This is the only one modern representative order of beak-headed reptiles. Outwardly similar to a lizard. Along the back and tail there is a ridge of triangular scales. Lives in burrows up to 1 m deep. Before the arrival of Maori and Europeans, it inhabited the North and South Islands of New Zealand, but was exterminated there by the end of the 19th century; preserved only on nearby islands in a special reserve. Found in the Red Book International Union nature conservation and natural resources(IUCN). Successfully bred at Sydney Zoo.

Animals similar to hatteria - homeosaurs - lived 140 million years ago in that part of our planet that today has become Europe.

From the famous English navigator James Cook, Europeans learned that in New Zealand there is a “gigantic lizard up to two and a half meters long and as thick as a person.” She supposedly “sometimes even attacks people and devours them.” It must be said that Cook's story contains some exaggerations. The length of the tuateria along with the tail (male) is at most 75 cm (weight about a kilogram), and the tuateria does not hunt humans, but is content with more modest prey - insects, earthworms, and sometimes lizards.

The Europeans, who arrived in Cook's footsteps to New Zealand, almost put an end to the history of beaked heads, which dates back over 200 million years. More precisely, not they themselves, but rats, pigs and dogs who arrived along with people. These animals exterminated the young hatteria and ate its eggs. As a result, the hatteria almost disappeared. Now the hatteria is under strict protection: anyone who catches or kills this animal risks going to prison. Few zoos in the world can boast of tuataria in their collections. The famous English naturalist Gerald Durrell managed to obtain offspring of the tuataria in his zoo, which were given to him by the New Zealand government. Thanks to environmental measures by the end of the 70s. In the 20th century, the number of tuateria increased slightly and reached 14 thousand specimens, which brought these animals out of danger of extinction.

To the uninitiated, the hatteria (Sphenodon punctatus) is simply a large, impressive-looking lizard. Indeed, this animal has greenish-gray scaly skin, short strong paws with claws, a crest on its back consisting of flat triangular scales, like agamas and iguanas (the local name for tuatara is derived from the Maori word meaning “spiny "), And a long tail.

However, the hatteria is not a lizard at all. The features of its structure are so unusual that they established for it special squad in the class of reptiles - Rhynchocephalia, which means “beak-headed” (from the Greek “rynchos” - beak and “kephalon” - head; an indication of the premaxillary bone curving down).

True, this did not happen immediately. In 1831, the famous zoologist Gray, having only the skulls of this animal, gave it the name Sphenodon. After 11 years, a whole specimen of a tuatara came into his hands, which he described as another reptile, giving it the name Hatteria punctata and classifying it as a lizard from the agamas family. Only 30 years later did Gray establish that Sphenodon and Hatteria are one and the same. But even before this, in 1867, it was shown that the resemblance between tuateria and lizards is purely external, but internal structure(primarily the structure of the skull) The Tuatara stands completely apart from all modern reptiles.

And then it turned out that the hatteria, which now lives exclusively on the islands of New Zealand, is a “living fossil”, the last representative of a once widespread group of reptiles that lived in Asia, Africa, North America and even in Europe. But all other beaked heads became extinct in the early Jurassic period, and tuateria managed to exist for almost 200 million years. It is surprising how little its structure has changed over this huge period of time, while lizards and snakes have achieved such diversity.

Very interesting feature tuateria - the presence of a parietal (or third) eye, located on the crown between the two real eyes. Its function has not yet been clarified. This organ has a lens and a retina with nerve endings, but is devoid of muscles and any devices for accommodation or focusing. In a baby tuatara that has just hatched from an egg, the parietal eye is clearly visible - like a bare spot surrounded by scales that are arranged like flower petals. Over time, the “third eye” becomes overgrown with scales, and in adult tuatara it can no longer be seen. As experiments have shown, the hatteria cannot see with this eye, but it is sensitive to light and heat, which helps the animal regulate its body temperature, dosing the time it spends in the sun and in the shade.

However, similar education in the upper part of the brain is present in all vertebrates, only it is hidden under the skull.

