Image: Sabine Bernert | ©
Tuatara.
Reptiles and frogs
The herpetofauna animal group includes reptiles and frogs. New Zealand has tuatara, geckos, skinks, and four species of native frog.

The animal group that includes reptiles and frogs is called herpetofauna. New Zealand has the tuatara, geckos and skinks, and four species of native frog (pepeketua) in this group.

New Zealand native frogs/pepeketua belong to the genus Leiopelma, an ancient and primitive group of frogs that has changed very little in 70 million years.

There are many different types of lizards in the world. In New Zealand we only have geckos and skinks.

Tuatara are a rare reptile found only in New Zealand. They are the last survivors of an order of reptiles that thrived in the age of the dinosaurs.