Tuatara skull Replica (Museum Quality)

This product is a scientifically correct replica of a Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) skull.

This skull is available as a 1:1

Length 1:1 – 6.3 cm (2.5″ inches)

Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) are reptiles endemic to New Zealand. Despite their close resemblance to lizards, they are part of a distinct lineage, the order Rhynchocephalia. The name tuatara is derived from the Māori language and means “peaks on the back”. The single extant species of tuatara is the only surviving member of its order. Rhynchocephalians originated during the Triassic (~250 million years ago), reached worldwide distribution and peak diversity during the Jurassic and, with the exception of tuatara, were extinct by 60 million years ago.Their closest living relatives are squamates (lizards and snakes). For this reason, tuatara are of interest in the study of the evolution of lizards and snakes, and for the reconstruction of the appearance and habits of the earliest diapsids, a group of amniote tetrapods that also includes dinosaurs (including birds) and crocodilians.

Official Licensed Product
Specimen Number: UF-herpetology-11978
A portion of the proceeds of this sale will benefit research, education, and curation at the Florida Museum of Natural History.