The Lonely 3-Eyed Reptile

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  • Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
  • The Tuatara is the last species of an ancient reptile group that evolved over 240 million years ago, and today only survives on a few islands off the coast of mainland New Zealand. In this video we examine this animal's remarkable natural history, as well as what the future might hold for the Tuatara.
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Комментарии • 925

  • @evodolka
    @evodolka 6 лет назад +907

    honestly never knew they had such odd looking skulls, especially the whole bit were their teeth are just jagged bits of the jaw bone

    • @BenGThomas
      @BenGThomas  6 лет назад +74

      Yeah I didn't know about that either until I started researching them, they are really unique animals :)

    • @evodolka
      @evodolka 6 лет назад +6

      agreed

    • @rabbit0664
      @rabbit0664 6 лет назад +17

      evodolka That actually reminds me of turtles/tortoises.

    • @evodolka
      @evodolka 6 лет назад +3

      i can see what you mean actually

    • @abyssalzei552
      @abyssalzei552 5 лет назад +8

      I'm trying to imagine myself chewing with my jawbone.

  • @paulbags123
    @paulbags123 6 лет назад +2

    Fact filled Interesting and informative film again 👍

  • @dr.hartman5661
    @dr.hartman5661 6 лет назад

    Tuataras have been my favourite animal since I was 10

  • @WillowChord
    @WillowChord 5 лет назад

    This entirely overlooks the Madagascar Spiny Tail Iguana, who maintains a very similar third eye that remains prominent their whole lives. It's been dubbed the Cyclops by many.

  • @gonzalogutierrez510
    @gonzalogutierrez510 4 года назад +4

    "...several theories of what the fu--"
    *gasp*
    "--nction is..."
    *sigh*

  • @homebrewHousehold
    @homebrewHousehold 4 года назад

    4:16 eyy, my green anole bois, where you at?

  • @Hamwcam
    @Hamwcam 4 года назад

    I got to hold one once.

  • @danyul2571
    @danyul2571 6 лет назад +621

    Henry the tuatara is over 120 years old, and is still living and reproducing in invercargills museum pyramid, new zealands most successful tuatara preservational breeding sanctuary. sadly due to the buildings lack of earthquakeproof structure it has been closed down and will require over $20, 000,000nz to upgrade to new standards. 😓

    • @jeremyashford2145
      @jeremyashford2145 4 года назад +39

      I saw Henry thirty years ago.
      When he is resting he is so still you cannot see either breathing or heartbeat.

    • @kaisahfx1246
      @kaisahfx1246 4 года назад +3

      I've been there

    • @TrilobiteTerror
      @TrilobiteTerror 4 года назад +13

      Yeah, some experts believe they could live as long as 200 years.

    • @Ranstone
      @Ranstone 4 года назад +8

      Henry getting it on at 120.

    • @chieckenman4432
      @chieckenman4432 4 года назад +4

      Henry Tuatara
      Henry Stickmin

  • @raiden3636
    @raiden3636 6 лет назад +1349

    Raising Tuatara in captivity will indeed help the population, it’s a effective method that has saved other endangered animals like the bald eagle, giant panda, and etc. from extinction. If we caused it, we can fix it.

    • @Tiri_the_takehe
      @Tiri_the_takehe 6 лет назад +36

      I mean its not going all that badly tbh. Just need adequate pest control for them

    • @ninjahombrepalito1721
      @ninjahombrepalito1721 6 лет назад +45

      Why can't they be raised in captivity to eat rats? They are large enough, and they are carnivores... they should feed them beetles, lizards, birds, and rats. Then they could reclaim their territory. And, well, they will have good food supply. Rats are quite hard to get rid of.

    • @malnutritionboy
      @malnutritionboy 6 лет назад +68

      @@ninjahombrepalito1721 they eat the eggs

    • @ninjahombrepalito1721
      @ninjahombrepalito1721 6 лет назад +28

      Germs many if the adults eat the rats, there will be less rats and less eggs eaten.

    • @kennethsatria6607
      @kennethsatria6607 5 лет назад +3

      @@ninjahombrepalito1721 Hmm...

  • @admiralcat3809
    @admiralcat3809 6 лет назад +393

    Triassic reptiles are always bizarre.

    • @G0die16
      @G0die16 6 лет назад +26

      But Permian reptiles are even weirder

    • @theshamanite
      @theshamanite 5 лет назад +13

      @@G0die16 The farther back you go, the weirder. Take the Greek gods, for instance...

    • @mareksicinski3726
      @mareksicinski3726 4 года назад +1

      all creatures from time periods not commonly explored in media (now, historical times often, and dinosaurs) is considered 'bizarre'

    • @kommandantss672
      @kommandantss672 3 года назад +4

      The Permian extinction left many open niches with little to no competition resulting in the impressive diversification of species during the Triassic... similar to literally all other extinction events. It's bizarre but it happens.

