Episode 217: Tuatara, A Living Fossil

We jump back to New Zealand to cover one of the most unique animals on our planet, the Tuatara. This is a true living fossil. They are the last of their kind, from an ancient order of reptiles, that has survived nearly 240 million years. Because they were isolated on New Zealand for nearly 85 million years, Tuataras survived mass extinctions and have changed little over that time. However, when humans first set foot on New Zealand nearly 700 years ago, the Tuatara was nearly driven to extinction1, albeit unintentionally. Pacific Rats hitched a ride with the early Polynesian settlers and drove many New Zealand species to extinction. Yet, while the Tuatara suffered due to the rats, they have survived and today are a species of focus by New Zealand, and are rebounding. A special podcast for a special species.  For one cup of "good" coffee a month you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With your support we were able to donate to the Coral Reef Foundation, Red Panda Network, helped provide chum ($$) for OCEARCH, funding to train rangers in Africa with Global Conservation Force and so much more. We also offer bonus episodes and supporter only content.  Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE. Thank you so much for your support! You can visit our website HERE   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices