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FLORA AND FAUNA
110-year-old lizard a proud, new pop
by Staff Writers
Invercargill, New Zealand (UPI) Jan 30, 2009


Tuataras -- the only living descendants of an order related to dinosaurs that roamed Earth 200 million years ago -- are endangered, living only on a few islands in New Zealand.

Age didn't matter for a 110-year-old endangered male lizard-like creature and his 80-year old mate in New Zealand -- they just produced 11 offspring.

Henry, a tuatara, only recently showed interest in the fairer of his species after years of disinterest in procreation and irascible behavior, CNN reported Friday. Tuataras -- the only living descendants of an order related to dinosaurs that roamed Earth 200 million years ago -- are endangered, living only on a few islands in New Zealand.

In 2002, veterinarians at New Zealand's Southland Museum learned that a lump in Henry's private parts was a cancerous tumor. They removed it and, over the next few years, his temperament and interest in females perked up.

Henry, as far as museum curators know, had never mated before breeding with 80-year-old Mildred in March.

In July she laid 11 healthy eggs, which all hatched this week.

"Eleven out of 11," curator Lindsay Hazley told CNN. "Bloody brilliant. We had a champagne breakfast to celebrate."

Breeders say they hope Henry will mate with Lucy, who's about the same age as Mildred, later this year. Female tuataras usually only lay eggs every two or three years, they said.

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Related Links
Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com






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Deadly attacks shed light on Indonesia's human-animal conflicts
Banda Aceh, Indonesia (AFP) Jan 28, 2009
A spate of recent deadly animal attacks in Indonesia has thrown the spotlight on growing conflicts between humans and animals triggered by the rapid dwindling of the country's forests. In the latest attack, two women were trampled to death by a pair of elephants in Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra island Tuesday after the elephants entered an illegally cleared field from nearby ... read more


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