  • @koolnomi95
    @koolnomi95 6 лет назад +756

    Tuataras are such cool creatures! it's amazing to think they're the last of an entire branch of the reptile family

    • @BenGThomas
      @BenGThomas  6 лет назад +64

      I agree, they are certainly very special animals :)

    • @milesarcher8502
      @milesarcher8502 5 лет назад +5

      Countless species are extinct, and the vast majority of them were long gone before human 'hit the scene'!

    • @glenbe4026
      @glenbe4026 4 года назад +5

      @@milesarcher8502 A bloody lot of them have gone extinct because of the human race over the last 100, 000 years though. So much so that it is often referred to as the 6th great mass extinction.

    • @quoththeraven3985
      @quoththeraven3985 4 года назад +1

      All "branches" end... there's nothing elts a branch can do, except rejoin the tree like Neanderthals did with humans......then later..end'

    • @ArigatoPlays
      @ArigatoPlays 4 года назад +2

      @@quoththeraven3985 Yes, and every living thing on earth will die in a few billion years when the sun boils away every ocean. That doesn't mean we shouldn't care.

  • @JakobMagnus
    @JakobMagnus 6 лет назад +206

    SAVE THE TUATARAS!!!

  • @venomousjuggernaut6235
    @venomousjuggernaut6235 6 лет назад +1002

    It look like a gangster iguana

    • @osmosisjones4912
      @osmosisjones4912 5 лет назад +8

      Rat sex dolls so they males waist there sperm. . If just killing them that would leave resources and space upon for others. But attacking rats reproduction

    • @Jay-jb2vr
      @Jay-jb2vr 5 лет назад +23

      Like a baby Godzilla

    • @casof97
      @casof97 5 лет назад +3

      @@osmosisjones4912 guess u never seen sea iguana or rock iguanas

    • @theshamanite
      @theshamanite 5 лет назад +3

      @@osmosisjones4912 Spermicide to the balls! (In the sex doll)!

    • @milesarcher8502
      @milesarcher8502 5 лет назад +2

      The tail area looks to me like a crocodillian!

  • @maxgreece1
    @maxgreece1 6 лет назад +202

    Once you said it wasn't a lizard I must admit I thought the legs looked a little thick in comparison to lizards. Is that a differentiation or is it just me?

    • @BenGThomas
      @BenGThomas  6 лет назад +70

      It might be, I'm not sure, although it could just be the angles of the photos perhaps. Depends what lizards you're comparing too I suppose, Monitor Lizards would have much thicker legs than a tuatara.

    • @zacharyhandy9606
      @zacharyhandy9606 5 лет назад +30

      The whole thing looks thicker to me

    • @thatsnotveryfresh
      @thatsnotveryfresh 5 лет назад +4

      @plaguelock
      big agree, lizards are incredibly diverse in body type and shape.

    • @kckdude913
      @kckdude913 5 лет назад

      @plaguelock This one's thicc though. Do you know of any reptile that is so thicc?

    • @TheLuismaBeaTle
      @TheLuismaBeaTle 5 лет назад +2

      Zachary Handy thats what she said

  • @patchyfish1
    @patchyfish1 6 лет назад +429

    Such a beautiful animal, so sad that it's dying out ;_;

    • @Tiri_the_takehe
      @Tiri_the_takehe 6 лет назад +15

      We're doing our best - the ecosantuaries now have them!

    • @opalthediloalt9595
      @opalthediloalt9595 6 лет назад +7

      We know nothing, for all we know it could secretly be evolving a new power to evolve into ultra evolution creature to evolve into the reincarnation of DINOSAURS TO FIGHT MAN... and probably fail to our technology...

    • @toastthecarnotaurus9402
      @toastthecarnotaurus9402 6 лет назад +4

      People if you see a tuatara take care of it and if it multiplied realease or give it to a proper zoo

    • @oliverwilson11
      @oliverwilson11 5 лет назад +11

      New Zealand is working to eradicate invasive mammals from more islands and fenced off areas so the amount of suitable tuatara habitat is increasing over time

    • @HenrythePaleoGuy
      @HenrythePaleoGuy 5 лет назад +5

      Yep! They are doing better now than they have in hundreds of year

  • @platipus-yn9zr
    @platipus-yn9zr 6 лет назад +249

    I'm from New Zealand and at my school every one allways thinks they are genuinely dinosaurs just becase they lived at the same time as them. It drives me mad. Allso you can see tuitara in its natril habitat just 5 mins drive away from wellington the capital of nz. It's a wildlife reserve called Zelandea,I would definitely visit it if you come past New Zealand.
    -sorry for bad spelling.

