The maximum length of the tuatara. Hatteria or tuatara (lat.

Not far from New Zealand in the Cook Strait is a very small island of Stevens. Its area is only 1.5 square kilometers, but almost all zoologists in the world want to visit it. And all because one of the largest populations of tuatara is concentrated here.

tuatara- Very rare view reptiles. Outwardly, they are very similar to lizards, especially iguanas, but the tuatara belong to the ancient order of beakheads. The reptile has scaly gray-green skin, a long tail and short clawed feet. On the back is a toothed comb, because of which the tuatara is called tuatara, which means "prickly" from the Maori language.

The tuatara is nocturnal, thanks to the well-developed parietal eye, the reptile is perfectly oriented in space in the dark. The reptile moves slowly, listlessly dragging its belly along the ground.

Tuatara lives in a hole together with a gray petrel. This bird nests on the island and digs a hole for itself, and the reptile settles there. Such a neighborhood does not bring trouble to anyone, since the petrel goes hunting during the day, and the tuatara - at night. However, very rarely the reptile attacks petrel chicks. When the bird leaves for the winter, the tuatara stays in the burrow and hibernates.

An interesting fact is that the tuatara is the same age as dinosaurs. This order of reptiles lived in Africa, North America, Europe and Asia 200 million years ago, but today small populations can be found on small islands near New Zealand.

For two hundred million years, the tuatara has not changed much, they have retained some of the structural features of the body inherent in most prehistoric reptiles. In the temporal parts of the skull there are two bony hollow arches that prehistoric lizards and snakes had. Along with the usual ones, tuatara also have ventral ribs; only crocodiles have a similar structure of the skeleton.

In addition to being a living relic, the tuatara has a number of interesting features.

For example, it is distinguished by its ability to lead an active lifestyle at a temperature of -7 degrees Celsius.

The life processes of the tuatara are slow - it has a low metabolism, one breath lasts about 7 seconds, and it can hold its breath for an hour.

In addition, the tuatara is one of the few reptiles that has its own voice. Her drawn out loud cries can be heard during times of unrest.

Hatteria is an endangered rare species of reptiles, therefore it is under protection and is listed in the IUCN Red Book.

New Zealand is a country that surprise every traveler picturesque natural and rare wildlife. When you get here, you literally find yourself in a fairy tale, where landscapes amaze with their originality and grandeur.

New Zealand nature and animals that live harmoniously in it, are the basis of the mood of this state.

If you are wondering which animals in New Zealand are unique representatives of the local fauna, then you it will be interesting to know more about the flora and fauna of these islands in the Pacific Ocean.

A thousand years ago, when there were no permanent residents on the islands, mammals did not live on the territory of New Zealand, except for two species bats, as well as whales, sea lions and seals that lived in coastal waters.

As soon as Polynesians began to actively settle New Zealand lands, dogs and rats appeared on the islands, and later Europeans brought New Zealand goats, cows, pigs, cats and mice.

Such a turn of events became a real test. for the fauna of the islands. Rabbits, rats, ermines, ferrets and cats, which were brought for hunting, reached large sizes, as they had no natural enemies.

It did a lot of damage at the time. agriculture as well as public health. Flora and fauna of New Zealand was under real threat!

To date, New Zealand's environmental authorities carefully control the flora and fauna New Zealand, and some areas have been completely freed from animals that pose a threat to fauna and flora.

Animals of New Zealand that can be named the brightest representatives of the fauna this country:

• Kiwi bird;
• kea parrot;
• owl parrot;
• tuatara;
• European hedgehog.

Interesting fact! In New Zealand, they found the remains of the flightless giant birds moi, exterminated more than five hundred years ago, whose height was three and a half meters.

New Zealand animals are also freshwater species fish, of which there are twenty-nine species. Eight of them are now on the verge of extinction. Also in this country lives more than 40 species of ants.

Why there are no snakes in New Zealand

For a long period of time it was believed that in New Zealand snakes don't live.

But in the 2000s a group of researchers from Australia and New Zealand discovered the remains of these reptiles.

This discovery was proof that approximately 15-20 million years ago snakes still lived in New Zealand.

But for what reason these animals became extinct is not known to this day. Some scholars suggest that it happened because of the ice age.

snakes just couldn't stand the cold, and since New Zealand is located at a fairly remote distance from civilization, new species of reptiles could not be brought here in time.