As excavations show, not so long ago tuataria were found in abundance on the main islands of New Zealand - North and South. But the Maori tribes who settled in these places in the 14th century significantly reduced the number of tuatara. An important role in this was played by animals that arrived along with people that were not typical of the fauna of New Zealand. True, some scientists believe that tuateria died due to changes climatic conditions. Until 1870, it was still found on the North Island, but at the beginning of the 20th century it was preserved only on 20 small islands, of which 3 are in Cook Strait, and the rest are off the northeastern coast of the North Island.

The appearance of these islands is gloomy - cold leaden waves crash on the rocky shores shrouded in fog. The already sparse vegetation suffered greatly from sheep, goats, pigs and other wild animals. Now, every single pig, cat and dog has been removed from the islands on which tuateria populations have remained, and the rodents have been destroyed. All these animals caused great damage to the tuatara by eating their eggs and young. Of the vertebrate animals on the islands, only reptiles and numerous seabirds remain, establishing their colonies here.

Female tuataria are smaller and almost half the weight of males. These reptiles feed on insects, spiders, earthworms and snails. They love water, often lie in it for a long time and swim well. But the tuatara runs poorly.

Hatteria is a nocturnal animal, and, unlike many other reptiles, it is active when relatively low temperatures- +6°...+8 °C - this is another interesting feature of its biology. All vital processes in tuateria are slow, metabolism is low. There is usually about 7 seconds between two breaths, but a tuatara can remain alive without taking another breath for an hour.

In winter - from mid-March to mid-August - tuataria spend in burrows, hibernating. In the spring, females dig special small burrows into which, using their paws and mouth, they transfer a clutch of 8-15 eggs, each of which is about 3 cm in diameter and enclosed in a soft shell. The top of the masonry is covered with earth, grass, leaves or moss. The incubation period lasts about 15 months, that is, much longer than that of other reptiles.

The tuatara grows slowly and reaches sexual maturity no earlier than 20 years. That is why we can assume that she is one of the outstanding long-livers of the animal world. It is possible that some males are over 100 years old.

What else is this animal famous for? Hatteria is one of the few reptiles with a real voice. Her sad, hoarse cries can be heard on foggy nights or when someone is bothering her.

Another amazing feature of the tuatara is its cohabitation with gray petrels, which nest on the islands in self-dug burrows. Hatteria often settles in these holes, despite the presence of birds there, and sometimes, apparently, destroys their nests - judging by the finds of chicks with their heads bitten off. So such a neighborhood, apparently, does not bring petrels much joy, although usually birds and reptiles coexist quite peacefully - the hatteria prefers other prey, which it goes in search of at night, and in daytime petrels fly to the sea for fish. When the birds migrate, the hatteria hibernates.

The total number of living tuataria is now about 100,000 individuals. The largest colony is located on Stephens Island in Cook Strait - there, on an area of ​​3 square meters. There are 50,000 tuatara living in km - an average of 480 individuals per 1 hectare. On small islands with an area of ​​less than 10 hectares, the population of tuateria does not exceed 5,000 individuals. The New Zealand government has long recognized the value of this amazing reptile for science, and there has been a strict conservation regime on the islands for about 100 years. You can visit them only with special permission, and strict liability is established for violators.

Hatterias are not eaten, and their skins have no commercial demand. They live on remote islands, where there are no people or predators, and are well adapted to the conditions existing there. So, apparently, nothing threatens the survival of these unique reptiles at present. They can easily while away their days on secluded islands, to the delight of biologists who, among other things, are trying to find out the reasons why the hatteria did not disappear in those distant times when all its relatives became extinct.

Perhaps we can learn from the people of New Zealand how to protect our natural resources. As Gerald Durrell wrote, “Ask any New Zealander why they protect the tuateria. And they will consider your question simply inappropriate and will say that, firstly, this is a one-of-a-kind creature, secondly, zoologists are not indifferent to it and, thirdly, if it disappears, it will disappear forever.”

Stephens Island, lost in the Cook Strait, separating the North Island from the South Island in New Zealand, presents a rather gloomy picture: rocky shores, shrouded in fog, against which cold leaden waves break, and sparse vegetation. However, it is here, on an inconspicuous-looking island with an area of ​​only 3 km2, that almost all zoologists in the world dream of visiting, since this is one of the last refuges of the most unique animal on the planet - the hatteria.

