tuatara

American  

[too-uh-tahr-uh] / ˌtu əˈtɑr ə /

Also tuatera

noun

1. a large, primarily nocturnal, lizardlike reptile, Sphenodon punctatum, of islands near the coast of New Zealand: the only surviving rhynchocephalian.

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tuatara British  

/ ˌtuːəˈtɑːrə /

noun

1. a greenish-grey lizard-like rhynchocephalian reptile, Sphenodon punctatus , occurring only on certain small islands near New Zealand: it is the sole surviving member of a group common in Mesozoic times

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Etymology

Origin of tuatara

1810–20; < Maori, equivalent to tua dorsal + tara spine

Example Sentences

The tuatara also maintains large palatal teeth, which further highlight its links to early reptiles.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2025

Seeking to learn about the evolutionary origins of acoustic communication in vertebrates, the scientists recorded 53 species from four major clades — turtles, tuatara, caecilians and lungfish — to analyze what they heard.

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2022

The creatures included 50 turtles, a tuatara, a lungfish and a caecilian.

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2022

This is what makes the tuatara stand out as a “living fossil,” an echo of an ancient evolutionary boom that eventually went bust.

From Scientific American • Mar. 23, 2022

“Yeah, he believes Malik is going to be able to identify some factor in tuatara blood that makes them age slowly, and then he’s going to ‘cure death,’” Davis said, using air quotes.

From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green