Tuatara Map

Map key...

Once common on the main islands of New Zealand, tuatara were killed off by rats, cats, pigs, dogs, stoats and ferrets and by forest clearing.

Tuatara live on about 25 islands from Northland to the Bay of Plenty and five islands in the Marlborough Sounds. The islands are mostly surrounded by cliffs and difficult to get to.

Stephens Island has been described as the ‘world bank’ of tuatara because around 50,000 live there.

The tuatara's natural island habitats all have something in common - burrowing seabirds like petrels, prions and shearwaters. Tuatara share their burrows, and eat the insects and other small bugs that accompany the nutrient-rich bird droppings, and sometimes the tuatara will eat the baby birds.

There is restricted access to most of the islands where tuatara live. But you can visit Matiu/Somes Island in Wellington Harbour where tuatara live in the wild, and DOC is planning to relocate some tuatara to Tiritiri Matangi Island in the Hauraki Gulf, which is a great place to visit to see lots of native birds. You can also see tuatara at Mt Bruce Wildlife Centre near Masterton, Victoria University and the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington, Southland Museum in Invercargill and in some zoos.