Externally, the hatteria (Sphenodon punctatus) is very similar to a lizard: greenish-gray scaly skin, short strong paws with claws, a long tail, a dorsal crest consisting of flat triangular scales. By the way, the local name for tuatara is derived from the Maori word meaning “spiny.” It is possible that this may refer to its serrated comb.

And yet, despite all the external similarities, the hatteria is not a lizard. Moreover, scientists did not immediately understand the significance of this unique reptile. In 1831, the famous zoologist Gray, having only the skull of this animal, classified it as a member of the agama family. And only in 1867, another researcher, Gunther, proved that the resemblance to lizards is purely external, but in terms of its internal structure it stands completely apart from all modern reptiles and deserves to be allocated to a special order Rhyncho-cephalia, which means “beak-headed” (from the Greek "rynchos" - beak and "kephalon" - head; an indication of the premaxillary bone curving down). And after some time it turned out that the tuatara is actually alive prehistoric monster, the last and only representative of a group of reptiles that lived in Asia, Africa, North America and even Europe. Hatteria somehow managed to survive for almost 200 million years, without any significant evolutionary changes in the skeleton, and all its relatives died out in the early Jurassic period, during the era of dinosaurs.

Not so long ago, tuataria were found in abundance on the main islands of New Zealand - North and South, but, as excavations show, the Maori tribes that colonized the islands in the 14th century exterminated them almost completely. The dogs and rats brought to the island played an important role in this. True, some scientists believe that the hatteria disappeared there due to changes in climatic and environmental conditions. Until 1870, it was still found on the North Island itself, but at the beginning of the 20th century it was preserved only on 20 small islands, of which 3 are in Cook Strait, and the remaining 17 are located off the northern coast of the North Island. The population of these reptiles on the islands (half of which are uninhabited) is about 100,000. The largest colony is on Stephens Island, where 50,000 individuals live - an average of 480 tuataria per 1 hectare. On islands with an area of ​​less than 10 hectares - no more than 5,000.

Hatteria is a nocturnal animal; unlike many other reptiles, it is active at relatively low temperatures: +6° - +8°C. This is another one of its many features. The tuateria moves slowly, while hardly raising its belly above the substrate. However, frightened, she rises on her limbs and may even run. It feeds on insects, spiders, earthworms and snails. He loves water, lies in it for a long time and can swim well. From mid-March to mid-August it winters in burrows. When molting, the dead epidermis is shed in pieces. All the life processes of the tuateria are slow, the metabolism is low, the act of breathing lasts seven seconds, by the way, it may not breathe at all for an hour.

Mating occurs in January - at the height of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. In the period from October to December, the female lays 8 - 15 eggs in soft shells, the size of which does not exceed 3 cm. For clutches, she digs small holes, where she lays the eggs with the help of her paws and mouth and covers them with earth, grass, leaves or moss. The incubation period lasts about 15 months, significantly longer than that of other reptiles. The tuateria grows slowly and reaches sexual maturity only at the age of 20. That is why we can assume that she is one of the longest-livers among animals. It is possible that some are over 100 years old or more.

The tuatara is one of the few reptiles with a real voice. Her sad, hoarse cries can be heard on foggy nights or when someone is bothering her.

The New Zealand government has long realized the uniqueness of this animal, and therefore there has been a strict conservation regime on the islands for more than 100 years - visiting the islands inhabited by them is allowed only with a special pass, and violators are severely punished. In addition, every single pig, cat and dog was removed from the islands, and rodents were destroyed. They all caused great damage by eating tuatara eggs and their young.

Therefore, now these secluded islands with their bird colonies and salt marsh vegetation represent an isolated refuge, where only this ancient animal can exist in the image of its ancestors. So now nothing threatens these unique animals in many respects, and they can quietly while away their days in the most comfortable conditions for them on specially protected islands.

A very interesting feature of the hatteria is its cohabitation with the gray petrel nesting on the islands, which digs burrows in which it usually settles together with it. For most of the year, such a neighborhood does not cause them any trouble, since the petrel hunts for fish in the daytime, and the hatteria goes in search of prey at night.

