ETYM Maori tuatŕra; tua on the farther side (the back) + tara spine.
Only extant member of the order Rhynchocephalia of large spiny lizard-like diapsid reptiles of coastal islands off New Zealand; SYN. Sphenodon punctatum.
Lizardlike reptile Sphenodon punctatus, found only on a few islands off New Zealand. It grows up to 70 cm/2.3 ft long, is greenish black, and has a spiny crest down its back. On the top of its head is the pineal body, or so-called “third eye”, linked to the brain, which probably acts as a kind of light meter.
It is the sole survivor of the reptilian order Rhynchocephalia. It lays eggs in burrows that it shares with seabirds, and has the longest incubation period of all reptiles (up to 15 months).