The question arises, “Why aren’t snakes brought to New Zealand today?”. Of course, if there was such a need, snakes could be brought here, for example, from neighboring Australia, but that's not the point. The fact is that snakes in New Zealand outlawed.

Attention! Breeding or keeping this reptile at home is strictly prohibited! Also, a fine will be imposed on those who accidentally saw a snake, but did not report it to the relevant authorities.

But still, in New Zealand there are snakes, only not terrestrial, but sea ones - the already visible sea krait and yellow-bellied bonito. These reptiles were only kept alive because they do not crawl on land and almost never found off the coast of New Zealand.

So why is the government so trembling and categorical relate to the fact that snakes did appear in New Zealand? The answer is that the snakes would immediately destroy the main symbol of the country - the kiwi bird.

However, despite tight control, there is still a certain plus in the absence of snakes in New Zealand - the country is considered one of the safest countries in the world for outdoor travel.

Flora of New Zealand

The plants of New Zealand are approximately two thousand different different types , 70% of which are endemic to the islands.

As regards New Zealand world famous forests, in which the most iconic films are shot, they are divided into two types - evergreen in the south and mixed subtropical in the north.

Artificial forests, that is, planted by man, cover an area of ​​​​about 2 million hectares. These are forests of radiant pine, which was brought to New Zealand in the 19th century by colonists. The radiant pine forest, which is located in the Kaingaroa Forest area, is the largest on the planet artificial plantation.

In addition, on the New Zealand islands liver moss grows, of which there are many. To date, more than six hundred of its varieties are known on the territory of this state, of which half are endemic.

Also growing in New Zealand thirty kinds of forget-me-nots of the seventy known in the world.

The flora of New Zealand is also known for its ferns. This marvelous, since the New Zealand climate is far from the most suitable for this plant.

Cyathea silver or silver fern - one of national symbols New Zealand.

As for the variety of herbs, the island of the archipelago grows 187 species herbaceous plants , of which 157 grow only in New Zealand.

Like this ambiguous and interesting flora and fauna in New Zealand. A large number of different types of birds - from exotic small birds to huge flightless representatives of the avifauna. Undoubtedly, the New Zealand plant and animal world is one of the most interesting to know.

In New Zealand, on small rocky islands to the north of it and in the strait between the North and South Islands, lives a creature older than some Jurassic giant lizards. This is the famous three-eyed reptile - tuatara.

These reptiles appeared about 200 million years ago and have not changed a bit since then. That is, in front of you you see a real “living fossil”.

"Living Fossil"

At first glance, the hatteria looks like an ordinary large lizard, or rather, an iguana. The length of her body is 65-75 centimeters, this is together with the tail. It is colored olive green or greenish gray, and yellow spots of various sizes can be seen on the sides of the body and on the limbs. Like iguanas, along its back, from the back of the head to the tail, there is a low crest, consisting of triangular plates. Thanks to him, the reptile received another name, but already from the local residents of the Maiori - tuatara, which means "prickly".

"Barbed"
young tuatara

But it's not a lizard. Her special structure of the body, and especially the head, did not fit the description of any of the then existing units of the class of reptiles. Therefore, in the second half of the 19th century, a special detachment was established for the hatteria - beak-headed (lat. Phynchocephalia).

The fact is that in the structure of the skull of the hatteria there is one feature - in young individuals, the upper jaw, roof of the skull and palate are mobile relative to the braincase. This phenomenon is called skull kinetics. As a result, the front end upper jaw it can bend down a little and be retracted with complex movements of other parts of the skull. Terrestrial vertebrates inherited this phenomenon from lobe-finned fish, their very distant ancestors. But the kinetism of the skull is inherent not only in tuatara, but also in some species of lizards and snakes.

Tuatara skull

Tuatara is special in every way. In addition to the unusual internal structure of the skull and skeleton, the special attention of zoologists is attracted by the presence of a peculiar organ in her - the parietal (or third) eye in the back of the head. It is most noticeable in young individuals. The eye looks like a bare spot surrounded by scales. This organ has light-sensitive cells and a lens, but it lacks the muscles to focus the location of the eye. Over time, it overgrows, and in adults it is already difficult to see it. So what is it for?

sleeping tuatara

Its purpose is still not exactly clear, but it is assumed that with its help the lizard can determine the level of light and heat, which helps the animal control its stay in the sun. Thanks to this, she can regulate her body temperature.

