"Sparkee", our 7-year-old, juvenile Tuatara

A close-up of a tuatara on a rocky, forest floor. The reptile has textured, greenish skin and large eyes, with a blurred natural background.

‘Sparkee’, our 7-year-old, juvenile Tuatara recently underwent their annual shed, to reveal a stunningly fresh undercoat

Like snakes, Tuatara shed the thin, outer layer of their skin every year. This ensures they rid themselves of any parasites, in-grown scales, or other nasties, leaving them fresh and healthy for another exciting year ahead!

On May 3rd, we farewelled ‘Akoo’ our 33rd Rowi, and 37th chick for the 2020/21 season (above).

After 6 1⁄2 weeks of rearing, this lovely little chick reached a whopping 567 grams and was transferred to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve