# Sphenodon (*Sphenodon punctatus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/sphenodon  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

Sphenodon (Sphenodon punctatus), also called tuatara or beakhead, is a reptile in the family Sphenodontidae and the suborder Sphenodontida. It falls in the small size class, with an adult body mass of 430 g, and checklists record it in New Zealand. Its eggs incubate for 330.1 days, with 12 young or eggs per clutch and 0.25 clutches per year. It reaches sexual maturity at 12 years, and its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 430 g |
| Length | up to 80 cm |
| Lifespan | 42.5 years – 90 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Egg incubation | 330 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 12 |
| Age at maturity | 12 years – 15 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 0.25 |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | 1 country |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- family: Sphenodontidae
- genus: Sphenodon
- species: *Sphenodon punctatus* (Gray, 1842)

Synonyms: *Hatteria punctata*, *Rhynchocephalus*, *Sphenodon guntheri*, *Sphenodon punctatus reischeki*

## Countries on record

Countries where Catalogue of Life checklists list the species. Many checklists carry no country data, so the list is often incomplete. It is not a range map.

New Zealand

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the sphenodon?

The sphenodon is a reptile in the family Sphenodontidae, suborder Sphenodontida. It is also called tuatara.

### How heavy is the sphenodon?

The sphenodon has an adult body mass of 430 g, placing it in the small size class.

### Is the sphenodon endangered?

No. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does the sphenodon live?

The lifespan figure from sources is 42.5 years, and the highest value reported by sources is 90 years.

### Which countries is the sphenodon recorded in?

Checklists record the sphenodon in New Zealand.

### How long do Sphenodon eggs take to hatch?

Sphenodon eggs have an incubation period of 330.1 days.

### When does the sphenodon reach sexual maturity?

The sphenodon reaches sexual maturity at 12 years, with a highest reported value of 15 years.

### What is the scientific name authority for Sphenodon punctatus?

The authority is given as (Gray, 1842), the author and year of description listed for the name.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Sphenodon (Sphenodon punctatus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/sphenodon