One of the 9 iguanas on WAnimals
Reptiles · Squamata · Iguanidae
Lau Banded Iguana
Brachylophus fasciatus
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
The Fiji banded iguana is an arboreal lizard of emerald green with pale bands, endemic to the islands of the South Pacific. Its presence there is a biogeographical puzzle of the first order: the iguanas are an American group, and its closest relatives are more than eight thousand kilometres away, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
Weight
200 g – 300 g
Size
45 cm – 60 cm
Lifespan
15 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Fun facts
- GeneralBright green with pale bands; it hides among the leaves of the canopy.
- Its presence in Fiji is one of the great puzzles of biogeography: the iguanas are an American group, and these islands lie more than eight thousand kilometres from their closest relatives. The leading hypothesis is a trans-Pacific crossing on rafts of vegetation millions of years ago.
- The males change colour according to their state: they darken almost to black when stressed or in confrontation, and return to emerald green at rest.
- Introduced mongooses and cats and the conversion of coastal dry forest into tourist resorts are its main threats.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Coastal tropical forest and island scrub
- Sexual maturity
- 3 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 160 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 4 eggs
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachylophus_fasciatus
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Lau Banded Iguana — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Pacific Boa
Candoia carinata
Grand Cayman Blue Iguana
Cyclura lewisi
Hispaniolan Rhinoceros Iguana
Cyclura cornuta
Fiji Tree Frog
Platymantis vitiensis
Least ConcernGreen Iguana
Iguana iguana
Ricord's Rock Iguana
Cyclura ricordii
How to help
The lau banded iguana is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about lau banded iguana.
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