Tuatara

New Zealand · ancient reptile · living fossil · unique

Looks like a lizard. The tuatara has a scaly body and a spiky ridge running down its back, which is exactly what its Māori name means, peaks on the back. But don't be fooled by its appearance, because it is not a lizard at all.

Last of its kind. While lizards are common around the world, the tuatara is the only living member of an entire ancient group of reptiles called Rhynchocephalia. All its relatives went extinct millions of years ago, making it like a time traveler from the age of dinosaurs.

Only lives in New Zealand. You can find tuataras nowhere else on Earth except in New Zealand, where they live on a few small islands. They have lived there for so long that many people consider them a treasure of New Zealand's wildlife.

Belongs to an ancient lineage. The tuatara's family, Rhynchocephalia, was once incredibly diverse with many different species living all over the world. Today, the tuatara stands alone as the last survivor of this once-mighty group.