TUATARA LIZARDS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1924, Page 3

TUATARA LIZARDS.

STEADILY INCREASING

The luatara lizard of New Zealand which all'oi'ils students of natural liistnrv so much interest, is, according to reports received by Die Minister of Itilerual All'airs i the Hon R. K. Bollard), st'sulilv inereasiiig in numbers on the islands oil which it. lias been placed under protection.

Writing to tin- Minister. Mr .1. Williii. a ligiitkeeper at the Brothers Light house, ill Cook Strait, states that since his arrival there ill I!i2_’ he Ininot teed that tuatara lizards have been steadily inereasiiig, several line young specimens having been seen. Ihe chief diet of the reptiles seemed to consist of beetles and oilier insects. but they had been -i-eit eating scraps of loud snob as bread, meal, etc. Ibe worst em-my of the tuatara was the hawk, which came Ij'i'in the mainland These pests did tint appear t" be as numerous a- in former years, but the keepers bad destroyed several ill Die past four ii'oiiths. Apart trniu hanks, the lizards seemed to have no other natural em-my at that particular place. -j-|iev "ere all in healthy (oiidilioti. and tin- "rit'-r stilted that lie bad tin lived nil dead ones during bis stay mi the .station.

A report to tic- Marin- Department I. Mr It. S. Sut b.-i land. a light keeper at the Cuvier I-laml lighthouse, staled j( extremely duubtlul wltethei 1 1, e leu.ids breed every year. A vigor-:-a I ill bad been made m an ■ " ,1 avour I- l-ain "

s and breeding habits, but no eggs | l; ,d been found. A burrow was lon ml however. "Inch contained the skins ~l eons from which eleven young tun iaras 'had been hatched only a short time previously. Th- "oil. "I reducing the reptiles- enemies- eats, hawks and rats had been carried mil with ..nlv a moderate amount ol success. •n,e domestic eats wliieli bad been allowed to go wild in former limes were breeding. They seemed to iced elueflv on the grey-faced petrels, bird- "huh were worthv of careful prntcet.ou ait was a peculiar species, report.-d tu he found only on a !>•"' tsland- round a'loiit Da- I lattraki Bull. The tuatara lizards on Stcplmn Island. ... Cook Strait, are also report.-.! In l.e doing well.