Leo, Netflix’s surprise animated hit, has viewers wondering what kind of lizard Adam Sandler voices in the film. Sandler plays the titular 74-year-old Leo, a jaded elementary school classroom pet who’s sick of his terrarium. When Leo finds out he only has a year left to live, the lizard-like character decides to take action and break out of the Florida classroom that’s been his home for the last seven decades. Alongside his terrarium-mate turtle, Squirtle (Bill Burr), Leo plans a daring escape in order to tackle his bucket list — but things take a turn when he lands with an incredibly anxious student, Jayda (Sadie Sandler).
Not only is Jayda saddled with her parents’ anxieties, but she’s navigating an incredibly challenging substitute teacher. While Leo might be over his day-to-day life, the reptile has enough heart to stick around and see the class through their coming-of-age challenges. An animated musical comedy, Leo might follow a tried-and-true formula, but it still manages to strike that tricky balance between sweet and sardonic. Adam Sandler’s Leo proves he needs more animated roles, as his comedic sensibilities really shine through in the Netflix film. However, despite the movie’s very fantastical bend, viewers are still wondering what kind of lizard Leo is based on.
Leo Is Based On The Tuatara
Written in part by Adam Sandler, Netflix’s Leo is infused with feel-good charm and moments of humor that are both childish and dark. It’s a winning blend of sensibilities, though it’s the film’s title character who really sells it. Leo, a reptile who’s been living in a Fort Myers Elementary School classroom for decades, has an existential crisis. Longing for a life on the outside, Leo plots an escape, only to get caught up in the latest classroom drama: the no-nonsense, long-term substitute teacher Ms. Malkin (Cecily Strong). Leo is by no means the first lizard-like protagonist to grace an animated film, but he’s certainly unique.
Unlike the starring reptiles in films like the underrated Western Rango, Leo isn’t a chameleon. The jaded Leo also isn’t a salamander or gecko; he’s not one of popular media’s go-to reptiles at all. Instead, Leo is based on a tuatara. Endemic to New Zealand, the tuatara’s name comes from a Māori word meaning “peaks on the back.” Interestingly enough, while these reptiles may resemble lizards, they are not considered lizards. Instead, they are actually part of the order Rhynchocephalia. While this group of lizard-like reptiles once contained many distinct species, the tuatara is the only currently living member of this order.
How Long Do Tuatara Live?
Tuatara are sometimes referred to as “living fossils,” which is less a reference to their lifespan than it is an ode to the species’ history. The first Rhynchocephalia appeared in the fossil record during the Triassic era — roughly 240 million years ago (via TerraNature.org). Even so, the reptiles also boast an impressive lifespan. It was once thought that tuatara lived to roughly 35 years of age, though current estimates land closer to 60 years. Captive tuatara like Leo, however, have lived to over 100 years old. As the Leo movie’s ending suggests, the reptile’s ripe old age of 74 might not be a death knell after all.