    • @BenGThomas
      @BenGThomas  6 лет назад +26

      Wow that's really cool, I'd love to see a tuatara some day, especially in its natural habitat :)

    • @theelderlardrider2425
      @theelderlardrider2425 5 лет назад +5

      yea and there is also some at willow bank but they arent really that much but there are some : )

    • @ggittins4097
      @ggittins4097 5 лет назад +1

      @Alex Nutman Dinosaurs distant cousin

    • @exxpired6521
      @exxpired6521 5 лет назад +10

      @plaguelock english might not be his first language, no need to bee an asshole about it

    • @defaultkid99
      @defaultkid99 4 года назад +4

      Walter stop being an asshole he literally said he lives in New Zealand

  • @coldsobanoodle7407
    @coldsobanoodle7407 6 лет назад +161

    Got hella nerfed during the time of the dinosaurs, and the time of the mammals

    • @BenGThomas
      @BenGThomas  6 лет назад +53

      I hope they do get a buff soon, seems like they deserve it by now.

    • @coldsobanoodle7407
      @coldsobanoodle7407 6 лет назад +26

      The devs will work it out. Though they haven't been the best at balancing the game. I mean look at humans. Humans have changed how every server works, and they even added the urban biomes to the game.

    • @Kacey2301
      @Kacey2301 5 лет назад +8

      Time of the mammals...never happened in New Zealand (except for two tiny bats), then the mammals (humans) came.

    • @altaccount9903
      @altaccount9903 4 года назад

      @@Kacey2301 well there are native prehistoric mammal in miocene new zealand

    • @jasontan5311
      @jasontan5311 4 года назад +3

      They weren’t nerfed, it’s just that everything else got buffed

  • @blobbertmcblob4888
    @blobbertmcblob4888 5 лет назад +25

    "And dinosaurs"
    *shows picture of an actual heccin' living Dinosaur*

  • @therealzilch
    @therealzilch 6 лет назад +91

    I didn't know about the aquatic rhincocephalians. Live and learn. Thanks.

    • @BenGThomas
      @BenGThomas  6 лет назад +8

      No problem :) I didn't know about them either until researching for the video, they're a surprisingly unique group!

  • @angelahoffman119
    @angelahoffman119 5 лет назад +113

    Aren't parietal eyes light sensors? Sleeping during the day and a bird of prey flies over, the passing shadow wakes them up to run and hide.

    • @rachell381
      @rachell381 5 лет назад +16

      Angela Hepp Yeah that’s what I was thinking! That’s what it’s for in relation to iguanas!

    • @rachell381
      @rachell381 5 лет назад +9

      plaguelock they are also called parietal eyes...

    • @chadcastagana9181
      @chadcastagana9181 5 лет назад

      Yes, but it is more like photosensor that detects harmful amounts of UV from the sun

    • @DatAlien
      @DatAlien 5 лет назад +7

      @plaguelock Pineal eyes are a type of parietal eyes, but in Tuatara the parietal eye is an parapineal eye.

    • @sirloinofbeef9683
      @sirloinofbeef9683 5 лет назад

      WOKE

  • @ichifish
    @ichifish 5 лет назад +32

    Maybe I've got this wrong, but it's my understanding that some epigenetic DNA changes can be passed on to offspring. So if the Tuatara take longer to mature, would that mean they pass along more epigenetic DNA, and thus mature faster?

    • @googleminus266
      @googleminus266 5 лет назад +4

      No; theoretically, this might ratger yield somewhat better adopted offspring (assuming same mechanism in reptiles as in mammals, whose epigenetics I've studied).

  • @Sporedude135
    @Sporedude135 6 лет назад +57

    We must protect the Tien Lizard!

  • @ErebusTheDragonn
    @ErebusTheDragonn 6 лет назад +54

    *_gizzard the lizard wizard_*

    • @fenny1578
      @fenny1578 4 года назад +2

      That's King Gizzard, to you, sir.

  • @robertfletcher3421
    @robertfletcher3421 6 лет назад +57

    That was an absolutely wonderful presentation. Thanks Ben and team.

    • @BenGThomas
      @BenGThomas  6 лет назад +6

      Thanks for watching, glad to hear you enjoyed :)

  • @oneword2481
    @oneword2481 6 лет назад +129

    First off: I LOVE the toxic free comments
    Secondly: How is it possible for you to make such a simple topic oh so interesting, seriously! Amazing.

    • @BenGThomas
      @BenGThomas  6 лет назад +16

      Haha, thanks so much :D Most of the time the comments are pretty good, sticking to science and reason hopefully encourages this I think.

    • @elgatochurro
      @elgatochurro 5 лет назад +6

      NIGGA LIKES HIM SOME TOXIC FREE COMMENTS???

    • @elgatochurro
      @elgatochurro 5 лет назад +5

      @@BenGThomas WHAT DID YOU SAY NIGGA????

