Brachylophus fasciatus
Encyclopedia
The Fiji banded iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus) is an arboreal species
of lizard
endemic to some of the southeastern Fiji
an islands. It is found in Tonga
, where it was probably introduced by humans. It is one of the few species of iguanas
found outside of the New World and one of the most geographically isolated members of the family Iguanidae. Populations of these iguanas have been declining over the past century due to habitat destruction, and more significantly, the introduction of mongoose
and house cat
s to the islands.
The species is diurnal, spending their days foraging, basking and watching over their territories by day and retreating to the treetops at night. Fiji iguanas are considered a national treasure by the government of Fiji
, and its likeness has been featured on postage stamp
s, currency
, and phone book covers.
in 1800. The generic
name, Brachylophus, is derived from two Greek words: brachys (βραχύς) meaning "short" and lophos (λόφος) meaning "crest" or "plume", denoting the short spiny crests along the back of this species. The specific name, fasciatus, is a Latin
word meaning "banded".
The species is closely related to the Fiji crested iguana
and B. bulabula
. The genus Brachylophus has been suggested to have descended from a more widespread lineage of (now extinct) Old World
iguanids that diverged from their New World
relatives in the Paleogene
. However, no other members of the putative lineage, living or fossil, have been found outside Fiji and Tonga. An alternative theory is that the ancestors of these iguanas rafted
9000 km west across the Pacific Ocean from the Americas, where their closest relatives are found.
, Beqa
, Vatulele
, Ono, Dravuni
, Taveuni
, Nggamea, Vanua
, Balavu, Avea
, Vatu Vara
, Lakeba
, Aiwa, Oneata, Vanua Levu
, Totoya
, Kabara
, and Fulaga
. It was introduced to the Tonga Islands, New Hebrides
, and Wallis and Futuna
300 years ago. It has been introduced to Vanuatu
as a feral
animal in the 1960s. The current wild population is less than 10,000 individuals in 29 distinct subpopulations. Fiji banded iguanas inhabit most of the undisturbed habitats on these islands, from high cloud forests to low-lying coastal swamps.
Sexually dimorphic, males have two or three white or pale-blue bands 2 centimetre (0.78740157480315 in) wide crossing their emerald green background with a pattern of spots and stripes on the nuchal
region. Females, on the other hand, are solid green with occasional spotting or partial bands. Both sexes have a yellow underside. Fiji banded iguanas reach 60 centimetres (23.6 in) in length when measured from snout to tail tip and bodyweights of up to 200 gram (0.440924524369755 lb). The crests of these iguanas are very short reaching a length of 0.5 centimetre (0.196850393700787 in).
Although there appear to be slight variations between insular populations, none have been well-described. The animals from Tonga are smaller and leaner, and were previously described as B. brevicephalus.
The skin of this species is sensitive to light and the lizard can change its skin color to match its background. Captive specimens have been observed matching the pattern left by the screen
tops of their cages in as little as 30 seconds.
s to increase the size of their profile, following up with violent battles amongst each other.
and papaya
. Captive hatchlings have been observed eating insects; however, adults usually will not.
regions after a series of rapid head bobs. The breeding season occurs during the month of November. The Fiji banded iguana is oviparous and has a long incubation period of 160–170 days. Females guard the nest of three to six eggs, which is unusual for iguanids. Hatchlings emerge from their eggs in the rainy season and obtain moisture by licking wet leaves.
and as such its name is not allowed to be mentioned in the presence of women or the offender may be beaten with a stick. The majority of Fijians, however, are terrified of iguanas because of their behavior when threatened. On such occasions, an iguana turns black, opens its mouth and lunges at attackers.
s, mongoose
, and cat
s which prey on the iguanas and their eggs. Additionally the iguana has been hunted as a food source and for the illegal exotic animal trade.
has been documented as the most successful breeding colony of Fiji banded iguanas in the world.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
endemic to some of the southeastern Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an islands. It is found in Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, where it was probably introduced by humans. It is one of the few species of iguanas
Iguanidae
Iguanidae is a family of lizards, composed of iguanas and related species.-Classification of Iguanidae:Two different classification schemes have been used to define the structure of this family. These are the "traditional" classification and the classification presented by Frost et al. .Frost et...
found outside of the New World and one of the most geographically isolated members of the family Iguanidae. Populations of these iguanas have been declining over the past century due to habitat destruction, and more significantly, the introduction of mongoose
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
and house cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s to the islands.
