Fiji Banded Iguana
By Darian & Kaitlin
It’s Latin name is “brachylophus fasciatus.”
The name, Brachylophus, is derived from two Greek words:
brachys meaning "short" and lophos 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".
Biome
Tropical Rainforests
•Temperatures are
from 31-26C all year
round.
•There is a wet season
where it rains almost
constantly. They can
get 2000-3000mm of
rain on the coast and
up to 6000mm in the
mountains.
Distribution
•10,000 found iguanas over
29 different islands.
•Endangered
•They can be found in high
trees or low laying swamps.
Community
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Found in the Fiji’s islands.
Are often in the ivi tree.
Fijian banded are tree dwelling and
favour swampy forest and lowland.
Rarely come down from trees except to
lay eggs.
Habitat is disappearing due to land
clearing, agriculture and threaten by
introduce species such as feral cats, goats
and mongooses.
It forages for tropical leaves, flowers,
fruit.
Fiji has over 3000 plant species , animals
such as mongooses, bats, and cane toads.
100 species of birds and 25 which are
endemic .
Niche
Fiji Crested Iguana
Fiji Banded Iguana
• Fiji Banded Iguana are more
slender ,smaller, and smoother
than their endemic relative the
Fiji Crested Iguana.
• Thought to be herbivores, as
they eat leaves, fruit, and
flowers of trees and shrubs,
particularly hibiscus flowers of
the Vau tree and fruit such as
banana and papaya.
Limiting factors
• A biotic factor connected to iguana, is the
hibiscus flowers from the Vau tree.
• Water from swamps, contributes toward
types of food and quality.
• Eat many tropical fruits and plants.
• Captive hatchlings have been reported
eating insects and such, however the adult
will not eat them.
• Deforestation has caused them to loose
their homes and would make them go down
to lower ground, where their predators live.
This has given them greater extinction rate.
• Found in tropical areas to give an assorted
amount of food.
Adaptations
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Bury eggs so humans and other predators can’t find them.
Females guard their eggs, which is uncommon for iguanas.
If threatened, they have taught themselves to aggressively
defend their territory which terrify locals.
Males will darken the blue bands, and fake attack a predator .
This keeps predators like mongooses away and help keep
them alive.
Also the color bands on the males change from green to blue,
grey or black depending on their mood.
Fiji Banded Iguana spend their days foraging, basking and
watch their territories during the day and go to the treetops at.
The Fiji Banded Iguana is diural which mean the animal is
active during the day and a sleep at night.
The tail are extremely long which makes up more than two
thirds of the lizards total length and uses it balance as climbs
though the forest branches
Good at climbing and also swimming.
More slender ,smaller, and smoother than their endemic
relative the Fiji Crested Iguana.
Taxonomy
• Kingdom: Anamalia
– multicellular
• Phylum: Chordata
– Has a spine
• Class: Sauropsida
– Classified as a reptile
• Order: Squamata
– Contains scales
• Suborder: Iquania
– lizard
• Family: Iguanidae
– Family of lizards, composed of iguanas and relates species
• Genus: Brachylophus
• Species: B. fasciatus
Bibliography
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/11304433@N00/sets/72157600035466039
http://www.rainforest-facts.com/australasia-oceania-rainforests.html
http://www.arkive.org/fiji-banded-iguana/brachylophus-fasciatus
http://seapics.com/feature-subject/reptiles/fiji-iguana-pictures.html
http://www.digimorph.org/specimens/Brachylophus_fasciatus/
Google images
Wikipedia
naturefiji.org