    • @danielguerrero2575
      @danielguerrero2575 5 лет назад +3

      Oh really, follow these steps:
      1: Go to the speculative zoology part 1 video
      2: Go to the comment section
      3: Check the replies for Simon J's comment
      4: Enjoy!

    • @ajoajoajoaj
      @ajoajoajoaj 5 лет назад +2

      ur mum gay

  • @jayjohn9893
    @jayjohn9893 6 лет назад +47

    Hey dude, new to your video's, really enjoying them. This one was great and I appreciate the information you're sharing with us. All the best.

  • @FlintSparkedStudios
    @FlintSparkedStudios 6 лет назад +28

    Man, this is incredibly interesting. I've never heard of these.

  • @colelacount5592
    @colelacount5592 6 лет назад +20

    This gave me an amazing fakemon idea. Thank you for the operation. I will gladly subscribe.

    • @thesfnz3104
      @thesfnz3104 5 лет назад +2

      lets here what you got i'm genuinely curious

    • @CHloE748
      @CHloE748 5 лет назад +1

      The SFNZ same!

    • @quuuuro
      @quuuuro 5 лет назад

      .

    • @quuuuro
      @quuuuro 5 лет назад

      I feel sad

    • @tagrisaj3344
      @tagrisaj3344 4 года назад +1

      @@thesfnz3104 hear*

  • @PastorPeewee20
    @PastorPeewee20 6 лет назад +23

    He's so cute, wish I could have a breeding pair of them to increase the number of them as well to help out as I already have been a reptile breeder for over 20yrs wit iguanas and others!

    • @PastorPeewee20
      @PastorPeewee20 4 года назад

      @O Sullivan ?

    • @PastorPeewee20
      @PastorPeewee20 3 года назад

      @@PondScummer yup I understand it doesn't have a heart for all reptiles use to be a full time breeder of green iguanas for years. ..

  • @blowfishes
    @blowfishes 6 лет назад +12

    No wonder their DNA is evolving at a fast rate considering the reduction in the genetic pool. Cool animals and a great explanation.

  • @HiTechKeema
    @HiTechKeema 6 лет назад +34

    Really well presented. Tuataras turn out to be more interesting than thought. I never thought much of them or their evolutionary history until now - they were more of the weird little cousins that are otherwise dull. Again, great conveying of information.
    One little gripe though - shouldn't the crown group at 4:47 be Sauropsida, not Reptilia? Reptiles are paraphyletic.

    • @BenGThomas
      @BenGThomas  6 лет назад +7

      Thank you! And do you mean that Reptiles are paraphyletic when birds are included? Or is there another group I'm forgetting? I probably should have noted that I meant the crown group Reptilia and not the stem group.

    • @HiTechKeema
      @HiTechKeema 6 лет назад +4

      No, I meant they are paraphyletic under most uses, but I guess since you didn't exclude birds explicitly, then they aren't technically paraphyletic in that case.
      Still, isn't there already the name of Sauropsida (or is it Diapsida?, turtles are a bit of a conundrum, if memory serves me well) to refer to the whole clade uniting lepidosauromorpha and archosauromorpha?

    • @BenGThomas
      @BenGThomas  6 лет назад +5

      Yes, I think both Sauropsida and Diapsida include lepidosauromorphs and archosauromorphs, but for the sake of simplification I thought it would be best to just have it labelled as Reptilia. And yes turtle phylogeny is a fairly controversial topic, though apparently there's good evidence to support their placement in a sister clade to archosauromorphs.

    • @HiTechKeema
      @HiTechKeema 6 лет назад +4

      I was aware of the inclusion of lepidosauromorpha within both those groups, but turtles were the confusing ones, as you've rightly pointed out..

  • @naughtyadventuresofmcbrouh5410
    @naughtyadventuresofmcbrouh5410 5 лет назад +8

    Director: No, see, we wanted a three eyed RAVEN.
    GOT Artist: ooooh a raven, yes , yes i understand.

  • @Mikemike-gr6xt
    @Mikemike-gr6xt 5 лет назад +7

    If the 3rd eyes start to operating again. They'll summons the juubi

  • @WASDLeftClick
    @WASDLeftClick 6 лет назад +21

    I kinda want one as a pet. But maybe they're not so great for that, especially since they breed slowly. Maybe once we learn more about breeding and keeping them in captivity and their population recovers some we could have them in home terrariums someday. Reptiles are severely underrated pets imo.

    • @FreedomAnderson
      @FreedomAnderson 6 лет назад +4

      Tuatara are similar to Tortoises in the way that they live for a very long time and reach maturity later in life. Which is why Tortoises are not the most common pet Reptile.

    • @Kacey2301
      @Kacey2301 5 лет назад +4

      I live in Invercargill where they're breed in captivity. I know what you mean about wanting one as a pet, but honestly they move about so little most of the time you'd get more interaction from a tautara statue than a live one.

