There is one lesson in history that really man should look closely at and that is the story of the dinosaurs and their extinction. The fact that we as a race are as dominant today as the mighty creatures were once on the planet and they were indeed wiped out in a flash is something to keep in mind. The mighty Jurassic era might be gone, but there are a few left overs that still roam this planet. Don’t get too excited though as we are only talking about the Tuatara.

The Tuatara is a 32-inch long reptile that resembles a mini-dinosaur and apparently is the last living relative of the once dominant creatures. Its breeding ground was recently stumbled upon by staff at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in the capital Wellington.

While species are spread over few parts of New Zealand they were almost extinct at a point in 1700s as they were hunted down by species that were not native to the islands and introduced by settlers. A population of 70 Tuataras was established at the Karori Sanctuary in 2005 and another 130 were established in 2007.

The eggs that this little creature lays (Up to 10) are the size of a ping-pong ball, and were found and covered up with vegetation to enable incubation. The little reptiles which were once on the blink of extinction seem to have made a good comeback, with all the new nests signifying that breeding continues.

Source: the Independent

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