Sphenodontia Order Presented by

Ricfred Andrew S. Beley

The sphenodontia order is the smallest order of

reptiles from New Zealand.

Scientific NameSphenodon

punctatus and the much

rarer Sphenodon guntheri

resembling mainly the lizard, and have been around since the end of the dinosaur era, 200 million years ago.

SizeMales - can reach

more than 24 in (60 cm) in length and 2 lb (1 kg) in weight.

Females - less than 16 in (40 cm) in length and rarely exceed 1 lb (454 g) in weight.

Body Covering

• The spiny plates on the back • Tail resemble those of a crocodile more

than a lizard, but has the latter reptile's ability to break off its tail when caught by a predator, and then regenerate it.

• The tail and back are covered with spiny plates

• bony plates in the skin 

Color

- tan-colored lizard-like reptile that lives in New Zealand.- some are greenish brown

How many babies?

•It takes the females between one and three years to provide eggs with yolk•up to seven months to form the shell. It then takes between 12 and 15 months from copulation to hatching.

•lay 8 to 15 eggs•This means reproduction occurs at two- to five-year intervals, the slowest in any reptile.•eggs - have a soft, parchment-like shell.

• The sex of a hatchling depends on the temperature of the egg

• with warmer eggs tending to produce males

• and cooler eggs producing females.

• Their babies are called Hatchlings

They move

Habitat

• inhabit forest and pasture near seabird colonies. The preferred habitat is coastal broad-leaf forest, especially where seabirds have dug burrows.

• low-growing, salt-tolerant trees that form a complete canopy over a relatively open forest floor

Cold Blooded Animal

-Adult tuataras are nocturnal , but they will bask in the sun

for heat.

How do they Protect themselves?

•  both sexes defend territories, and will threaten and eventually bite intruders. The bite can cause serious injury. Tuatara will bite when approached, and will not let go easily.

predominantly prey on• beetles, cricket

s, and spiders.• Their diet also

consists of frogs, lizards, and bird's eggs and chicks

Special Features

• The tuatara has a third eye on the top of its head called the parietal eye

• Their lungs have a single chamber and lack bronchi.

Additional Information

• Status - vulnerable• Tuataras do not have ears,

but they can hear.• The tuatara has been

classified as an endangered species since 1895

• They hibernate during winter