    • @sleeepybae1459
      @sleeepybae1459 4 года назад +1

      they seem like they would be a cool pet, the only problem i see is that they can live a really long time, especially in captivity. i'd worry that they would outlive their owners! but other than that they seem chill lol

  • @willbennett1167
    @willbennett1167 4 года назад +2

    I would recommend visiting Zealandia in Wellington (my hometown) in New Zealand. There are plenty of Tuatara now living in the sanctuary and are almost garunteed everytime to see one.

  • @theberrby6836
    @theberrby6836 5 лет назад +6

    This is the most cute not-lizard I have ever seen and so interesting!! :D
    Thank you so much for sharing the existence of this poor endangered creature

    • @crystaldragon3491
      @crystaldragon3491 5 лет назад

      Have you also heard of the blue anole another extremely rare reptile Though because of the rarity breeders are normally just breeding them with common green and Know though because of how rare they are breeders are normally just breeding them with common green anoles

  • @kayseek1248
    @kayseek1248 6 лет назад +25

    It looks quite cute

  • @REXTHEAPEX
    @REXTHEAPEX 5 лет назад +6

    For all the years I have owned lizards, I've caught them, looked for them and bread them. I do believe that the third eye they posses is used for detecting predators. But it is designed in a way where it picks up light or (shadows). For instance a bird flying over head casts a shadow. I consider it early warning alarm system. When it detects changes in the light spectrum it sends electrical signals to the brain sending a message to run, look up or freeze. I have seen this happen multiple times with my bearded dragons and iguanas. From either planes flying over head, waving my hand, or even birds flying over head. That's my guess at least, from observation. . .

    • @crystaldragon3491
      @crystaldragon3491 5 лет назад +1

      CaliBass Slayer that’s basically the use it’s a light sensor for birds

  • @jaimesanchez5237
    @jaimesanchez5237 6 лет назад +14

    Entertaining and educational love your channel keep it up

  • @Spongebrain97
    @Spongebrain97 6 лет назад +15

    How come when describing different animal groups birds generally appear by themselves alongside mammals, amphibians, and reptiles when they're actually dinosaurs which are reptiles?

    • @BenGThomas
      @BenGThomas  6 лет назад +14

      Reptiles are usually defined paraphyletically, meaning that it excludes birds, even though it should include them to make the group monophyletic. So in a scientific definition, birds are classified as reptiles, but there seems to be a lot of confusion when you try to tell people this.

    • @RRW359
      @RRW359 6 лет назад +5

      I think some people DO argue that they should be reptiles, but all groups evolved from another (invertebrates-fish, fish-amphibians, amphibians-reptiles, and reptiles-birds/mammals). I think true birds arrived not long after true mammals in the Jurassic, and I don't think *any reptiles are warm-blooded like them.
      *I think some Dinosaurs were warm blooded, but I tend to think of Dinosaurs as the bird version of mammal-like reptiles (Cynodont, Dimetrodon, Gorgonopsid, ect.). Not quite reptiles or birds, but somewhere in-between with features of both.

    • @glenbe4026
      @glenbe4026 4 года назад +1

      @@RRW359 Are Synapsids still considered reptiles? I was under the impression "reptiles" now only refereed to Sauropsida and their descendants.

  • @Streetsvillainy
    @Streetsvillainy 6 лет назад +8

    there are animals with 3 eyes!?!? WHAT? This is a amazing series of video Ben, keep up the good work!

    • @vickieglore2390
      @vickieglore2390 6 лет назад +3

      Thesaurus Rext spiders have way more.

    • @FreedomAnderson
      @FreedomAnderson 6 лет назад +1

      Triops.

    • @martialkintu2035
      @martialkintu2035 5 лет назад

      It's not an eye like the one we have.

    • @safron2442
      @safron2442 5 лет назад +1

      One word: Scallops

    • @duanesamuelson2256
      @duanesamuelson2256 5 лет назад

      3 eyes...even humans the pituitary gland is light sensitive even though its buried under our skulls...same for virtually all mammals

  • @hightiernub1313
    @hightiernub1313 5 лет назад +2

    Dinasours are not considered reptiles because they do not posses the bones nor blood of a reptile in fact you can say that they're warm blooded in most cases and either were both.

  • @Sei783
    @Sei783 6 лет назад +5

    Not sure why such emphasis is placed on the "third eye" it is present in dozens of species if not more and is not exclusive to reptiles or amphibians, yet your title "The Lonely, 3-Eyed Reptile" implies it's a special characteristic of the Tuatara. Kinda click-baity if ya ask me.

    • @baneofbanes
      @baneofbanes 6 лет назад +2

      Seldin Gardane Then don’t watch.

