Researchers at Victoria University of Wellington keep tuatara in enclosures, in semi-natural conditions, for up to five years after they hatch. Safe from predators, these juveniles have a higher survival rate than hatchlings in the wild. They will eventually return to their home island, or will be used to populate new islands.
Listen to zoologist Charles Daugherty talk about the university’s captive breeding programme.
Transcript
Charles Daugherty: It might look that they're holding their own right now but any time that a species is represented by only a few hundred individuals and in only one population then it's always considered a risk. So the object is to develop the second population probably one in captivity and perhaps a second one in nature as well.
Interviewer: Have you got enough to comprise an adequate gene pool?
Charles: Well, it's a good start. We had hoped to have a few more eggs but because females only appeared to develop a clutch of eggs about every four or five years, there were very few females that were gravid[?] this year so we simply got what we were able to.
Interviewer: When will we know whether you're breeding exercise is going to be successful?
Charles: Well the first eggs should begin hatching in about six months and within a year we'll know what survival rate we've had and by that time homes will have been identified for them all as well.
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Image: Victoria University of Wellington, by Susan Keall
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