Slow metabolism and slow life processes are another feature of its biology. Because of this, it grows and develops very slowly. The tuatara reaches sexual maturity only by 15-20 years, and its life expectancy is about 100 years. I immediately remembered another long-liver of the animal world - which, to our surprise, does not have a slow metabolism, but can easily live for a century.

dwelling

The next feature of the tuatara lies in its cohabitation on islands with gray petrels. Reptiles settle in their nests, which causes discontent among the birds. Initially, it was believed that they could exist peacefully and friendly with each other, but it turned out that sometimes tuatara ruin their nests during the breeding season. Although the hatteria still prefers other prey, in search of which it goes at night. It feeds on earthworms, snails, insects and spiders, but, as it turned out, sometimes a new dish is added to this menu - the meat of a young bird.

At the height of summer, which begins in January in the Southern Hemisphere, the breeding process begins in the hatteria. After 9-10 months, the female lays 8-15 eggs, which are buried in small minks. The incubation period is very long - 15 months, which is unusual for other reptiles.

Tuatara egg

Due to its importance to science and its limited habitat, the tuatara is protected. On all the islands where it lives, a reserved regime has been introduced for about 100 years. All dogs, pigs and cats were taken out from there, rodents were destroyed, as they caused serious damage to the population of this “living fossil”, destroying their eggs and juveniles. Visiting these islands is now possible only by special invitation, and violators face imprisonment.

The most ancient reptile surviving from the time of the dinosaurs is the three-eyed lizard tuatara, or tuatara (lat. ) - a species of reptiles from the order of beakheads.

For a man of the uninitiated tuatara ( ) is simply a large, impressive-looking lizard. Indeed, this animal has greenish-gray scaly skin, short strong paws with claws, a crest on the back, consisting of flat triangular scales, like agamas and iguanas (the local name for hatteria is tuatara- comes from the Maori word for "spiky"), and a long tail.

However, the hatteria is not a lizard at all. The features of its structure are so unusual that a special detachment was established for it in the class of reptiles - Rhynchocephalia, which means "beak-headed" (from the Greek "rinhos" - beak and "kephalon" - head; an indication of the premaxilla bending down).

True, this did not happen immediately. In 1831, the famous zoologist Gray, having only the skulls of this animal, gave him the name Sphenodon. After 11 years, a whole copy of the tuatara fell into his hands, which he described as another reptile, giving it a name. Hatteria punctata and referring to lizards from the agam family. It wasn't until 30 years later that Gray established that Sphenodon And Hatteria- same. But even before that, in 1867, it was shown that the similarity of the tuatara with lizards is purely external, and according to internal structure(first of all - the structure of the skull) tuatara stands completely apart from all modern reptiles.

And then it turned out that the tuatara, now living exclusively on the islands of New Zealand, is a “living fossil”, the last representative of the once common group of reptiles that lived in Asia, Africa, North America and even in Europe. But all other beakheads died out in the early jurassic, and the tuatara managed to exist for almost 200 million years. It is amazing how little its structure has changed over this vast period of time, while lizards and snakes have reached such a variety.

A very interesting feature of the tuatara is the presence of a parietal (or third) eye, located on the crown of the head between two real eyes *. Its function has not yet been elucidated. This organ has a lens and a retina with nerve endings, but is devoid of muscles and any adaptations for accommodation, or focusing. In a tuatara cub that has just hatched from an egg, the parietal eye is clearly visible - like a bare speck surrounded by scales that are arranged like flower petals. Over time, the "third eye" is overgrown with scales, and in adult tuatara it can no longer be seen. As experiments have shown, the tuatara cannot see with this eye, but it is sensitive to light and heat, which helps the animal regulate body temperature, dosing the time spent in the sun and in the shade.

As excavations show, not so long ago, tuatara were found in abundance on the main islands of New Zealand - North and South. But the Maori tribes, who settled in these places in the XIV century, exterminated the Tuatars almost completely. An important role was played in this by the dogs and rats that came along with the people. True, some scientists believe that the hatteria died due to changes in climatic and environmental conditions. Until 1870, she was still found on the North Island, but at the beginning of the 20th century. has survived only on 20 small islands, of which 3 are located in the Cook Strait, and the rest - off the northeast coast of the North Island.

The view of these islands is gloomy - cold leaden waves break on the rocky shores shrouded in mist. The already sparse vegetation was badly damaged by sheep, goats, pigs and other wild animals. Now, every single pig, cat, and dog has been removed from the islands where Tuatara populations have survived, and the rodents have been exterminated. All these animals caused great damage to tuatarams, eating their eggs and juveniles. Of the vertebrates on the islands, only reptiles and numerous sea birds remained, arranging their colonies here.

