wild tuatara babies on the South Island

Chlidonias · 10 Apr 2015

For the first time in hundreds of years, tuatara babies have hatched in the wild in the South Island. In 2012 about seventy tuatara were released at the Orokonui Sanctuary by Dunedin, some wild-caught from Stephens Island and others captive-reared (from wild-laid eggs).

8 April 2015, Otago researchers discover landmark hatching of tuatara eggs in the South Island, University of Otago, New Zealand

8 April 2015

University of Otago researchers have found evidence of tuatara eggs hatching in a nest at Orokonui Ecosanctuary, the first indication of this happening anywhere in the wild in the South Island for several hundred years.

The researchers, who have spent two years monitoring the fate of tuatara eggs laid in nests at Orokonui in late 2012, have now been rewarded for their patience.

Wild populations of tuatara disappeared from the North and South Islands soon after the arrival of humans and predatory mammals.

The eggs were in a nest discovered in late 2012 by Scott Jarvie in the course of his PhD research monitoring tuatara at Orokonui Ecosanctuary, a 307-ha site near Dunedin.

At Orokonui, tuatara and other native animals are protected from introduced mammals by a specially constructed fence. Wild tuatara, including adult females, had been translocated from Stephens Island (also known as Takapourewa) to Orokonui in October 2012 with the support of guardian iwi Ngāti Koata of the Nelson region.

Tuatara eggs are laid in the soil. “At least two of the adult females must have been carrying shelled eggs when transferred, as they nested soon afterwards” explains Dr Anne Besson, a member of the research team.

“On Stephens Island, eggs hatch about 11-16 months after laying, after one winter in the ground. But when we checked the eggs at Orokonui previously, at the end of the summer about 15 months after laying, the eggs were still incubating.”

The researchers continued to check on the nests. At the end of March 2015 they found the evidence they were hoping for. An excavated nest contained three empty eggshells with the characteristic splits that hatchlings make to exit the shells. Some other eggs had collapsed and failed.

Research team leader Dr Alison Cree, an associate professor at the University of Otago, says the discovery provides the first indication that tuatara eggs can hatch after a “remarkable” two winters in the ground.

Associate Professor Cree says the timing supports Dr Besson’s earlier work, which suggested that cool soil temperatures at Orokonui could slow development.

“With New Zealand reptiles, you have to be in for the long haul, unlike many birds where nesting success may be apparent within a few weeks or months,” she continues.

Ecosanctuary staff were delighted with the news and look forward to the hatchlings becoming more visible as adults in about 15 years’ time. Chris Baillie, General Manager, said "Although these hatchlings are not able to be seen by the public, two young captive-bred tuatara are often seen basking in a special enclosure near the Ecosanctuary entrance."

The research team now has thousands of images from time-lapse cameras to check to try to detect the time of hatching more precisely.
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Kifaru Bwana · 10 Apr 2015

Monumental event!

Thanks for sharing.

zooboy28 · 10 Apr 2015

Actually, Chlidonias' quoted story is slightly outdated, and tuatara populations are booming across New Zealand at present, causing substantial issues for many people. This has definitely been a major conservation achievement that has been too succesful. I'm thinking tuatara will soon be displayed in overseas zoos at levels approaching those of meerkats.

Story here: How to rid your home of pesky tuatara this winter

With winter only just around the proverbial corner, every New Zealander knows that can mean only one thing: an unwanted infestation of tuatara.

As the weather gets colder, these ubiquitous pests will try and find warm places to shelter for the season. This often means taking up residence in city homes and dwellings, living in showers, cupboards and even under your bed!

With an unprecedented number of tuatara hatchings this year, the problem is expected to be worse than ever.

32-year-old Dunedin man Daniel Cook says he found his house “absolutely crawling” with tuatara last week, and had to call an exterminator to have them killed.

Indeed, from Cape Reinga to the bottom one, it seems that nowhere is safe from the inevitable, yearly invasion of this scaly menace.

So how can you prevent this from happening to you this winter? It won’t be easy, but here are five cost-effective ways to keep your home happy and tuatara-free.

1. Do not let tuatara live

As with many other common household pests, people far too often prefer to “leave them be” until they start to cause trouble. After all, if you’re busy chasing down and slaughtering every tuatara you happen to see in the course of every day life, you’re going to have very little time left for the kids or the television.

But in the small window just prior to winter, doing this will actually save more time than it will waste.

Even if you see a tuatara outside your home, perhaps in your yard or local area, it still pays to kill it. If you’re unable to do this yourself, call the local council.

Tuatara that are left alone will likely breed, and cause more problems down the track. They must be eradicated swiftly. It takes between 10 and 20 years for tuatara to reach sexual maturity – substantially less than the time it takes a human – and this doesn’t leave you much time.

Be wary, and willing to use lethal force.

2. Set tuatara traps

Put a spider, beetle, or other insect in a large wok on your kitchen stove and turn it on. Any tuatara in your home should smell the insect cooking, and will climb into the wok to retrieve it. According to the Department of Conservation, tuatara are very adept at climbing into woks, but very bad at getting out of them.

3. Be sure that none of the eggs in your fridge are tuatara eggs

It is estimated by the Inland Revenue Department that at least one in every five eggs in a New Zealand home is actually a tuatara egg. Tuatara are crafty, and often try to lay their eggs in places they won’t be found; this includes next to regular chicken eggs in household egg cartons.

Because they are the same colour, people will often mistake tuatara eggs for chicken eggs, and won’t remove them.

Fortunately, it takes at least 11 months for a tuatara egg to hatch, so be sure to use all your eggs before they get that old.

4. Bob Dylan

It is a well-documented fact that tuatara hate Bob Dylan, so much that they are unlikely to linger anywhere his present is felt.

Try putting on 1965’s Bringing It All Back Home, and place pictures of the American singer-songwriter in rooms where you’ve had trouble with tuatara before.

This method is especially effective if you are Bob Dylan.

5. Use baby formula

While it wasn’t the case in the past, baby formula sold over the counter now contains a potent poison called 1080, which, applied correctly, can be harmful to tuatara.

Try spreading baby formula on a tuatara’s face and body, but be careful: it can also be harmful to human beings. Do not give to infants.
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LaughingDove · 10 Apr 2015

zooboy28 said: ↑

Actually, Chlidonias' quoted story is slightly outdated, and tuatara populations are booming across New Zealand at present, causing substantial issues for many people. This has definitely been a major conservation achievement that has been too succesful. I'm thinking tuatara will soon be displayed in overseas zoos at levels approaching those of meerkats.

Story here: How to rid your home of pesky tuatara this winter
Click to expand...

That is so funny! Remember not to give baby formula to infants and to use Bob Dylan to get rid of those "pesky tuataras".

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wild tuatara babies on the South Island

Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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LaughingDove Well-Known Member

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wild tuatara babies on the South Island

Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

zooboy28 Well-Known Member

LaughingDove Well-Known Member

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