They are also popular on the black market pet trade. Though it’s illegal because the tuatara is a protected species in New Zealand, people will pay up to $40,000 for a pet tuatara.

Tuataras have weird teeth. 3. Tuatara teeth are actually not really teeth. Tuatara “teeth” are actually protrusions from their jawbone that cannot fall out. 4. Tuataras like cold weather.