That third eye of the tuatara is too overestimated. It isn't even functional in the adult. Most lizards have it, for example you can easily find it on the top of the head of iguanas, agamids, lacertids, skinks, etc, more easily in large species. In fact the only two squamate groups not having it completely are geckos and snakes. Tuatara however are amazing creatures, and I dream being able to be close to one at least once.
My son and I are reading a book and tuataras are in it. We would have never known about this cool creature if we didn't have the book. Very glad we looked up how to pronounce the name because I was WAY off 🤦♀️
These animals are incredible. I wonder how many other species are the only representatives of their order? New Zealand's conservation and restoration efforts are unlike any other in the world.
When talking about their diet: "They wait in their burrows for something to come along. A cricket, a weta, even a baby tuatara, that would be fine..." ... Wait, WHAT?!
Quincy On Bearded dragons it acts as sort of a light sensor, because they can't see behind them, beardies use it to detect shadows passing over, by detecting changes in light. They use it for defense mostly. But I've observed, when I had my beardie, that he would use it to detect crickets when they were on a log above his head out of eye sight range, passing by the heat lamp...So potentially it could be used by the Tuatara's in the same manner.
It would be good to introduce these reptiles New Zealand for certain countries such as Europe, Asia, North America and South except Africa and Oceania these reptiles spreading these places could form new species to take the place of their relatives who went extinct along with the dinosaurs 65 million years and to diversify beyond growing gender of the current especia which is now almost extinct. Modifying the DNA to make them resistant may cause new species to emerge and that if the number of rhinocerephalians grows back, they will grow in the world.
There's a reason they only survived in New Zealand, it's because all other species are better adapted to modern life. Imagine what cats, skunks, raccoons, opossums, dogs, snakes, eagles, etc. would do to them and think about their eggs that last 16 months to hatch.
Yes if they’re lucky to, definitely can live well over 100 years, a very famous tuatara names Henry that we have here in Invercargill, he’s over 120 years now
You can’t get one of these as a pet, you can however go to see them in special in closures around the country, or if you have the job of feeding them and looking after them, I live in Invercargill and the museum has tuatara in closures, you can go and see the tuatara whenever you want for free but only from the outside, but tuatara is a New Zealand only thing, only found here in New Zealand. Can’t even be found anywhere in Europe, not even Switzerland or Germany,
Information in this video is incorrect...tuataras are a completely different lineage than squamates - she says they are "the only species in the order of reptiles". "Tuatara" is not a species - there are at least 2 extant tuatara species. Also, this implies the order Reptilia has 1 species in it, which it clearly has many. As for the "third eye" It is the parietal eye, and in fact this is not what differentiates the tuatara from lizards as many lizards posses this in some form. We also do know that it's for sensing light.
Are They illegal to keep in America I can’t find any for sale but then again they have Babies like every 5 years. If someone knows where I can get one lmk
