Reptile news

[gekkogecko]

URL:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080806/ap_on_fe_st/odd_old_reptile_fatherhood

Text:
111-year-old reptile finally becoming a father Tue Aug 5, 9:00 PM ET

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Officials say an indigenous New Zealand reptile regarded as one of the last living remnants of the dinosaurs will become a father for the first time in decades at the age of 111.

Henry the tuatara and his younger mate Mildred produced a dozen eggs last month after mating at the Southland Museum on New Zealand's South Island in March.

Tuatara curator Lindsay Hazley said Wednesday Henry has lived at the museum's special enclosure for Tuatara since 1970 and had shown no interest in sex until he recently had a cancerous growth removed from his genitals. He was now enjoying the company of three females and might breed again next March.
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Although tuataras are in no way "...living remnants of the dinosaurs."

[Oldfart]

I thought that the tuatara was an ancient and separate genus, a little like a reptile platypus.

They are severely endangered.

[dicksbro]

Not Henry, but here's a picture of a tuatara for those that are interested ...

http://www.ryanphotographic.com/images/JPEGS/Tuatara%20on%20forest%20floor%20three%20quarters.jpg

Oh, yeah, congratulations to the new daddy! :)

[gekkogecko]

I thought that the tuatara was an ancient and separate genus, a little like a reptile platypus.

They are severely endangered.

OF is correct on the latter point..as for the former point. Well, let's put aside fro the moment that Linneans Taxonomy is suspect.

Tuataras are the only surviving Rhyncocephalians, "family" Sphenodontidae. There's somewhat lizard-like, as the pic from Dicksbro shows. They are *not* lizards.

The closest living relatives ("remnants") of the dinosaurs are birds and crocodiles. In the sense of being decended from maniraptoran dinosaurs, birds are in fact, the remnants. Quite successful ones, as well.

Tuataras are their own thing.

[Jude30]

Sorta looks like what I imagine you would get if you crossed an iguana, and an alligator.