---
title: "Tuatara"
description: "Sphenodon punctatus — Reptiles. The tuatara (, Māori: [ˈtʉ.a.ta.ɾa]; Sphenodon punctatus) is a species of reptile endemic to New Zealand."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/tuatara
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Tuatara

> Sphenodon punctatus — Reptiles. The tuatara (, Māori: [ˈtʉ.a.ta.ɾa]; Sphenodon punctatus) is a species of reptile endemic to New Zealand.

- Scientific name: *Sphenodon punctatus*
- Category: `reptiles` (Reptiles)
- Habitats: unknown
- iNaturalist observations: 2676
- Wikidata: [Q3007063](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3007063)
- iNaturalist taxon: [200834](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/200834)

## Names

- en: Tuatara
- de: Brückenechse
- es: Tuátara
- fr: Sphénodon ponctué
- nl: Brughagedis

## Countries with the most observations

NZ (2026)

## Summary

The tuatara (, Māori: [ˈtʉ.a.ta.ɾa]; Sphenodon punctatus) is a species of reptile endemic to New Zealand. Despite its close resemblance to lizards, it is the only extant member of a distinct lineage, the previously highly diverse order Rhynchocephalia. The name tuatara is derived from the Māori language   and means "peaks on the back".
The single extant species of tuatara is the only surviving member of its order, which was highly diverse during the Mesozoic era. Rhynchocephalians first appeared in the fossil record during the Middle Triassic, around 244–241.5 million years ago, and reached worldwide distribution…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuatara

## Photo

![Tuatara](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/tuatara/medium.jpg)

Photo: Chelsea Haley · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/251811367

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/tuatara?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).