When the petrels migrate, the hatteria hibernates. However, judging by the chicks with their heads bitten off found in burrows, cohabitation is much more beneficial for the tuatara. But still, chicks are her random and rare prey.
Another amazing detail of the hatteria's structure is the presence of a parietal, or third, eye, located between the two real eyes. Its function has not yet been clarified. In a baby tuatara that has just hatched from an egg, the parietal eye is clearly visible. It is a bare spot surrounded by scales that are arranged like flower petals. Over time, the “third eye” becomes overgrown with scales, and in adult tuatara it can no longer be seen. Researchers have repeatedly tried to find out whether the tuatare has any benefit from the parietal eye. Although this organ has a lens and a retina with nerve endings, which suggests sensitivity to light, the eye itself is muscleless and has no accommodation or focusing devices. In addition, experiments have shown that the animal does not see with this eye, but it is sensitive to light and heat and helps regulate body temperature, strictly dosing the time it spends in the sun and in the shade.

The tuatara is the only modern reptile that does not have a copulatory organ. But even more important, at least from the point of view of paleontologists, is that it, like some ancient reptiles, has two complete bony arches in the temporal region of the skull. According to scientists, the laterally open skull of a modern lizard comes precisely from such an ancient double-arched skull. Consequently, the hatteria retains the features of the ancestral forms of both lizards and snakes. But unlike them, it has practically not changed over millions of years. In addition to the usual ribs, the hatteria also has a series of so-called abdominal ribs, which among modern reptiles are preserved only in crocodiles.
Tuatara have wedge-shaped teeth. They grow to the upper edge of the lower and lower edge of the upper jaw. The second row of teeth is located on the palatine bone. When teeth are closed lower jaw enter between the two upper rows of teeth. In adult individuals, the teeth wear down so much that the bite is made by the very edges of the jaws, the covers of which become keratinized.

V.V. Bobrov, candidate biological sciences| Photo by Mikhail Kachalin

Before the arrival of people in New Zealand, these islands were an untouched corner of botanical and geological antiquities, filled with the sound of waterfalls and wind. is an isolated archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean. The nearest landmass is 1,600 kilometers away. Thanks to its isolation, a unique ecosystem has developed here, dating back to the times of Gondwana. New Zealand's pristine world is well preserved. In New Zealand you can still find species of fauna that have disappeared in other parts of the world.

On islands full of natural antiquities and not in contact with outside world, the birds ruled the roost. For birds, this island was a paradise where there were no such natural enemies like snakes or carnivorous mammals.

Flightless bird takahe declared extinct in 1930, but several individuals were later discovered. Takahe lived in places where they had no natural enemies, and food was not difficult to approach. The birds no longer needed to fly - their wings degenerated and turned into rudiments. For the same reason, many other birds in New Zealand cannot fly.

The turning point for the bird world was the arrival of man. The Maori arrived here about a thousand years ago. These Polynesian travelers crossed Pacific Ocean in search of new land to settle.

The first victims of the arriving people were large and unable to fly moa. People needed food, and they were running around large birds. The meat of a large moa could feed about 50 people. In terms of volume, one moa egg was equal to 40 chicken eggs. On one leg of this bird there was as much meat as can be removed from a whole horse. The moas reached three meters in height, but these birds are no longer left. Moas lived in New Zealand for 80 million years, but due to human intervention they disappeared from the face of the earth within a few centuries.

After the arrival of Europeans, the situation only worsened. White settlers began to hunt, bringing with them dogs, rats, martens and other predators previously unknown to the local inhabitants. Many birds disappeared because their habitat was destroyed as settlers cut down and burned forests to make way for farms.

Mountain kea parrots, living in these parts are the only carnivorous parrots. They were once widespread, but were hunted down by sheep owners because they harmed livestock. Now these birds are endangered. These days, instead of harming sheep, kea play with tourists.

Before people arrive New Zealand developed according to the laws of nature: animals sought a better habitat, reproduced and adapted to life in New Zealand. Each creature found a niche for itself in the vast ecosystem of the islands. Unfortunately, human greed has prevailed over the laws of nature. With the growth of settlements, a crisis arose in the isolated ecosystem and dramatic changes began.

Tuatara- an animal that has existed since the time of dinosaurs, the world's oldest reptile. Sometimes it is called a living fossil. Throughout its existence, the tuatara has remained almost unchanged. In all other places, tuatara disappeared, becoming food for mammals. However, in New Zealand, where for a long time there were no mammalian predators, these animals survived. Adults reach 24 centimeters in length. Tuatara live more than a hundred years. The female lays an egg once every 4 years, this is due to low speed reproduction.

