Obtaining a Tuatara???

Anyone have any idea how i would get a Tuatara?

I'm pretty sure they aren't really found in the pet trade..

Only like a few zoos have been able to successfully breed in captivity(they don't become mature until 10+ years old), and no individuals from what I understand have attempted it. I seriously doubt that wild caught animals are legal, so you probably can't get one anywhere.

Are you a Zoo or do you work for a species recovery program? Otherwise, no. Being that the population is estimated at less than 100k worldwide, methinks they are likely very strictly regulated. Maybe look into Fiji Iguanas, eh? :O


~Kat

Kat you dont even have to think it KNOW IT. There are an estimated 90,000+ left in the world. I'd say lets let them be

so it would be pretty much impossible for a private collector to get ahold of one?

it would be impossible. i can count on one hand the number of people i know that have even touched one... and the ones that have only account for about half of the people i know that have worked with or studied them!

I was reading the post and thinking "these people are crazy! anyone can find a tarantula." I realized it wasn't the same thing so I googled it and that's a neat looking animal. Thanks for posting so I could see it.

smuggle one.

the st. louis zoo has a nice population of them and behind the scenes they are very off limits.

I dont think any zoos in the western hemisphere have bred them in captivity...i could be wrong though.

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Originally Posted by redpython

smuggle one.

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got a regular tom crutchfield here!

Hi,

I think we can assume he meant that was the only way to get one not as a suggestion of a course of action - otherwise we'd have to moderate it. :rolleyes:


dr del

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Originally Posted by janeothejungle

Are you a Zoo or do you work for a species recovery program? Otherwise, no. Being that the population is estimated at less than 100k worldwide, methinks they are likely very strictly regulated. Maybe look into Fiji Iguanas, eh? :O


~Kat

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Lmao:rofl:
Yea Shes right you cannot aquire either of those herps through any legal means! Very awesome though I would love to have(or even see and touch a Tuatara) Fijis are also one of the most gorgeous Iguanas around:D

Heres a lil bit of info on the Tuatara
http://nzphoto.tripod.com/animal/tuatara.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuatara

Fiji Iguana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji_Crested_Iguana

http://images.search.yahoo.com/searc...+iguana&sz=all

As I understand it they are not lizards but in a classification all by them selves,& are highly protected.

Exactly! That is part of why they are so unique.They stand apart from Lizards.snakes.crocs,turtles they are in theyre own class:D

Its to bad private collectors cant obtain them, in my opinion they are the holy grail of the reptile world for private collectors

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,

I think we can assume he meant that was the only way to get one not as a suggestion of a course of action - otherwise we'd have to moderate it. :rolleyes:


dr del

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definitely... just my attempt at a bad joke. :colbert:

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Originally Posted by Richard

Its to bad private collectors cant obtain them, in my opinion they are the holy grail of the reptile world for private collectors

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IMHO it's great that collectors can't obtain them; they seem to be such a vulnerable animal that they should be left alone altogether. :)

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Originally Posted by Richard

Its to bad private collectors cant obtain them, in my opinion they are the holy grail of the reptile world for private collectors

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As close to a true dinosaur as you can ever get!

Yup, if only there were a thriving wild population.. The difficulty in breeding makes them impractical to produce in captivity, for the purposes of private purchase. Even if someone did obtain, say, 20 healthy adults, the rarity of the offspring would cause the market value to skyrocket seriously beyond the scope of 99.999% of all private collectors.

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Originally Posted by DutchHerp

IMHO it's great that collectors can't obtain them; they seem to be such a vulnerable animal that they should be left alone altogether. :)

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I wish that they were obtainable, because that would mean that they weren't vulnerable :D

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

As close to a true dinosaur as you can ever get!

Yup, if only there were a thriving wild population.. The difficulty in breeding makes them impractical to produce in captivity, for the purposes of private purchase. Even if someone did obtain, say, 20 healthy adults, the rarity of the offspring would cause the market value to skyrocket seriously beyond the scope of 99.999% of all private collectors.

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If this were to happen, then the offspring would probably go to zoos and captive breeding programs, and not private collectors... correct?

I was meaning, even if someone did get 20 healthy adults and the OK to begin a private breeding program, with the legal right to sell offspring as they chose.

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

As close to a true dinosaur as you can ever get!

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Naah.

Tuataras are the last genus (and two very similar species) of "beak headed" reptiles. Dinosaurs are located within the Archosauria, or "ruling reptiles" - and a sister group of crocodiles.

You _can_ have a pet dinosaur - it won't look like a T. rex, but it will be a direct descendant of the dinosaur family which included Oviraptor, Troodon, and Velociraptor.

Get yourself a parakeet. Chicken. Emu. Canary. Anything with feathers, really . . .

~Bruce

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science...ces/index.html

That is the happiest news article I've read in years!!! :D

This is the stuff they should put on the news instead of the depressing crap.

I forgot... I also wanted to ask... Are fiji iguanas much more obtainable than tuaras? Aren't they also endangered?