Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)

Sphenodon is the only surviving member of the order Rhynchocephalia, and the only living genus that shows an unmodified diapsid skull. It is confined to several slands off the coast of New Zealand. Genetic studies have recently confirmed the distinctiveness of a second species, S. guntheri, and suggest that other cryptic species may have recently been allowed to go extinct. Both species are the subjects of intensive conservation efforts.