{"id":10802,"date":"2022-03-23T20:29:54","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T20:29:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=10802"},"modified":"2022-03-27T11:43:16","modified_gmt":"2022-03-27T11:43:16","slug":"what-does-a-tuatara-eat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/what-does-a-tuatara-eat\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does A Tuatara Eat?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You just found out about the tuatara<\/a>, and now you want to know more! As it turns out, there\u2019s much more to this cute reptile than meets the eye\u2013for example, it\u2019s the only animal in the world that has a third eye on top of its head. A tuatara\u2019s eating habits are also fascinating, and you would be amazed at how long it can go without eating! So, what does a tuatara eat? How does it hunt? Does it have teeth? And just how long can it go without food? Keep reading! In this article, we\u2019ll answer all of these questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Tuatara’s Favorite Food?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The adorable, lizard-like tuatara, native to New Zealand, is a carnivore. It eats many different kinds of meat-based foods, though there are some it seems to prefer more than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the San Diego Zoo<\/a>, the tuatara eats mostly insects. This unique creature is nocturnal, so most of the insects it eats are also active at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of all insects, tuatara seem to prefer beetles of all kinds. They will also eat spiders, crickets, worms, cicadas, and many other types of insects depending on what is available.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insects are their most common food choice\u2013their \u201cfavorite\u201d food\u2013but they will occasionally eat other things as well. For this reason, they can be seen as opportunistic carnivores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other foods tuatara will eat include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n