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Tuataras (Sphenodons)

Please choose an animal from the list below

Family Sphenodontidae

Tuataras

Brothers Tuatara
Northern Tuatara
Cook Strait Islands Tuatara

Order Rhynchocephalia

This is a small, nearly extinct order of very unusual lizard-like reptiles known as the beaked reptiles. This order contains some very strange features, such as a small third eyelid on the forehead of the juveniles. All living species, known as tuataras, are found only in New Zealand. They live underground during the day, and can tolerate cold temperatures. There are four known suborders and six families. Only one of these families contains living specimens. The rest are known only by the fossil record. There are three species (maybe only two with one subspecies:

Suborder Rhynchosaurida (extinct)
Mesosuchidae
Rhynchosauridae

Suborder Pleurosaurida (extinct)
Pleurosauridae

Suborder Clarazidaurida (extinct)
Claraziidae
Tholodontidae

Suborder Sphenodontida (living)
Sphenodontidae (tuataras or sphenodons) 3 spp

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