Tuatara

A tuatara is a reptile that lives in New Zealand It is not a lizard, but a different kind of beast It has a spiny crest along its back and a third eye on its head It can live for over a hundred years and hibernate in winter’s bed

Tuatara are ancient animals that date back to the Triassic They survived the mass extinction that wiped out the Jurassic They have unique teeth and bones that show their evolution They are protected by the law and need conservation

Tuatara are fascinating creatures that deserve our admiration They are part of New Zealand’s natural and cultural heritage They have a special name in Maori that means "peaks on the back" They are the only living members of the order Rhynchocephalia.

The tuatara is a rare and ancient beast
That lives on islands off the coast of New Zealand
It likes to burrow in the soil or nest with birds
And hunt for insects, worms and snails when it is dark

It is not a lizard, though it looks like one
It belongs to a different order of reptiles
It has a spiny crest along its back and tail
And a third eye on its forehead that is hard to see

It is a living fossil, a survivor of the past
It has not changed much since the age of dinosaurs
It can live for over a hundred years and more
And it is a treasure of New Zealand's natural heritage