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tuatara

File:Tuatara_(5205719005).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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tuatara

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Also known as Sphenodon

The tuatara (, ; Sphenodon punctatus) is a species of reptile endemic to New Zealand. Despite its close resemblance to lizards, it is the only extant member of a distinct lineage, the previously highly diverse order Rhynchocephalia. The name is derived from the Māori language and means "peaks on the back".

AI overview

The tuatara is a reptile found only in New Zealand that looks similar to a lizard but is actually the sole surviving member of an ancient and once-diverse group of animals called Rhynchocephalia. It matters because it represents a unique evolutionary lineage that has survived for millions of years, making it scientifically valuable for understanding reptile evolution and biodiversity.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Tuatara

species

Observations2,626

本文介紹的是紐西蘭特有的喙頭目爬行動物。關於中國特有的有鱗目爬行動物，請見「中國鱷蜥」。 喙頭蜥是楔齒蜥屬（学名：Sphenodon）动物的通称，因牙齒構造也稱為楔齒蜥。其他名稱也有鱷蜥或紐西蘭鱷蜥，亦可稱為刺背鱷蜥，僅分佈於紐西蘭科克海峽中的數個小島上，是喙頭目僅存的成員，只有1科1屬2種。由於鼬類與老鼠的引進，已瀕臨絕種。額頭有松果眼（英语：parietal eye）（又译作“顶眼”，俗稱“第三隻眼”）的痕跡，是非常原始的蜥蜴，被認為是活化石。

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Encyclopedic overview

28 sections
Contents
  • Taxonomy and evolution
  • Species
  • Description
  • Skull
  • Sensory organs
  • Eyes
  • Parietal eye (third eye)
  • Hearing
  • Odorant receptors
  • Spine and ribs
  • Tail and back
  • Age determination
  • Physiology
  • Ecology
  • Reproduction
  • Genomic characteristics
  • Conservation
  • Distribution and threats
  • Climate change
  • Eradication of rats
  • Brothers Island tuatara
  • Northern tuatara
  • Captive breeding
  • Cultural significance
  • Notes
  • References
  • Further reading
  • External links

The tuatara (, ; Sphenodon punctatus) is a species of reptile endemic to New Zealand. Despite its close resemblance to lizards, it is the only extant member of a distinct lineage, the previously highly diverse order Rhynchocephalia. The name is derived from the Māori language and means "peaks on the back".

The single extant species of tuatara is the only surviving member of its order, which was highly diverse during the Mesozoic era. Rhynchocephalians first appeared in the fossil record during the Middle Triassic, around 244-241.5 million years ago, and reached worldwide distribution and peak diversity during the Jurassic, when they represented the world's dominant group of small reptiles. Rhynchocephalians declined during the Cretaceous, with their youngest records outside New Zealand dating to the Paleocene. Their closest living relatives are squamates (lizards and snakes). Tuatara are of interest for studying the evolution of reptiles.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “tuatara” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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