the entire order of Sphenodontia. Way back in the day, I'm talking 200 million years back, members of this group flourished. But over time, all but these two species died out, leaving the other orders within the Reptilia class to far outnumber them not only in regards to species count, but in world domination as well. They are sometimes considered living fossils. Tuataras only live in one location in the entire world- New Zealand. Specifically, small islands off the coast of the larger two that are not heavy with predators. (Though reintroduction efforts on the mainland have been ongoing) They've been living as the last of their kind for nearly 60 million years, though molecular work has confirmed that changes have occurred in the past 200 million years, though they still retain many primitive characteristics.

While they may look like lizards... they aren't. Like I mentioned, Tuataras are not a part of the Squamata order (which houses lizards & snakes), they are their own distinct branch of Reptilia. They have dentition unlike that of any other type of animal, with two rows of teeth on the upper jaw overlapping one row on the lower. They also have a second bony ridge in their skull, which doesn't exist in lizards or snakes but can be found in crocodilians. They also have a third eye, hidden between the other two under a layer of skin and scales that scientists believe may act as a light sensor. Tuataras also live an extremely long amount of time. They don't even stop their growth until around age 35 and can live well over 100 years. In 2009, a 111 year old male and an 80 year old female successfully produced 11 offspring, which is fantastic for a species that is becoming so low in numbers. And have I mentioned their ability to live in cold weather climates? Tuataras have a lower body temperature than other reptiles and are able to function in weather as low as 40 degrees, and find anything over 80 to be unbearable, even deadly. This has allowed them to live for all this time in their colder, New Zealand homes.


image from pixdaus.com

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent