Dinosaur spotted in Wellington

The tuatara lizard is endemic to New Zeland.

Well, not a Tyrannosaurus rex of course, but it does date back 200 million years – the tiny tuatara lizard. What makes this sighting so unusal is that is is only the second time in more than 200 years that one has been spotted on the mainland, the first one being back in 2008.

Often referred to as a “living fossil’” the tuatara is endemic to New Zealand and the only place on the mainland where it exists is in Zealandia, a purpose build sanctuary in the capital Wellington.

Tuatara fact: The name “tuatara” derives from the Māori language, and means “peaks on the back”.