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The Tuatara is a living dinosaur found only in
New Zealand. We donate 1% of Tuatara Coffee sales turnover
to Tuatara Conservation projects.
Our conservation effort has just begun. Keep an
eye on this website for donation updates and more information
on Tuatara Conservation.
TUATARA FACTS and FIGURES
- No-one knows how many Tuatara live on New Zealand's
remote sanctuary islands. Estimates vary between 30,000 and
300,000. About 90 percent of them live on Takapourewa (Stephens
Island) in the Marlborough Sounds.
- It is extremely difficult to count Tuatara - even though
they are one of the slowest-moving creatures on earth, because
the adults only come out at night and they like to make their
burrows in some very inaccessible places. Some Tuatara never
venture more than 10 or 12 metres from their burrow in their
whole life.
- Tuatara live on a diet consisting mainly of beetles, weta,
worms, millipedes and spiders. They also like lizards, seabird
eggs and chicks - and the occasional young Tuatara. Because
of this risk of cannibalism, young Tuatara come out during
the day and hide at night.
- Although the Tuatara was originally thought to be a relation
of the iguana, scientists realised 30 years later that the
Tuatara was the most primitive reptile in existence and had
lived before the dinosaurs 220 million years ago.
- Tuatara have a "third eye" on the top of their head, which
is visible when they are young and later becomes covered by
scales. The purpose of this third eye is a mystery.
- Tuatara grow to about 50cm long, weigh up to 1.5kg and are
estimated to live as long as somewhere between 80 and 300 years.
The very same Tuatara living on New Zealand's
offshore islands may have watched Captain Cook sail past...
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