Any photos to share? Lizards are some of the oldest reptiles on Earth, having slithered or rather, scampered through history for over 200 million years! They belong to the order Squamata, which also includes snakes. There are over 7,000 species of lizards, ranging from the tiny dwarf gecko (smaller than a paperclip) to the formidable Komodo dragon (which can grow up to 10 feet long!). These ancient reptiles evolved alongside dinosaurs but managed to survive mass extinctions, climate changes, and shifting continents. Lizards are found on every continent except Antarctica and continue to amaze scientists with their adaptability and survival tactics. Monitor Lizard
This guy is not a lizard and has a third eye. The photo is mine was taken on an offshore island some years ago.
Tuatara are the only surviving members of the order Sphenodontia. This order was well represented by many species during the age of the dinosaurs, some 200 million years ago. All species except the tuatara declined and eventually became extinct about 60 million years ago.
Because of this, tuatara are of huge international interest to biologists. They are recognised internationally and within New Zealand as species in need of active conservation management.
The tuatara is a single species Sphenodon punctatus