Seals. Once these sea animals lived here in hundreds of thousands, but settlers appeared and brought them almost to complete extinction. Many of them still die when they get caught in fishing nets. But now, fortunately, they are under the protection of the country’s government and, according to the latest census, their number has reached 50 thousand and continues to increase. New Zealand seals can dive deeper than any other species. A diving depth record of 240 meters was recorded. They feed mainly at night, when their favorite dish, squid, floats to the surface. And during the day they rest on rocky shores entire colonies.

Acne. Unfortunately, their habitat area, and therefore their number, is constantly declining. Male eels can live up to 24 years, and females on average up to 35. But females that spawn sometimes live up to 75 years, which is quite common. After the eggs are laid, they swim away from here and swim far across the ocean to the Fiji archipelago, because they can only lay eggs in warm waters. For this they swim up to 3 thousand kilometers. Over the past 30 years, the number of eels has declined catastrophically, mainly due to humans taking over their traditional habitats and blocking rivers with dams. They are also caught quite a lot because they are considered exotic food. The Maori love them very much when smoked, and the Japanese pay a lot of money for them.

Then you can place an order on the Internet resource www.snol.ru. I am sure you will be satisfied with the price-quality ratio and the level of after-sales service!

Hatteria is a reptile that has three eyes. She lives in New Zealand. Scientists have found that they began to exist about two hundred million years ago and have not succumbed to changes throughout their existence on the planet.

Hatteria

An interesting fact is that tuataria were able, in such difficult living conditions, to outlive the largest creatures on Earth - dinosaurs.

James Cook is considered the discoverer of the tuatteria, who saw the tuatteria during his trip to New Zealand. Looking at the tuatteria for the first time, it may seem that it is an ordinary lizard. The length of the hatteria is 65-75 centimeters, including the tail. The weight of the tuateria does not exceed 1 kilogram 300 grams.

On average, she lives 60 years, but sometimes her age reached 100 years. The readiness to engage in sexual intercourse appears in tuaterias upon reaching 15-20 years of age. Mating occurs at intervals of four years. Tutteria babies are born almost 12-15 months later. Due to such a long period of reproduction of their own kind, hatteria are decreasing in number too quickly.

Particular activity was observed at night. The tuateria has a superbly developed parietal eye. This part of the body is related in appearance and function to the pineal gland. The reptile has an olive-green or greenish-gray color, and yellowish spots are visible on its sides. There is a ridge on the back, parts of which resemble triangles. That is why the reptile is sometimes called “spiny.”

Hatteria cannot be classified as a lizard due to the structure of its head. Therefore, scientists in the 19th century. They proposed to separate them into a separate order - the beaked ones. The thing is that reptiles have a unique skull structure. The uniqueness lies in the fact that in young tuataria the upper jaw, upward skull and palate move in relation to the braincase. In scientific circles this is called cranial kineticism. That is why the upper part of the tuateria's head tends to tilt down and change position to the opposite during the movements of the rest of the skull.

This skill was passed on to reptiles by lobe-finned fish, which are their ancient ancestors. It should be noted that kineticism is also inherent in some species of lizards and snakes. In addition, today the number of hatterias on the planet is sharply decreasing. In this regard, this type of reptile is subject to special control and protection.

The uniqueness of New Zealand's natural and animal world, rich in endemic plants and birds, is due to its remoteness from other lands and long-term historical isolation over 60-80 million years. Approximately one thousand years ago, the mammals that existed in New Zealand were:

• sea ​​lions and seals;
• whales;
• several types bats.

Land development

With the advent of man, rats and dogs appeared on the islands. A little later, pigs, goats, cows, cats and mice were introduced. The active formation of European settlements in the 19th century provoked the emergence of new animal species.

New Zealand is home to two types of endemic mammals, which are descended from rare species of bats. Among the most unique and popular are:

• kiwi bird;
• the world's largest parrot, the kakapo;
• one of ancient reptiles- tuatara;
• the only kea.

The most devastating effects on New Zealand's plants and animals were caused by the introduction of rats, rabbits and opossums.

