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How did introduced cats and pigs threaten tuatara on New Zealand islands?
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tuatara
The species is the sole living member of the reptile order Rhynchocephalia.
The introduction of nonnative mammals, including cats and pigs, has posed a severe threat to the tuatara on New Zealand islands.2
These introduced species act as invasive predators that disrupt the native ecosystem. Because the tuatara evolved in an environment that historically lacked predatory mammals, they lack the necessary defenses to survive against such threats. Consequently, the tuatara is considered seriously threatened with extinction on islands where these mammals have been introduced.123