    • @jacobhoover1654
      @jacobhoover1654 5 лет назад

      @@baneofbanes r/whoosh
      You can't tell if it's clickbait till after u watch it

    • @baneofbanes
      @baneofbanes 5 лет назад

      Jacob Hoover this isn’t reddit dumbass.

  • @Tiri_the_takehe
    @Tiri_the_takehe 6 лет назад +2

    Yo, fact check - we actually don't know how long tuatara live! Theres a lovely little bloke called henry that's over 110 years old and became a father for the first time. NZ hasn't had a recorded history lone enough to document a tuatara's entire lifespan yet.
    Also we have heaps of birds that live to 60 years or well over. Weird country, this.

    • @TrilobiteTerror
      @TrilobiteTerror 4 года назад +1

      Yeah he really understates the lifespan in the video. Henry the tuatara now around 121 years old (he was in the news as a first time father back in 2009). Some experts believe tuataras may live as long as 200 years.

  • @TomsBackyardWorkshop
    @TomsBackyardWorkshop 6 лет назад +9

    My green iguana has a large parietal eye. Its about 3mm x 2mm and she hates it when people touch it.

    • @trash1614
      @trash1614 5 лет назад +1

      My bearded dragons have them to

  • @punkeq1110
    @punkeq1110 5 лет назад +1

    these guys looks like zombie iguanas to me, i love them. i wonder if they can be pets? i’ve only raised bearded dragons and horses (unrelated lol) up to now, i currently have a 5m old leatherback dragon. i’d love to have one, but i’d be afraid i’d die before the tuatara did and they wouldn’t go to a good home. such amazing guys!

  • @RadicalCaveman
    @RadicalCaveman 5 лет назад +5

    0:05 Check out the giraffasaurus.

  • @purpleemerald5299
    @purpleemerald5299 6 лет назад +14

    But why were they out-competed by their lizard cousins and archosaurs?

    • @TragoudistrosMPH
      @TragoudistrosMPH 6 лет назад +10

      Andre Marchand if I were to guess, slow reproduction. They live human-like lifespans, but we protect our young, which helps us.
      Beyond that guess, I'm not sure what else could have contributed.

    • @slappy8941
      @slappy8941 5 лет назад +5

      @@TragoudistrosMPH And they're also cannibalistic, which isn't very conducive to evolutionary success.

    • @spacecadet28
      @spacecadet28 5 лет назад +2

      Well just from the video, more modern lineages have teeth, faster development into adulthood, better rat coping strategies. I am confident in the last 200 million years since this lineage formed there have been other improvements as well.

  • @crystaldragon3491
    @crystaldragon3491 5 лет назад +4

    Bearded dragons and skinks also have a third eye

  • @NARKISDUDE
    @NARKISDUDE 5 лет назад +4

    I wonder if any effort is made to kill off the rats at some places so they can expand the reptile's habitat

    • @TheTheotherfoot
      @TheTheotherfoot 4 года назад +2

      This has been done on many off short islands, and a new area. Getting rid of all the imported pests is a long term job.

  • @TimidBeastie
    @TimidBeastie 2 года назад +1

    It's nice to see our little lizard pop up time to time
    I'm a New Zealander and I've only seen 2 tuatara in my life in person and it was in the wellington zoo lol

  • @mariahmakinen6887
    @mariahmakinen6887 6 лет назад +5

    Its so cute! Who would want to hurt it?

  • @SpiritBear12
    @SpiritBear12 5 лет назад +2

    4:37 That, is not a dinosaur, it's a modern bird, called a cassowary.
    That third eye might be there to help them orient themselves according to the sun. Honey bees have 5 eyes, 2 main large ones for seeing details, and 3 small ones on the very top of their head. These are used to orient themselves to the sun and they use that information to help them navigate to new food sources and to find their way home.

    • @SpiritBear12
      @SpiritBear12 5 лет назад +1

      @Bring peter griffin to Super Smash bros They evolved from dinos, yes. However, they are different now. They're not fully dinosaurs any more, close, but not the same. Just as we evolved from apes, but we are not apes any more. We can be considered primates, but we are not apes, just as apes are not monkeys any more.
      Birds are now their own sort of species, their own class and have been for some time.

  • @mattr2238
    @mattr2238 6 лет назад +4

    Not to mention how cute they are

  • @Thulgore
    @Thulgore 5 лет назад +1

    I am so sick of trying to explain basic evolution to people. I have heard "If we came from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?" at least 20 times in my life. (doesn't sound like a lot but it sticks with me and colors my judgement of the persons I was speaking to dramatically) Thank you for always pointing out that animals that barely look different are still completely evolving and always have been. The modern crocodile is NOTHING like it's ancestors from the cretaceous. They look very similar. They aren't. That animal is extinct. We didn't come from chimps, we share an ancestor with chimps. Chimps have been evolving from that point just as we have. Chimps and bonobos look near identical.........they are related closely......they are evolving on different paths.

