Why is this animal unusual?
It’s the only survivor of an entire order of reptiles. Its closest relatives died out around the same time as the dinosaurs.
Why does it look like that?
A spiny crest down its back – “tuatara” means “peaks on the back” in Māori – and teeth that are really just saw-edged bits of jawbone.
Strangest biological feature
A third eye. On top of its head is a light-sensitive spot with its own lens and retina. You can see it in young tuatara before scales grow over it.
Why is it strange?
It loves the cold. Most reptiles need heat to function; the tuatara stays active in temperatures that would put a lizard to sleep.
Interesting behavioral facts
It often moves into the burrows of seabirds – and repays the favour by occasionally eating their chicks.
Records held
A tuatara named Henry became a father for the first time at the age of 111. Its eggs take longer to hatch than those of any other reptile.
