latest news

Tuatara hatches at Natureland Zoo, Nelson

Staff at Naureland were excited to discover a baby tuatara in the enclosure a few weeks ago.The mother laid six eggs in November 2008. Operations manager and Tuatara Trust trustee, Gail Sutton, believes this is the first time that such an isolated, captive raised, wild sourced group of tuatara have reproduced. The baby is being kept in a sepatate area to protect him from being eaten by his parents! Source: The Nelson Mail 10/3/10 www.nelsonmail.co.nz

Love in Cold Blood - screens Nelson 28 August, 8.00pm

This film about tuatara by Carla Braun-Elwert and Jane Adcroft won Best New Zealand Film at the Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival. It is being screened at the gala opening of the Reel Earth Festival in Nelson. Tickets from www.statecinemas.co.nz. Tickets still available. Proceeds to Brook Sanctuary and Nelson Environment Centre. Recently the film was nominated for the BBC Newcomer Award in the Panda Awards, also known as the Green Oscars. The film tells the story of tuatara at Southland Museum.

introduction

‘Like a stone age man in Times Square’ - that’s one description of the Tuatara, a rare reptile found only in New Zealand. Tuatara look like lizards but are in fact the only surviving representatives of the Sphenodontia order, common during the age of the dinosaurs, around 200 million years ago.

This makes tuatara of huge interest, especially to biologists. Internationally this rare reptile is recognised as needing active conservation management.

Tuatara once lived throughout the mainland of New Zealand and survive today in the wild on 32 offshore islands.

The Spinyback Trust was formed in 2007 to help manage the tuatara on Takapourewa (Stephen’s Island), at the top of the South Island. By telling their story and letting people see tuatara we can help this ancient species to continue in our modern era.

New animals join the team

Mike Elkington and Louisa and Anaru Paul travelled to Christchurch to relocate two young tuatara to Nelson in April. Visits to Orana Park, Willowbanks and a private wildlife park provided food for thought and help from many enthusiastic tuatara keepers. Staff at airports and the crew of the Air New Zealand flight back to Nelson enjoyed the contact with their unusual passengers! The new tuatara are settling in to their new enclosure at Natureland in Nelson. With careful handling they will join the roadshow team.