  • @jameskelman9856
    @jameskelman9856 6 лет назад +12

    Well done! Thanks!

  • @brianrusher3617
    @brianrusher3617 4 года назад +1

    Best research I could come up with was that a tuatara fossil older than 35,000 years doesn't actually exist. Also, wouldn't even 20,000 year old fossil DNA have significant degradation due to it's extreme age making DNA analysis somewhat meaningless?

  • @crackedemerald4930
    @crackedemerald4930 6 лет назад +14

    Tuatara: the world's most Zen reptile

  • @NerdAlert8910
    @NerdAlert8910 5 лет назад +2

    The dislikes are from the rats who want to eat the eggs

  • @paratiel5058
    @paratiel5058 5 лет назад +3

    And horseshow crabs have nine eyes...
    Like the tuatara it has two "eyes" on its back and then six more down the back

  • @geoffreystuttle8080
    @geoffreystuttle8080 5 лет назад +1

    Now here's a lizard/reptile that is perfectly content without feathers. Why must we keep trying to stick feathers on the damn dinosaurs? They just don't look right. Makes them look like Liberace or a pimp or something.

  • @jaydenh5748
    @jaydenh5748 6 лет назад +5

    I want one

  • @entombedmachine1518
    @entombedmachine1518 4 года назад +1

    It looks like what I imagine some dinosaurs to look like... The head and jaws anyway. Gorgeous animals, and great video! The third eye is so strange!!!

  • @GirtheAlienGoldfish
    @GirtheAlienGoldfish 6 лет назад +5

    They're so cute!!

  • @dabombinablemi6188
    @dabombinablemi6188 5 лет назад +1

    Considering a 111 year old Tuatara male was able to reproduce with an 80 year old female, I'd say that they can easily live past 100 years old.

  • @spiralpython1989
    @spiralpython1989 6 лет назад +2

    Thanks for such an informative and balanced discussion of one of my very favourite animals, the elusive tuatara.

  • @theshamanite
    @theshamanite 5 лет назад +1

    A third eye may be for detecting objects above the head. Like a certain type of blindness in humans, it allows the brain to detect obstacles around them, but sends no information to parts of the brain that allow the individual to perceive sight.

  • @Marneandbradyn
    @Marneandbradyn Год назад +1

    ben dinosaurs
    video cassowary
    me OK Ben you’re really starting to confuse me

  • @kasinokaiser1319
    @kasinokaiser1319 5 лет назад +4

    It's third eye is clearly it's substand used to see 10 seconds into the future

  • @nemtudom5074
    @nemtudom5074 5 лет назад +3

    Eye watch the airborne predators?

    • @silversurfer6360
      @silversurfer6360 5 лет назад

      I think the eye was just to detect light ( since is such a simple eye i dont think they can "see " trough it )

  • @silkworm6861
    @silkworm6861 6 лет назад +6

    Great video! One amphisbaenian genus (bipes) actually retains the front limbs. Also, I would think about them as lizards generally because they are not as highly derived as snakes are.

    • @BenGThomas
      @BenGThomas  6 лет назад +1

      Ah yes, I probably should have said mostly legless. And lizard is usually used in a paraphyletic sense, excluding snakes and amphisbaenians, but I guess you could probably group them in if you wanted to make lizards monophyletic.

  • @ToolFan1
    @ToolFan1 5 лет назад +1

    It’s not surprising that a tuatara has a third eye because many lizards have it bearded dragons , iguanas and so on they have it to sense lighting and color changes so they know when a predator comes from above

  • @ButtersTheGreat1
    @ButtersTheGreat1 6 лет назад +2

    It looks like a plasic toy of a lizard.

  • @andreasjansen1678
    @andreasjansen1678 5 лет назад +1

    I watched a neuro science podcast that discusses this. It is actually an exposed part of the brain. We have one as well but it is located near the center of our brain and is used to produce melatonin and other hormones involved with sleep.

  • @xX_wiLLiam_Xx
    @xX_wiLLiam_Xx 5 лет назад +1

    *spams back button*
    REPTILES REPTILES REPTILES REPTILES REPTILES REPTILES REPTILES REPTILES REPTILES REPTILES REPTILES REPTILES

  • @brianrusher3617
    @brianrusher3617 4 года назад +1

    There is a New Zealand record of a male tuatara successfully mating at 111 years old.

