What do tuatara eat?

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tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) — tuatara The species is the sole living member of the reptile order Rhynchocephalia.

Tuatara are opportunistic predators that primarily consume a diverse array of arthropods, such as beetles, spiders, and crickets, as well as smaller lizards.1

Because they often inhabit the burrow systems of the fairy prion, a type of seabird, their diet is supported by the nutrient-rich environment created by the birds' excreta, which sustains a large population of prey insects. In addition to these invertebrates and small reptiles, tuatara may also prey on the eggs and chicks of the fairy prions themselves.1