Living fossil

VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Sat 20 Apr 2013 11:23
This is a tuatara Sphenodon punctatus which I photographed in Zealandia, a quite magnificent wild park in the centre of Wellington a few minutes' walk from Parliament.
 
 
 
Despite appearances this is not a lizard. Reptiles are divided into five Classes: turtles, crocodiles, snakes, lizards - and the tuatara, Class Sphenodontia. It is as different from a lizard as a crocodile is from a turtle. Its presence here in NZ is something of a mystery; sphendont fossils are found all over the world including the UK - but not in SE Asia and Australia. There are two species and the population is quite healthy - formerly widespread but nowadays sadly restricted to predator-free offshore islands - and Zealandia which is an 'onshore island' enclosed in a huge predator fence.