a nocturnal burrowing lizardlike reptile with a crest of soft spines along its back, now confined to some small islands off New Zealand.
Order Rhynchocephalia and genus Sphenodon: two species, in particular S. punctatum. All other members of the order became extinct during the Mesozoic era
Origin:
late 19th century: from Maori, from tua 'on the back' + tara 'spine'