An adult male tuatara reaches a length (including tail) of 65 cm and weighs about 1 kg. Females are smaller and almost twice as light. These reptiles feed on insects, spiders, earthworms and snails. They love water, often lie in it for a long time and swim well. But the tuatara runs badly.

Hatteria is a nocturnal animal, and unlike many other reptiles, it is active at relatively low temperatures - +6 o ... + 8 o C - this is another of the interesting features of its biology. All life processes in the hatteria are slow, the metabolism is low. Between two breaths usually takes about 7 seconds, but the tuatara can remain alive without taking a single breath for an hour.

Winter time - from mid-March to mid-August - tuatara spend in burrows, falling into hibernation. In spring, females dig special small burrows, where with the help of their paws and mouth they carry a clutch of 8-15 eggs, each of which is about 3 cm in diameter and is enclosed in a soft shell. From above, the masonry is covered with earth, grass, leaves or moss. The incubation period lasts about 15 months, which is much longer than that of other reptiles.

Tuatara grows slowly and reaches puberty no earlier than 20 years. That is why we can assume that she belongs to the number of outstanding centenarians of the animal world. It is possible that the age of some males exceeds 100 years.

What else is this animal famous for? Tuatara is one of the few reptiles with a real voice. Her sad, hoarse cries can be heard on foggy nights or when someone bothers her.

Another amazing feature of the tuatara is its coexistence with gray petrels, which nest on the islands in self-dug holes. Hatteria often settles in these holes, despite the presence of birds there, and sometimes, apparently, ruins their nests - judging by the finds of chicks with bitten heads. So such a neighborhood, apparently, does not bring great joy to the petrels, although usually birds and reptiles coexist quite peacefully - the tuatara prefers other prey, which it goes in search of at night, and in the daytime the petrels fly into the sea for fish. When the birds migrate, the tuatara hibernates.

The total number of living tuatara is now about 100,000 individuals. The largest colony is located on Stephens Island in the Cook Strait - 50,000 tuatars live there on an area of ​​​​3 km 2 - an average of 480 individuals per 1 ha. On small - less than 10 hectares - islets, populations of tuatara do not exceed 5,000 individuals. The New Zealand government has long recognized the value of the amazing reptile for science, and there has been a strict conservation regime on the islands for about 100 years. You can visit them only with special permission and strict liability is established for violators. In addition, tuatara are successfully bred at the Sydney Zoo in Australia.

Tuatara are not eaten and their skins are not in commercial demand. They live on remote islands, where there are neither people nor predators, and are well adapted to the conditions existing there. So, apparently, nothing threatens the survival of these unique reptiles at present. They can safely while away their days on secluded islands to the delight of biologists, who, among other things, are trying to figure out the reasons why the tuatara did not disappear in those distant times when all its relatives died out.

Perhaps we should learn from the people of New Zealand and how to protect their natural resources. As Gerald Durrell wrote, “Ask any New Zealander why they guard the tuatara. And they will consider your question simply inappropriate and say that, firstly, this is a one-of-a-kind creature, secondly, zoologists are not indifferent to it, and, thirdly, if it disappears, it will disappear forever. Can you imagine such an answer by a Russian resident to the question of why guard, say, a Caucasian crossroads? Here I can't. Maybe that's why we don't live like in New Zealand?

V.V. Bobrov

The tuatara is an endangered relic species and is protected by law; only a few zoos keep them in captivity.

Until 1989, it was believed that there was only one species of these reptiles, but Charles Dougherty, a professor at the University of Victoria (Wellington), discovered that in fact there are two of them - the tuatara ( ) and the tuatara of Brother Island ( Sphenodon guntheri).

The uniqueness of the natural and animal world of New Zealand, rich in endemic plants and birds, is due to remoteness from other lands and long historical isolation for 60-80 million years. Approximately one thousand years ago in New Zealand from mammals there were:

• sea ​​lions and seals;
• whales;
• several types of bats.

Land development

With the advent of man, rats and dogs appeared on the islands. A little later, pigs, goats, cows, cats and mice were brought in. The active formation of European settlements in the 19th century provoked the emergence of new animal species.

New Zealand has two types of endemic mammals that are descended from rare varieties of bats. Among the most unique and popular are:

• kiwi bird;
• the largest kakapo parrot in the world;
• one of the oldest reptiles - tuatara;
• the only kea.