The species is diurnal, spending their days foraging, basking and watching over their territories by day and retreating to the treetops at night. Fiji iguanas are considered a national treasure by the government of Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, and its likeness has been featured on postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s, currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
, and phone book covers.
Taxonomy and etymology
This species was first described by French zoologist Alexandre BrongniartAlexandre Brongniart
Alexandre Brongniart was a French chemist, mineralogist, and zoologist, who collaborated with Georges Cuvier on a study of the geology of the region around Paris...
in 1800. The generic
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
name, Brachylophus, is derived from two Greek words: brachys (βραχύς) meaning "short" and lophos (λόφος) meaning "crest" or "plume", denoting the short spiny crests along the back of this species. The specific name, fasciatus, is a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word meaning "banded".
The species is closely related to the Fiji crested iguana
Fiji Crested Iguana
The Fiji crested iguana is a critically endangered species of iguana native to some of the northwestern islands of the Fijiian archipelago, where it is found in dry forest.-Taxonomy and etymology:...
and B. bulabula
Brachylophus bulabula
Brachylophus bulabula is a species of iguanid lizard endemic to some of the larger central and northwestern islands of Fiji , where it occurs in Fijian wet forest. It was discovered by a team led by a scientist from the Australian National University in 2008...
. The genus Brachylophus has been suggested to have descended from a more widespread lineage of (now extinct) Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
iguanids that diverged from their New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
relatives in the Paleogene
Paleogene
The Paleogene is a geologic period and system that began 65.5 ± 0.3 and ended 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and comprises the first part of the Cenozoic Era...
. However, no other members of the putative lineage, living or fossil, have been found outside Fiji and Tonga. An alternative theory is that the ancestors of these iguanas rafted
Rafting event
Oceanic dispersal is a type of biological dispersal that occurs when organisms transfer from one land mass to another by way of a sea crossing on large clumps of floating vegetation. Such matted clumps of vegetation are often seen floating down major rivers in the tropics and washing out to sea,...
9000 km west across the Pacific Ocean from the Americas, where their closest relatives are found.
Distribution and habitat
The Fiji banded iguana is endemic to the Fiji Islands and is found on the islands of Wakaya, MoturikiMoturiki
Moturiki is an island belonging to Fiji's Lomaiviti Archipelago. Covering an area of 10.4 square kilometers, it is situated at 17.45° South and 178.44° East....
, Beqa
Beqa
Beqa is an island in Fiji, an outlier to the main island of Viti Levu, 10 kilometers to the south. The island has a land area of 36 square kilometers and reaches a maximum altitude of 462 meters.-Tradition:...
, Vatulele
Vatulele
Vatulele is a coral and volcanic island 30 kilometers south of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. Situated at 18.50° South and 177.63° East, Vatulele has an area of 31.6 square kilometers. Its maximum altitude is only 34 meters....
, Ono, Dravuni
Dravuni
Dravuni is a volcanic island in the Kadavu Group of islands in Fiji. Covering an area of 0.8 square kilometers, it is located at 18.78° South and 178.53° East, and reaches a maximum altitude of 40 meters....
, Taveuni
Taveuni
Taveuni is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, with a total land area of 435 square kilometers . The cigar-shaped island, a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is situated 6.5 kilometers to the east of Vanua Levu, across the...
, Nggamea, Vanua
Vanua
The word vanua – meaning "land," "home," or "village" – occurs in several Austronesian languages, and derives from the Proto-Austronesian banua. The word has particular significance in several countries.-In Fiji:...
, Balavu, Avea
Avea
AveA , the sole GSM 1800 mobile operator of Turkey, was founded in 2004 and has reached a nationwide customer base of 12.4 million by the end of June 2009.TT&TİM İletişim Hizmetleri A.Ş...
, Vatu Vara
Vatu Vara
Vatu Vara Island lies in the northwest sector of Fiji's northern Lau Group of islands, 32 km west of Mago Island and some 60 km south-west of Vanua Balavu at Lat: 17° 26'00 S Long: 179° 31'00 W....
, Lakeba
Lakeba
Lakeba is an island in Fiji's Southern Lau Archipelago; the provincial capital of Lau is located here. The island is the tenth largest in Fiji, with a land area of nearly 60 square kilometers. It is fertile and well watered, and encircled by a 29-kilometer road. Its closest neighbors are Aiwa...
, Aiwa, Oneata, Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu , formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located 64 kilometres to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of 5,587.1 km² and a population of some 130,000.- Geography :...
, Totoya
Totoya
Totoya is a volcanic island in the Moala subgroup of Fiji's Lau archipelago. It occupies an area of 28 square kilometers, making it the smallest of the Moalas. Its maximum altitude is 366 meters. The main economic activity is coconut farming....
