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Are Tuatara maori

Updated: 9/23/2023
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9y ago

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Tuatara are lizard-like reptiles endemic to New Zealand. They are not Maori, as Maori refers to the race of people who inhabited New Zealand long before European settlement.

However, the word 'tuatara' is a Maori word. It means 'peaks on the back', referring to the spiny protuberances.

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Related questions

What does the maori name tuatara mean in English?

The Maori name of tuatara is translated as "peaks on the back". This is because this New Zealand reptile, is characterized by raised peaks along its back.


What does tuatara mean in english?

It means "peaks on the back" in Maori.


Are tuatara native to New Zealand?

Yes, the tuatara which closely resemble lizards are of a different reptile family and are native to New Zealand. The tuatara have survived 200 million years and are fascinating to scientist considering the evolution of snakes and lizards. Tuatara is a word from the Maori language and means "peaks on the back." See the related link for more information.


What if tuatara never lived long?

Tuatara are slow breeders, so if they did not have a long lifespan, they would have been unable to survive the arrival of European settlers, or possibly even the arrival of the Maori hundreds of years earlier. Polynesian rats and European rats were both introduced to the islands of New Zealand, and these creatures have devastated tuatara populations on the mainland. Rats steal the tuatara eggs from burrows, and eat the hatchlings. Adult females tuatara only lay eggs every three to four years, so with their eggs being eaten, the tuatara populations have struggled to be maintained.


How did the tuatara get its name?

The tuatara was given its name by the Maori of New Zealand. Its name means "peaks on the back", as this lizard-like reptile is characterised by a series of peaks along its back. It is considered to be a living fossil, and the most closely related to the dinosaur of all modern creatures.


What do you call a baby tuatara?

There is no particular name for a baby tuatara. Newly hatched tuatara are called hatchlings, and tuatara that are not yet adult are simply called juvenile tuatara.


Do you say tuis or tui?

The correct form is tui. The tui, a honeyeater native to New Zealand, was given its name by the Maori, and there is no 's' for plurals in the Maori language. So, New Zealand native animals should not have an s on the end, and this is the case for kiwi, kakapo, kea, tuatara, etc.


Is a tuatara a dragon?

No. Iguanas and tuatara are quite different species. Whilst both iguanas and tuatara are reptiles, the iguana is a type of lizard, whereas the tuatara is not classified as a lizard.


What Vertebrate group is the tuatara in?

The tuatara is a reptile.


How many species of the Tuatara are there?

There are only two species of tuatara: The Northern tuatara (Sphenodon guntheri) and the Brothers Island tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus).


Is a tuatara a mammal?

No, Rhynchocephalia is not a subset of Mammalia. The tuatara is a reptile.


When was Tuatara - comics - created?

Tuatara - comics - was created in 1977.