Tuatara

Tuatara

Sphenodon punctatus (I think?)
Status: Legally protected since 1895. Populations continue to decrease and on some islands they have become extinct. (that's all I could find, but there are large scale breeding/conservation projects running)
Taken at: Auckland Zoo

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Tuatara are frequent subjects of study due to their unique evolutionary circumstances. They are part of a distinct lineage in the Rhynchocephalia order (essentially their entire own branch of the evolutionary tree). They separated from other reptiles roughly 200 million years ago around the Upper Triassic period. Very interesting creatures I'd have to say.