Contents

1. Contents reptiles Tuatara reptiles . How Long the egg takes to hatch The Young Mating and Eggs Dangers coolfacts

2. Contents Reptiles are cold blooded air breathing vertebrates. Reptiles include Snakes, lizards Turtles, Tortoises, Alligators and crocodiles. Tuatara reptiles

3. Contents Referred to as a "living fossil", the tuatara may look like a lizard but is really a Rhinocephalia, a beak-nosed reptile from the pre-dinosaur time over 225 million years ago, according to the St Louis Zoo. Native to New Zealand, the tuatara lives a amazing time that tops 100 years. Its slow breathing may be the reason why the tuatara lives so long; it breathes every seven seconds and can hold its breath for an hour. Tuatara reptile’s lifecycle

4. Tuatara Reptile’s Lifecycle Contents How long the egg takes to hatch

5. Contents How Long the egg takes to hatch For the egg to hatch, it takes 13 to 16 months, depending on the weather. During extremely cold weather, the growth of them may be delayed. The eggs often fall victim to predators such as rats, so very few actually end up hatching. The young

6. The Young Contents Once hatched, the babies must immediately search for food and dig a burrow for safety from predators. They enjoy feeding on insects and often steal bird eggs. Tuataras like to use burrows of a sea bird instead of digging their own. Mating and eggs

7. Mating and Eggs The tuatara reaches maturity between 13 and 20 years. The reptile continues to grow until it reaches 30 years old, according to San Diego Zoo. Every four years the tuatara will breed. Breeding begins in March. Eight months later, the female tuatara lays up to 19 soft-shell eggs in a nesting burrow of sand. After laying her eggs, the female leaves. Dangers

8. Contents Dangers Rats and domestic dogs are the main predators of the tuatara. In 1984 the rats drove an entire population of tuataras, which had decreased the population in island of the coast of New Zealand, into extinction within six months. The rats killed adults, young and eggs. Currently the tuatara lives on only 30 tiny islands off New Zealand and is protected by the government. Cool facts

9. Cool Facts Contents Weird fact Fun fact! The Tuatara reptiles has been surviving for more than 200 million years. This is because Tuatara from New Zealand can slice up it’s food by using a ‘Steak knife sawing motion’ when it chews! If the soil is cool, the eggs produce females. Warm soil produces males.