# centenarian tuatara



## malachi (Feb 24, 2009)

hi guys any one heard of these centenarian tuatara for sale they look awsome and live for over 100 years they come from newzealand


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## DanTheMan (Feb 24, 2009)

You wont get a Tuatara in Aus, move to NZ if you want one.
It's not really that hard to get your permit to keep them there.

Just saw those pics now, love them aye, so prehistorical!


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## ravan (Feb 24, 2009)

oh hey, they're quite cool looking... 
the first pic is awesome


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## NicG (Feb 24, 2009)

I seem to remember, from when I was holidaying in NZ, that these prehistoric creatures only need to breathe once an hour! Can anyone confirm or deny?


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## edgewing (Feb 24, 2009)

DanTheMan said:


> You wont get a Tuatara in Aus, move to NZ if you want one.
> It's not really that hard to get your permit to keep them there.
> 
> Just saw those pics now, love them aye, so prehistorical!



I think you might find it easy to get a permit but where are you going to get one from? There are very limited numbers in captivity now and they are not what one could call fast breeders.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/Conservation/PDF/Tuatara-Captive-Management-Plan.pdf

The above is quite a good read on the relative strengths of the populations and the problems with captive breeding etc.


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## DanTheMan (Feb 24, 2009)

edgewing said:


> I think you might find it easy to get a permit but where are you going to get one from? There are very limited numbers in captivity now and they are not what one could call fast breeders.
> 
> http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/Conservation/PDF/Tuatara-Captive-Management-Plan.pdf
> 
> The above is quite a good read on the relative strengths of the populations and the problems with captive breeding etc.



Yea I realise that, nearly no point in getting your permit, any offspring produced would be snatched up by zoo's all over the world before private collectors had the chance.


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## caustichumor (Feb 24, 2009)

NicG said:


> I seem to remember, from when I was holidaying in NZ, that these prehistoric creatures only need to breathe once an hour! Can anyone confirm or deny?



I have a booklet on them from the "Tuatarium" at Southland Museum, And apparently during Brumation they lower their metabolism so much that their heart beats once every 4 minutes, So I would assume they would not need a large intake of oxygen. They are very interesting animals and the only species in their reptile order, they don't have teeth like other species of reptiles, their jawbone is serrated like a bird's beak.... It is a pity there are so few in existance, as they are at least as old as crocodiles in evolutionary terms...


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## junglepython2 (Feb 24, 2009)

Petlinks your best bet, otherwise try the Cameroon dealers.


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## caustichumor (Feb 24, 2009)

junglepython2 said:


> Petlinks your best bet, otherwise try the Cameroon dealers.



Hey don't knock it, I got my breeding pair of Dodos from petlink, and my trio of Tasmania tigers...


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## malachi (Feb 25, 2009)

yer there cool .even if ya could get them they would cost a fortune i recon


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