584 



The Living Animals of the World 



Photo by JF". Saville-Kent, F.Z.S.] [Milford-on-Sea. 



THE TUATERA OF NEW ZEALAND. 



Belongs to an ancient reptile race of which it is the only living 

 survivor. 



venture to approach it. A number of other lizards, including tree-climbing varieties, were 

 introduced to the company of the examples under observation, and until friendly acquaintance- 

 ship had been established their advances towards the chamseleons were always repelled. 



The majority of the chamaeleons lay eggs, 

 but a small number produce living young, as 

 with skinks and other lizards. Examples of 

 the common European and North African 

 species kept by the writer excavated holes 

 in the earth, in which they laid their eggs, 

 and then carefully covered them up again. 

 Unfortunately these eggs were not fertilised. 

 One South African species has been reported 

 to the writer as being in the habit of placing 

 and separately wrapping and fastening up 

 each egg as deposited in the leaves of the 

 tree in which it resided. While Africa and 

 Madagascar represent the head centres of 

 distribution of the fifty odd known species 

 of chamseleons, they enter Europe through 

 the Spanish Peninsula, and extend east- 

 ward to Arabia, India, and Ceylon. The 

 largest known variety, which inhabits Mada- 

 gascar, attains a length of 15 inches; the 

 smallest pygmy chamseleon of the Cape scarcely measures 2| inches. 



THE TUATERA. 



That singular reptile found on certain small islands lying to the north-east of New Zealand, 

 and known as the TUATERA, differs in so many structural characters from all other lizards 

 that it is assigned to a separate order. Externally the tuatera does not differ materially in 

 form from an ordinary lizard. The skin, however, is peculiar for its leathery, granulated, and 

 wrinkled texture ; there is no trace of external ears ; the eyes, adapted for nocturnal vision, 

 have in daylight vertical pupils ; and the bases of the toes are united by connecting webs. 

 The deeper internal characteristics include the possession of supplementary so-called abdominal 

 ribs, the presence of which are readily ap- 

 prehended on handling the living animal. 

 These structures, while absent in ordinary 

 lizards, find their near equivalent in the 

 breastplate of tortoises and turtles. The 

 teeth are not implanted in distinct sockets, 

 but attached to the summits of the jaws, 

 which are developed in a beak-like manner, 

 and in older individuals fulfil, after the 

 manner of a beak, the functions of the worn- 

 out incisor teeth. 



Tuateras have been exceedingly scarce 

 of recent years, and in view of their scientific 

 interest, and the risk of their possible ex- 

 tinction, are now protected by the New Zealand 



Government. Among the multitudinous gifts of which their Royal Highnesses the Prince and 

 Princess of Wales were recipients during their recently accomplished world-embracing tour, a 

 pair of living tuatera lizards formed one of the most singular and highly prized contributions 

 accepted from the loyal New Zealanders. 



Photo by W. Saville-Kent, F.Z.S.] 



A TAME TUATERA. 



[Milford -on-Sea. 



Is a great acquisition for a greenhouse, feeding on slugs, beetles, and all 

 noxious insects. 



