Rare reptile hatchling found on NZ mainland - Tuatara

NBond1986 · Rare reptile hatchling found on NZ mainland - Tuatara

Link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200903...au_an/as_new_zealand_rare_reptile

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – A hatchling of a rare reptile with lineage dating back to the dinosaur age has been found in the wild on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in about 200 years, a wildlife official said Thursday.

The baby tuatara was discovered by staff during routine maintenance work at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in the capital, Wellington, conservation manager Raewyn Empson said.

"We are all absolutely thrilled with this discovery," Empson said. "It means we have successfully re-established a breeding population back on the mainland, which is a massive breakthrough for New Zealand conservation."

Tuatara, which measure up to 32 inches (80 cm) when full grown, are the last descendants of a lizard-like reptile species that walked the Earth with the dinosaurs 225 million years ago, zoologists say.

There are estimated to be about 50,000 of them living in the wild on 32 small offshore islands cleared of predators, but this is the first time a hatchling has been seen on the mainland in about 200 years.

The New Zealand natives were nearly extinct on the country's three main islands by the late 1700s due to the introduction of predators such as rats.

Empson said the hatchling is thought to be about one month old and likely came from an egg laid about 16 months ago. Two nests of eggs — the size of pingpong balls — were unearthed in the sanctuary last year and tuatara were expected to hatch around this time.

"He is unlikely to be the only baby to have hatched this season, but seeing him was an incredible fluke," she said.

The youngster faces a tough journey to maturity despite being in the 620-acre (250 hectare) sanctuary and protected by a predator-proof fence. It will have to run from the cannibalistic adult tuatara, and would make a tasty snack for birds of prey, Empson said.

"Like all the wildlife living here, he'll just have to take his chances," Empson said.

"They've been extinct on the mainland for a long time," said Lindsay Hazley, tuatara curator at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery on South Island. He added that "you can breed tuatara by eliminating risk, but to have results like this among many natural predators (like native birds) is a positive sign."

About 200 tuatara have been released since 2005 into the Karori Sanctuary, which was established to breed native birds, insects and other creatures.

Tuatara have unique characteristics, such as two rows of top teeth closing over one row at the bottom and a parietal eye — a dot on the top of the skull that is believed to be light-sensitive and is sometimes referred to as the animal's third eye.

balam

Way Cool

Celeste

YAY!!! I *love* Tuataras!!!

They live a long time, and breed at a very late age, and have a low reproductive rate. So they are a fragile species as far as being vulnerable to predation goes.

Thanks for the encouraging news!

cacoseraph

this is great

i believe i read tuataras are particularly susceptible to climate change and their outlook was moderately grim.... good to hear some success for them for a change

ftorres

Hello ALl,

The Tuatara is one of my favorite species from Down Under, really great news Neshan.
Amongs my favorite are the thylacine Tasmanian Tiger (Now Extinct) and the Lord Howard Stick Insect.

Tasmanian Tiger
http://www.naturalworlds.org/thylacine/

Lord Howe Stick Insect
http://www.springerlink.com/content/j46kx030uhuuq783/

cacoseraph

i'm still holding out my last hope for the tazzy tiger... i mean, it's technically possible no one has seen a living one for like, 70 years or whatever it is but they are still alive

*sniff* right?

NBond1986

Celeste

Yes -- there have been quite a few unverified sightings of Thylacines, so I, too, am keeping my fingers crossed that they may still survive in some remote areas of Tasmania (and even some areas of southeastern Australia where a group of 12 were released by some well-intentioned people about a hundred years ago).

I have often said that if I could bring one species back from "extinction" it would be the Thylacines.

Here are some enchanting video clips of the last known survivors back in the early 1900's:
http://www.naturalworlds.org/thylacine/films/motion_film_footage.htm

Every time I watch these videos, I want to cry...

-- Celeste

Steven

I dont understand why "we" dont bring them back? ...must be TONS of genetic material available ...and we are about at that point of control of such things. I say.. when we DO start doing this, we should follow this rule o thumb: If mankind took it it out, then mankind can bring it back. Nope no Trex or raptors ..somthing badder took them out.

ftorres

Hello Steven,
Apparently there is not enough DNA material to attemp this.

I will find out more from the owner of Natural worlds website. He is a friend of mine and he has visited the Thyliacine museum Down Under.

Someday I will be there too.

regards
francisco

cacoseraph

i expect we could twist their closest living relation into a t-tiger-like creature... we can almost turn a chicken into a dinosaur now Smile

balam

I think this is exactly where we can go wrong. This may be just my opinion, but I feel one can't solve a problem with the same way of thinking that led to that problem in the first place.
Thylacines (if in fact are extinct), were hunted down and what-not because we as humans in general feel we can control our immediate surroundings. Genetic engineering is another way of controlling our surroundings, o try to bring them back is playing upon the idea that we may have control over what is and what isn't anymore. Don't get me wrong, I would love to hear breaking news of the last strong-hold of "Tasmanian Tigers" being found somewhere, but I don't know if I as much condone the attempts to bring them back. I highly doubt the condition in which Thylacines thrived can be replicated at this point in time, what new competition do they have in their habitat?

I don't know, all I'm saying is we better be sure of what we are doing.

Celeste

There was a long-term project trying to clone them from the remains of a baby Thylacine that had (fortuitously) been stored in alcohol instead of formaldehyde, but they weren't having much luck, and it was costing tens of millions of dollars they decided was better spent elsewhere... So that project has been cancelled for now.

http://www.naturalworlds.org/thyl.../additional/cloning/cloning_1.htm
http://www.naturalworlds.org/thyl.../additional/cloning/cloning_2.htm
http://www.naturalworlds.org/thyl.../additional/cloning/cloning_3.htm
http://www.naturalworlds.org/thyl.../additional/cloning/cloning_4.htm
http://www.naturalworlds.org/thyl.../additional/cloning/cloning_5.htm

balam

It's good to see we try, learn and come out with newly acquired knowledge.
Hope all the stars line up correctly and some good comes out of the tragedy that was caused with Thylacines.