My speech by Chilli

Hi my name is Chilli and today I am going to talk to you about one of New Zealand's famous icons the Tuatara.

1000’s and 1000’s of years ago the Tuatara thrived throughout New Zealand.

Unfortunately there are only about 30,000 left in the native forest and puts the Tuatara on the endangered species list.

The Tuatara’s biggest risk is predatory animals like dog’s, cat’s, pig’s, stoats and rats that will eat them for food or compete for the beetles and small insects that the Tuatara live off, their tail can also break off if it’s caught by a predator and grow it back later!

Tuatara also eat spiders, bird eggs, frog and over little mammals.

Newborn Tuataras are believed to be active during the day to prevent the adult Tuatara from eating them at night.

The name "tuatara" comes from the Maori for "peaks on the back." Tuataras have spiny crests along their backs made from soft, triangular folds of skin. These spines are more prominent in males, who can raise them during territorial or courtship displays.

Tuatara only have babies every two to five years. It takes up to 9 months for a mother Tuatara to lay her eggs. She places the in a burrow where they incubate for another 13 months before they hatch. During cold weather, the eggs stop growing until warm weather returns.

Most eggs hatch within a few weeks and cooler weather means more male babies will hatch. In warmer weather there will be more female Tuatara born.

They live within the dense forest and thrive better on the 32 islands off New Zealand other than on the main land where they can be killed by pests and fires.

Tuatara  like the cool weather, they are also nocturnal meaning they only come out at night. Did you know that they can live for up to 100 years old! That’s a really long time!.

The Tuatara has a third eye on the top of its head called the parietal eye. This eye is not used for vision. The parietal eye is only visible in hatchlings, as it becomes covered in scales and pigments after four to six months. Its function is a subject of ongoing research, but it is believed to be useful in absorbing ultraviolet rays and in setting seasonal cycles.

Conclusion: The Tuatara is one the verge of extinction. It is our job to protect them in the wild and not to introduce more pests to the forest that hunt them.

By Chilli Rameka