The tuatara, one of New Zealand's oldest inhabitants, is a reptile which was in existence at the time of the dinosaurs.
You can see a live tuatara at the Mt Bruce National Wildlife Centre, 20 kilometres north of Masterton in the lower North Island and at Rainbow and Fairy Springs in Rotorua or at several other wildlife centres.
The tuatara actually became extinct on the New Zealand mainland and only survived on offshore islands. The tuatara is on the endangered species list classified as vulnerable.
In 2005, the tutara was reintroduced into the New Zealand mainland at Karori Sanctuary, less than 10 minutes from central Wellington, where the tuatara has now been reported to have bred.
Places where Tuatara breeding programs exist include the Karori Sanctuary, Pukaha Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre, Southland Museum and Art Gallery in Invercargill, Hamilton Zoo some 135 kilometres south of Auckland, and Wellington Zoo in the New Zealand capital.
In August 2008, a 111-year-old tuatara mated with his 80-year-old companion and a birth was recorded in January 2009.
Tuatara, the word, is both singular and plural in formal use although "tuataras" as the plural form may be encountered in informal speech.
