AnAge entry for Sphenodon punctatus
Classification (HAGRID: 03265)
- Taxonomy
-
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia (Taxon entry)
Order: Rhynchocephalia
Family: Sphenodontidae
Genus: Sphenodon
- Species
- Sphenodon punctatus
- Common name
- Tuatara
- Synonyms
- Sphenodon guntheri, Sphenodon punctatus reischeki
Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits
- Maximum longevity
- 90 years (captivity)
- Source
- ref. 451
- Sample size
- Medium
- Data quality
- Acceptable
- Observations
Tuataras are the only living descendents from the Rhynchocephalia order and thus have no closely-related species. They are found only in New Zealand. Even though tuataras rarely exceed one kilogram in weight, they are long-lived, attaining sexual maturity after 10-20 years and growing until they are 35-40 years. They probably live over 100 years [0527]. There is an anecdote of a male tuatara at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery first breeding when 111 years of age, but the age of this specimen is unverified. Tuataras appear to have a low optimal body temperature in comparison with other reptiles.
Life history traits (averages)
- Female sexual maturity
- 4,380 days
- Male sexual maturity
- 4,380 days
- Adult weight
- 430 g
Metabolism
- Typical body temperature
- 296ºK or 22.4ºC or 72.2ºF
- Resting metabolic rate
- 0.0605 W
- Body mass
- 430.0 g
- Metabolic rate per body mass
- 0.000141 W/g
References
- [0037] Gillooly et al. (2001), Effects of size and temperature on metabolic rate (PubMed)
- [0527] Castanet (1994), Age estimation and longevity in reptiles (PubMed)
- [0451] Frank & Kate's Web Page
External Resources
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System
- ITIS 202132
- Animal Diversity Web
- ADW account (if available)
- Encyclopaedia of Life
- Search EOL
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Taxonomy ID 8508
- Entrez
- Search all databases
- Ageing Literature
- Search Google Scholar or Search PubMed
- Images
- Google Image search
- Internet
- Search Google