The most devastating effects on the plants and animals of New Zealand were triggered by the appearance of rats, rabbits and possums.

Kiwi

The fauna of the islands is exceptional and unique. For example, the symbol of New Zealand - kiwi - is positioned as a bird, although it cannot even fly, it lacks full-fledged wings.

Representatives of the wingless genus do not have feathers, hair grows instead of them, they also have very powerful paws with which these creatures walk and run. Kiwi is a nocturnal animal. The main enemies are birds (falcons and eagles). Kiwis developed the ability to hide in forests or bushes and to be nocturnal, which reduced the likelihood of being eaten by other animals. They are very aggressive. It is noteworthy that kiwis do not defend themselves with their beaks, like birds, but use their sharp claws. In total there are five types of kiwi.

What other animals are there

Kakapo is a single member of the owl parrot subfamily. He has a very strongly developed facial plumage, so he has a similarity with owls. The feathers of the parrot are green with black stripes on the back.

Kakapo has excellent wings, but due to the fact that the keel of the sternum is practically undeveloped, and the muscles are very weak, he cannot fly. Previously, these endemics were widespread in New Zealand, but now they remain only in the southwestern part of the South Island. The parrot lives in forests and in areas with high humidity. Kakapo is the only parrot that is predominantly nocturnal or crepuscular. In the daytime, it hides in burrows or crevices of rocks.

reptiles

Tuatara is a unique animal of New Zealand, a descendant of dinosaurs. It is protected at the legislative level, and the government is trying to prevent the extinction of the population, since there are only a hundred thousand reptiles left.

They have a lot of enemies, including themselves (male tuatars are considered cannibals, they can eat eggs and growing offspring). They are also attacked by birds and other predators. Tuatara have a higher death rate than births. It takes a long time to reproduce offspring. Reptiles live up to a hundred years. Tuatara's favorite food is insects.

What other animals live in New Zealand

The ermine was brought in to control the rabbit population. But the animal successfully acclimatized and began to breed very intensively, which led to an increase in the population. Thus, the ermine turned from a helper into a pest that began to exterminate the chicks and eggs of local birds. This animal is a predator, has 34 sharp teeth and paws with tenacious claws. The animals are very agile and excellent at climbing trees. The stoat eats small rodents and birds.

Kangaroo

It moves by jumping. Distinctive feature of this species lies in the fact that the cubs are formed in the mother's bag, which is located on the stomach. Kangaroos are powerful hind legs, helping them to jump, and a long tail with which they keep their balance. The kangaroo has long ears and short soft fur. These New Zealand animals prefer nightlife and live in groups of several individuals. Many species of kangaroos are on the verge of extinction.

new zealand skinks

There are three types of skinks: otago, suter and big skink. Otago is a giant among endemic lizards and reaches 30 cm in length. Skinks breed every year. The offspring is usually 3-6 cubs.

Skinks have greenish-yellow skin with a striped coloration that provides excellent camouflage for rocky, lichen-covered environments. Lizards feed on insects and fruits of plants. They can often be observed on the rocks, where they bask in the sun. The number of large skinks alone, according to the Ministry of Nature Protection, is 2-3 thousand individuals.

New Zealand fur seal

The fur seal belongs to the eared seal species. Their fur is greyish-brown in color. Males have a chic black mane. The growth of males is approximately 2 m 50 cm, and their weight can reach up to 180 kg. Females are much smaller than males: their height does not exceed 150 cm, and they weigh half as much as the representatives of the male half. Fur seals are animals of New Zealand that live throughout the ocean, primarily on He is inhabited year-round by young males who cannot yet conquer their own territories. At the end of the 19th century, large populations fur seals were almost completely exterminated. Currently, animals are listed in the Red Book, there are approximately 35 thousand individuals.

New Zealand sea lion

The animal has a brown-black color. Males have a mane that covers their shoulders, which makes them appear larger and more powerful. Females are much smaller than males, their coat is light gray. Ninety-five percent of the fur seal population is found on Auckland Island. Each male defends its own territory from other males. In battles, the most enduring and strong representative. There are approximately 10-15 thousand individuals of this species.

Almost all species of animals are under state protection. Animals of New Zealand (you can see the photo in the article), which cannot survive on their own, live in 14 national parks and hundreds of small reserves under the constant supervision of specialists. The unimaginable beauty and uniqueness of the local flora and fauna attracts millions of tourists from all over the world.