Fiji banded iguana
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Physical features
Fiji banded iguanas are bright green lizards that grow up to around 21 inches long including the tail.
Their tails are very long, making up more than two thirds of their total length.
Fiji banded iguanas have a crest of raised scales running down their spines.
Males have large light green or blue stripes on their bodies and tails.
Fiji banded iguanas are sexually dimorphic with males being larger than females.
Fiji banded iguanas are mostly active during the day.
Range and Habitat
Range – Fiji and Vanuatu
Habitat – Forests, prefers wet forests to dry forests
Diet: Herbivore
Wild – Flowers, fruits, leaves.
Zoo – Leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, flowers
Lifespan
Wild – 10-15 years
Zoo – 25+ years
Reproduction
Fiji banded iguanas become sexually mature at 3 years old in captivity and are thought to become sexually mature at 4 years old in the wild.
A male Fiji banded iguana will court a female by bobbing his head and flicking his tongue at her.
After mating females dig borrows in which they lay 3 to 6 eggs which will hatch 7 to 9 months later.
Conservation: Endangered
Major Threats: Mongoose, black rats, feral cats and habitat destruction.
Other threats include occasional illegal trading.
There are currently no conservation measures in place to protect the Fiji banded iguana, however all iguanas in the genus Brachylophus are protected under appendix 1 of CITES.
Recommended conservation measures include designating the iguana inhabited islands of Makogai and Makodroga as national parks and education programs for the indigenous population designed to stress the importance of the Fiji banded iguana and its role in the local ecosystem.
Interpretive Information
Fiji banded iguanas are arboreal, but they are also good swimmers.
The Fiji banded iguana and a closely related species of iguana, the Lau banded iguana, were formerly classified as a single species.
While Fiji banded iguanas are native to the country of Fiji, those found in the country of Vanuatu were introduced from Fiji and released by a reptile dealer in the 1960s.
References
Fisher, R., Grant, T. & Harlow, P. 2012. Brachylophus bulabula. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 September 2014.
Harlow, P. 2007. Brachylophus fasciatus. Arkive http://www.arkive.org/fiji-banded-iguana/brachylophus-fasciatus/. Downloaded on 26 September 2014.
Fiji Banded Iguana, San Diego Zoo. Accessed September 26, 2014 at http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals/reptiles/fiji-banded-iguana Accessed on 26 September 2014
Updated September 2014