  • @alliebean3235
    @alliebean3235 4 года назад +2

    I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have seen tuatara in the wild at the wildlife sanctuary just outside wellington - they were young, so were much smaller than i was expecting, but even seeing one was so magical! The nz department of conservation has helped save so many of our unique animals here, not just tuatara, but kiwi, takahe, kakapo, and so many more have been brought back from the brink by breeding programs and rat-free sanctuaries. When you travel here from overseas, customs is incredibly strict about perishable items brought over, because our fauna and flora were so isolated for such a long period of time, and pests or diseases brought over could decimate our precious natives, like rats and dogs did in the past

  • @Octane.on.pawz.
    @Octane.on.pawz. 4 года назад +1

    Fun fact foxes also have a 3rd eye its not an eye but a sensory organ that senses light and shadows

  • @OrlandoMGarcia
    @OrlandoMGarcia 3 года назад +1

    Psycologist: snoop dogg tuatara doesnt exist
    Snoop Dogg Tuatara: 4:50

  • @godvin9160
    @godvin9160 5 лет назад +1

    They are cute as well as cool creatures facing problems created by humans.

  • @babypyroshark2604
    @babypyroshark2604 4 года назад +1

    He says there was an 8k year old tuatara and then shows an image of a skeleton
    Fuck, bro i wanna see dat shit

  • @zennyfieldster4220
    @zennyfieldster4220 6 лет назад +2

    With 60,000 to 100,000 Left in the wild. Seems pretty good. Keep going though new Zealand!!!

  • @demetriusmiddleton1246
    @demetriusmiddleton1246 5 лет назад +1

    ... just get to the 3 eye part! That's what you titled the video and that's why we clicked

  • @Karin_Allen
    @Karin_Allen 4 года назад +2

    Yet one more reason to hate rats. :-(

  • @abyssalzei552
    @abyssalzei552 5 лет назад +1

    Can they be 'forced' into adapting to hunt the rats? So that the adults may be released back into the rat infested islands and still put up a fight? Just a thought.
    And I'm probably crossing a bit to sci-fi here, but is it possible to artificially diversify them? So that they won't go extinct if one species is endangered?

    • @silversurfer6360
      @silversurfer6360 5 лет назад

      There are problably too many rats so they cant keep up to them eating their eggs. Also creating new species to save 1 is not really the point and could be dangerous.

  • @schafer7403
    @schafer7403 5 лет назад +1

    So sick that they were present during the age of the dinosaurs.

  • @amyjoneswilliams
    @amyjoneswilliams 5 лет назад +1

    Well, it lived long enough for us to find it, so now all the earth knows it's existence. Now, the real question is, how are we going to keep this animal from going extinct, given its reproductive rates and loss of useable habitat?

    • @amyjoneswilliams
      @amyjoneswilliams 5 лет назад

      I mean, even pandas reproduce faster than it does.

  • @eyemallears2647
    @eyemallears2647 4 года назад +1

    Great content fantastic video
    Thank you Ben!!

  • @skyemorningstar166
    @skyemorningstar166 4 года назад +1

    "In fact the tuatara is one of the fastest evolving animals that has been examined thus far"
    ... I really hope NZ doesn't have any nuclear power plants...

    • @katerinakemp5701
      @katerinakemp5701 2 года назад

      No definitely no nuclear power plants, not even nuclear powered boats are allowed into NZ waters that is law.

  • @butlordtims7098
    @butlordtims7098 6 лет назад +1

    And that’s why I love being a New Zealander, being able to have one the last members of the dinosaur family, btw excellent video most people from other countries get all the facts and names wrong but you got them all right!

  • @_sacredseven_
    @_sacredseven_ 5 лет назад +1

    Wasp and hornet species as well as many other insects have third eyes as well. And so do humans. Very interesting stuff

  • @aaronmarks9366
    @aaronmarks9366 6 лет назад +2

    These animals are really cute! And it's incredible how unique they are evolution-wise. Thanks for this video!

  • @ServinEmUp
    @ServinEmUp 5 лет назад +1

    The year is 4078 in some wild unusual way humans have not destroyed the earth however fixed it and the reptile tuatara has evolved into the ancient movie depiction of Godzilla

  • @martialkintu2035
    @martialkintu2035 5 лет назад +1

    A sick part of me wants to eat them.

  • @sleeepybae1459
    @sleeepybae1459 4 года назад +1

    such an adorable and interesting reptile!!

  • @WobblesandBean
    @WobblesandBean 5 лет назад +2

    I had no clue the Tuatara wasn't related to lizards. That's amazing!

  • @dinamush1342
    @dinamush1342 4 года назад +1

    'Lonely 3 eyed reptile', is a good description for some people

  • @colinthiel3447
    @colinthiel3447 5 лет назад +2

    Good info, watching from New Zealand 🇳🇿

  • @jupekai4601
    @jupekai4601 4 года назад +1

    Bearded dragons have that "3rd eye" on the top of the head and it is light/dark sensitive and is useful in detecting and evading aerial predators that would prey on them.
    Tuatara are amazing reptiles.
    Captive breeding and raising is an effective method of conservation, the Crested Gecko is a great example of that.

  • @WhiteNucklin
    @WhiteNucklin 5 лет назад +2

    "Tuatara are mostly active at night.....mostly"