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Tiny rare reptile found in New Zealand
Source: Agencies |
March 20, 2009, Friday
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A HATCHLING of a rare reptile with lineage dating back to the dinosaur age has been found in the wild on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in about 200 years, a wildlife official said yesterday.
The baby tuatara was discovered by staff during routine maintenance work at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in the capital Wellington, conservation manager Raewyn Empson said.
"We are all absolutely thrilled with this discovery," Empson said. "It means we have successfully re-established a breeding population back on the mainland, which is a massive breakthrough for New Zealand conservation."
Tuatara, which measure up to 80 centimeters when fully grown, is the last descendant of a lizard-like reptile species that walked the Earth with the dinosaurs 225 million years ago, zoologists say.
There are estimated to be about 50,000 of them living in the wild on 32 small offshore islands cleared of predators, but this is the first time a hatchling has been seen on the mainland New Zealand in about 200 years.
The New Zealand natives were nearly extinct on the country's three main islands by the late 1700s due to the introduction of predators such as rats.
Empson said the hatchling is thought to be about one month old and likely came from an egg laid about 16 months ago. Two nests of eggs - the size of table tennis balls - were unearthed in the sanctuary last year and tuatara were expected to hatch around this time.
"He is unlikely to be the only baby to have hatched this season, but seeing him was an incredible fluke," Empson said.
Tuatara has unique characteristics, such as two rows of top teeth closing over one row at the bottom and a parietal eye - a dot on the top of the skull that is believed to be light-sensitive.
The baby tuatara was discovered by staff during routine maintenance work at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in the capital Wellington, conservation manager Raewyn Empson said.
"We are all absolutely thrilled with this discovery," Empson said. "It means we have successfully re-established a breeding population back on the mainland, which is a massive breakthrough for New Zealand conservation."
Tuatara, which measure up to 80 centimeters when fully grown, is the last descendant of a lizard-like reptile species that walked the Earth with the dinosaurs 225 million years ago, zoologists say.
There are estimated to be about 50,000 of them living in the wild on 32 small offshore islands cleared of predators, but this is the first time a hatchling has been seen on the mainland New Zealand in about 200 years.
The New Zealand natives were nearly extinct on the country's three main islands by the late 1700s due to the introduction of predators such as rats.
Empson said the hatchling is thought to be about one month old and likely came from an egg laid about 16 months ago. Two nests of eggs - the size of table tennis balls - were unearthed in the sanctuary last year and tuatara were expected to hatch around this time.
"He is unlikely to be the only baby to have hatched this season, but seeing him was an incredible fluke," Empson said.
Tuatara has unique characteristics, such as two rows of top teeth closing over one row at the bottom and a parietal eye - a dot on the top of the skull that is believed to be light-sensitive.
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