, Kabara
Kabara
Kabara is an island of Fiji, a member of the Lau archipelago. With a land area of 31 km² , its population of some 700 lives in four villages.The islanders are noted for their craftsmanship in the area of wood carving...
, and Fulaga
Fulaga
Fulaga is a crescent-shaped reef-limestone island in Fiji's Southern Lau Group.-Geography:Situated at 19.17° South and 178.65° West, it covers an area of 18.5 square kilometres. It has a maximum elevation of 79 metres. The limestone belongs to the Koroqara Limestone and is probably Late Miocene...
. It was introduced to the Tonga Islands, New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
, and Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands , is a Polynesian French island territory in the South Pacific between Tuvalu to the northwest, Rotuma of Fiji to the west, the main part of Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast,...
300 years ago. It has been introduced to Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
as a feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
animal in the 1960s. The current wild population is less than 10,000 individuals in 29 distinct subpopulations. Fiji banded iguanas inhabit most of the undisturbed habitats on these islands, from high cloud forests to low-lying coastal swamps.
Description
Neck
The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...
region. Females, on the other hand, are solid green with occasional spotting or partial bands. Both sexes have a yellow underside. Fiji banded iguanas reach 60 centimetres (23.6 in) in length when measured from snout to tail tip and bodyweights of up to 200 gram (0.440924524369755 lb). The crests of these iguanas are very short reaching a length of 0.5 centimetre (0.196850393700787 in).
Although there appear to be slight variations between insular populations, none have been well-described. The animals from Tonga are smaller and leaner, and were previously described as B. brevicephalus.
The skin of this species is sensitive to light and the lizard can change its skin color to match its background. Captive specimens have been observed matching the pattern left by the screen
Window screen
A window screen, insect screen or bug screen is a metal wire, fiberglass, or other synthetic fiber mesh, stretched in a frame of wood or metal, designed to cover the opening of an open window. Its primary purpose is to keep leaves, debris, insects, birds, and other animals from entering a building...
tops of their cages in as little as 30 seconds.
Behavior
The species is diurnal, spending their days foraging, basking and watching over their territories by day and retreating to the treetops at night. Male iguanas are highly visual, and aggressively defend their territories from rival males. The iguanas will deepen their green coloration to intensify their bands, and bob their heads and intimidate intruders by lunging at them with open mouths. They often expand and flare their dewlapDewlap
A dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck of many vertebrates. While the term is usually used in this specific context, it can also be used to include other structures occurring in the same body area with a similar aspect, such as those caused by a double...
s to increase the size of their profile, following up with violent battles amongst each other.
Diet
Fiji banded iguanas are herbivorous, feeding on the leaves, fruit, and flowers of trees and shrubs, particularly hibiscus flowers of the Vau tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus) and fruit such as bananaBanana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
and papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
. Captive hatchlings have been observed eating insects; however, adults usually will not.
Reproduction
Courtship is similar to other iguanids, with males approaching and tongue flicking the female's back, forelimbs and nuchalNeck
The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...
regions after a series of rapid head bobs. The breeding season occurs during the month of November. The Fiji banded iguana is oviparous and has a long incubation period of 160–170 days. Females guard the nest of three to six eggs, which is unusual for iguanids. Hatchlings emerge from their eggs in the rainy season and obtain moisture by licking wet leaves.
Folklore
The Fijian name for iguana is "vokai", although some tribes call it "saumuri". Two tribes regard the iguana as their totemTotem
A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem...
and as such its name is not allowed to be mentioned in the presence of women or the offender may be beaten with a stick. The majority of Fijians, however, are terrified of iguanas because of their behavior when threatened. On such occasions, an iguana turns black, opens its mouth and lunges at attackers.
Threats
The biggest threats this iguana faces is habitat loss due to fires, storms, agricultural development, and competition from feral goats. A secondary threat is introduced predators in the forms of ratRat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s, mongoose
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
, and cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s which prey on the iguanas and their eggs. Additionally the iguana has been hunted as a food source and for the illegal exotic animal trade.
Captivity
Since 1982 the Fijian government has maintained that the entire zoo population of Fiji banded iguanas was obtained illegally or descended from smuggled animals: "Virtually all of the estimated 50–100 banded iguanas in American zoos have been obtained without the knowledge or consent of the Government of Fiji". The husbandry of Fiji banded iguanas at the San Diego ZooSan Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...
has been documented as the most successful breeding colony of Fiji banded iguanas in the world.