Kiwi

The fauna of the islands is exceptional and unique. For example, the symbol of New Zealand - the kiwi - is positioned as a bird, although it cannot even fly, it does not have full wings.

Representatives of the wingless genus do not have feathers, instead they grow hair, and they also have very powerful paws, with the help of which these creatures walk and run. Kiwi is a nocturnal animal. The main enemies are birds (falcons and eagles). Kiwis have developed the ability to hide in forests or bushes and lead night look life, which reduced the likelihood of being eaten by other animals. They are very aggressive. It is noteworthy that kiwis do not defend themselves with their beaks, like birds, but use their sharp claws. There are five types of kiwi in total.

What other animals are there?

Kakapo is the only representative of the subfamily owl parrots. He has very highly developed facial plumage, so he is similar to owls. The parrot's feathers are green with black stripes on the back.

The kakapo has excellent wings, but due to the fact that the keel of the sternum is practically undeveloped and the muscles are very weak, it cannot fly. These endemics used to be widespread in New Zealand, but now remain only in the southwestern part of the South Island. The parrot lives in forests and areas with high humidity. The kakapo is the only parrot that is predominantly nocturnal or crepuscular. During the daytime, it hides in burrows or rock crevices.

Reptiles

Tuatara is a unique animal of New Zealand, a descendant of dinosaurs. It is protected at the legislative level, and the government is trying to prevent the extinction of the population, since there are only one hundred thousand reptiles left.

They have a lot of enemies, including themselves (male tuatara are considered cannibals and can eat eggs and young offspring). They are also attacked by birds and other predators. Among tuatara, mortality exceeds birth rate. Reproduction of offspring requires a long period. Reptiles live up to about a hundred years. Tuatara's favorite food is insects.

What other animals live in New Zealand

The stoat was introduced to the country to control the rabbit population. But the animal successfully acclimatized and began to reproduce very intensively, which led to an increase in the population. Thus, the ermine turned from a helper into a pest, which began to destroy the chicks and eggs of local birds. This animal is a predator, has 34 sharp teeth and paws with tenacious claws. The animals are very agile and crawl well through trees. The stoat eats small rodents and birds.

Kangaroo

They move by jumping. Distinctive feature of this species is that the cubs are formed in the mother's pouch, which is located on the stomach. Kangaroos have powerful hind legs that help them jump, and a long tail that helps them maintain balance. Kangaroo has long ears and short soft wool. These New Zealand animals prefer nightlife and live in groups of several individuals. Many kangaroo species are on the verge of extinction.

New Zealand skinks

There are three types of skinks: otago, sutera and greater skink. Otago is a giant among endemic lizards and reaches 30 cm in length. Skinks breed every year. The offspring is usually 3-6 cubs.

Skinks have greenish-yellow skin with stripes that provide excellent camouflage in rocky, lichen-covered environments. Lizards feed on insects and plant fruits. They can often be seen on rocks, where they bask in the sun. The number of large skinks alone, according to the Ministry of Nature Conservation, is 2-3 thousand individuals.

New Zealand fur seal

The fur seal belongs to the species eared seals. Their fur is grayish-brown in color. Males have a luxurious black mane. The height of males is approximately 2 m 50 cm, and their weight can reach up to 180 kg. Females are much smaller than males: their height does not exceed 150 cm, and they weigh half as much as the males. Fur seals are animals of New Zealand that live throughout the ocean, primarily on the ocean. It is inhabited year-round by young males who are not yet able to conquer their own territories. At the end of the 19th century, large populations fur seals were almost completely exterminated. Currently, the animals are listed in the Red Book; there are approximately 35 thousand of them.

New Zealand sea lion

The animal is brown-black in color. Males have a mane that covers their shoulders, which makes them appear larger and more powerful. Females are much smaller than males, their fur is light gray. Ninety-five percent of the fur seal population is found on Auckland Island. Each male defends its own territory from other males. In battles, the most resilient and strongest representative wins. There are approximately 10-15 thousand individuals of this species.

Almost all species of animals are under state protection. Animals of New Zealand (you can see the photo in the article), which cannot survive on their own, live in 14 national parks and hundreds of small reserves under the constant supervision of specialists. The unimaginable beauty and uniqueness of the local flora and fauna attracts millions of tourists from all over the world.