Sphenodon punctatus (Gray, 1842) - GBIF.

Define sphenodon. sphenodon synonyms, sphenodon pronunciation, sphenodon translation, English dictionary definition of sphenodon. n. See tuatara. n the technical name for the tuatara n., pl. -ras. a large lizardlike reptile, Sphenodon punctatus, of New Zealand: the only surviving.

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NORTHERN TUATARA (Sphenodon punctatus): SPECIES ACCOUNT. Physical characteristics: The northern tuatara is a beady-skinned, lizard-looking animal with a crest on the back of its head and on its back. Its color may be gray, greenish gray, red, or black. Males can reach more than 24 inches (61 centimeters) long and 2 pounds (1 kilogram). Females.

Sphenodontidae is a family within the reptile group Rhynchocephalia.Most members of this family are only known from fossils but there is one living member, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) from New Zealand. They were a quite ecologically diverse group, ranging from terrestrial carnivores and insectivores to aquatic herbivores (Ankylosphenodon) and durophagy (Oenosaurus).

In 1895, the country of New Zealand awarded the tuatara strict legal protection. Sphenodon punctatus.The Northern Tuatara colour ranges from olive green through grey to dark pink or brick red, often mottled and always with white spots. Males measure 61 cm in length and weigh up to 1 kg and females are 45 cm long.

There are two living species of tuataras, Sphenodon guntheri and S.punctatus.Collectively, they are restricted in their distribution to 30 islands surrounding New Zealand, but S. punctatus is known from Holocene deposits all over New Zealand. It is thought that the arrival of Polynesians roughly 1000 years ago, and of Europeans over the last several centuries, is responsible for the tuatara's.

Mastication in the Tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus (Reptilia: Rhynchocephalia): Structure and Activity of the Motor System G. C. GORNIAK, H. I. ROSENBERG, AND CARL GANS Division of Biological Sciences, The university of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 ABSTRACT The masticatory pattern of Sphenodon punctatus, the sole re-.

Sphenodon punctatum synonyms, Sphenodon punctatum pronunciation, Sphenodon punctatum translation, English dictionary definition of Sphenodon punctatum. Noun 1. Sphenodon punctatum - only extant member of the order Rhynchocephalia of large spiny lizard-like diapsid reptiles of coastal islands off New Zealand.

A natural classification of reptiles is more difficult than that of manyanimals because the main evolution of the group was during Mesozoic time (atime of transition in the history of life and in the evolution of theEarth); 13 of 17 recognized orders are extinct. There is still littleagreement on reptile taxonomy among herpetologists and paleontologists.

Looking for Sphenodontidae? Find out information about Sphenodontidae. A family of lepidosaurian reptiles in the order Rhynchocephalia represented by a single living species, Sphenodon punctatus, a lizardlike form. Explanation of Sphenodontidae.

Sphenodon punctatus has a gray or olive color and is spotted to varying degrees over the body. They have large heads compared to bodies and either long (male) or short (female) nuchal and dorsal crests. Size.

The tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) is the sole surviving member of the reptilian Order Rhynchocephalia, and is largely confined to rat-free islands off the northeast coast of New Zealand and in.