''Brachylophus bulabula'', commonly known as the Central Fijian Banded Iguana is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

iguanid The Iguanidae is a family of lizards composed of the iguanas, chuckwallas, and their prehistoric relatives, including the widespread green iguana. Taxonomy Iguanidae is thought to be the sister group to the collared lizards (family Crotaphy ...

lizard

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to some of the larger central and northwestern islands of Fiji ( Ovalau, Kadavu and

Viti Levu Viti Levu (pronounced ) is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. It is the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population. Geology Fiji lies in a tectonically complex area between the Australian ...

), where it occurs in Fijian wet forest. It was described by a team led by a scientist from the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...

in 2008. It is one of the few species of

iguana ''Iguana'' (, ) is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his ...

found outside of the New World and one of the most geographically isolated members of the family Iguanidae. Initially also reported from

Gau Island Gau (pronounced ) is an island belonging to Fiji's Lomaiviti archipelago. Located at 18.00° S and 179.30 °E, it covers an area of , with a total shoreline that measures long, making it the fifth largest island in the Fijian archipelago. Its m ...

, in 2017 this population was described as a separate species, '' B. gau''. They can grow up to 2 feet long and have an average lifespan of 10-15 years. However, there have been some captive Fiji banded iguanas that have lived as long as 25 years. Fijian banded iguana typically are found in tropical wet islands that are typically 650-1700 feet above sea level. They also like to bask in temperatures ranging from . The areas that are most suitable for Fiji banded iguanas are Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Ovalau, Viwa, and Kadavu. Males are typically are green with blue stripes and the females are green with white stripes.

Taxonomy and etymology

The

generic Generic or generics may refer to: In business * Generic term, a common name used for a range or class of similar things not protected by trademark * Generic brand, a brand for a product that does not have an associated brand or trademark, other ...

name, ''Brachylophus'', is derived from two Greek words: brachys (βραχυς) meaning "short" and lophos (λοφος) meaning "crest" or "plume", denoting the short spiny crests along the back of this species. The specific name, ''bulabula'', is a doubling of the Fijian word for "hello": ''bula''. The species is closely related to the Fiji banded iguana and the

Fiji crested iguana The Fiji crested iguana or Fijian crested iguana (''Brachylophus vitiensis'') is a critically endangered species of iguanidae, iguana native to some of the northwestern islands of the Fijiian archipelago, where it is found in tropical dry forest, ...

. This species was described after a mitochondrial DNA analysis of 61 iguanas from 13 islands showed that ''B. bulabula'' was genetically and physically different from the two other species. All species in this genus are thought to have evolved from ancestors that rafted west across the Pacific Ocean from the Americas, where their closest relatives are found. It has also been suggested that the genus evolved from

s that crossed, in part over dry land bridges, to Fiji from

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...

Reproduction

Fiji banded Iguanas reach reproductive maturity around 3 or 4 years old. To attract a mate, male Fiji banded iguanas will often times stick out their tongues and flick them repeatedly. They also will bob their heads in a rhythmic way to attract mates. Females will typically lay a clutch of 5–7 eggs, and those eggs incubate for 7–9 months. One major complication that has impacted the reproductions of Fijian banded iguanas is yolk coelomitis. Yolk coelomitis is a condition in most reptiles that occurs as a result of pre-ovulatory follicular stasis. The yolk and other nutrients of the body are not well absorbed and as a result the yolk never develops a membrane. The yolk keeps growing and breaks eventually. When it breaks, the materials from the yolk cause an infection in the coelomic cavity called Yolk Peritonitis.

Diet

Fiji iguanas are

herbivorous A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpar ...

; they feed on the leaves, fruit, and flowers of trees and shrubs, particularly hibiscus flowers of the ''Vau'' tree (''

Hibiscus tiliaceus ''Hibiscus tiliaceus'', commonly known as the sea hibiscus or coast cottonwood, is a species of flowering tree in the mallow family, Malvaceae, with a pantropical distribution along coastlines. It has also been introduced to Florida and New Zea ...

'') and fruit such as banana and papaya. When certain fruits are not as abundant, Fiji banded iguanas may also forage for leaves and other native plant species. Hatchlings may feed on insects; however, adults usually will not.

References

External links

* "Fiji Banded Iguana: Care Sheet, Lifespan & More (With Pictures)". Pet Keen. 2021-08-09. Retrieved 2022-04-26. * Stacy, Brian A.; Howard, Lauren; Kinkaid, John; Vidal, Justin D.; Papendick, Rebecca (2008-06). "Yolk Coelomitis in Fiji Island Banded Iguanas (Brachylophus fasciatus)". Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 39 (2): 161–169. doi:10.1638/2007-0047R1.1. ISSN 1042-7260. * Gibbons, John R. H. (1981). "The Biogeography of Brachylophus (Iguanidae) including the Description of a New Species, B. vitiensis, from Fiji". Journal of Herpetology. 15 (3): 255–273. doi:10.2307/1563429. ISSN 0022-1511. {{Taxonbar, from=Q2923312 Brachylophus Reptiles of Fiji Reptiles described in 2008 Taxa named by J. Scott Keogh