Breed reptiles in captivity: Tuatara
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Overall effectiveness category Awaiting assessment
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Number of studies: 1
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Effectiveness
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Supporting evidence from individual studies
A replicated study in 1990–2007 in artificial enclosures in North Island, New Zealand (Keall et al. 2010) reported that wild tuatara Sphenodon punctatus bred multiple times in captivity but that fewer than half of eggs hatched successfully. Over 16 years, 241 of 553 eggs (44%) laid by tuatara in captivity hatched successfully. Clutches were laid in 13 of 16 years by 15 of 22 females. The first clutches were laid 2–8 years after tuatara were brought into captivity. Hatching success and adult survival varied between tuatara taken from different islands (see original paper for details). Three captive-born females also produced three clutches during the study. In 1990–1992, four populations of tuatara were brought into captivity from four islands (6–15 individuals/island) to one of three captive facilities pending eradication of Pacific rats Rattus exulans. Tuatara were housed in predator-proof outdoor enclosures. In 1992–2007, eggs were moved to a separate facility for artificial incubation in dampened vermiculite (see original paper for details). Overall, four clutches were induced and 27 clutches were laid naturally. Hatchlings were returned to their source facility at one week–11 months old. Eggs that perished shortly after being laid (5–16 eggs in two clutches) and eggs laid by artificially-incubated females were excluded from results.
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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:
Reptile Conservation
Reptile Conservation - Published 2021
Reptile synopsis