On the eighth day of Christmas NFMV shared with me:

Eight iguanas hiding
Seven turtles swimming
Six ducks a-laying
Five acmopyles,
Four calling kulas
Three flying foxes
Two friendly ground doves
And a fruit dove in a mango tree.

Eight Iguanas Hiding
Iguanas are amazing, strange and very beautiful creatures. Totally adapted to their life in the trees, they are perfectly camouflaged with their leafy surroundings, making them incredibly difficult to see! Sometimes they change their colour, but not as often or easily as a chameleon. Read on to find out more…
There are three main species of iguana in Fiji today- 2 native species (crested and banded iguana), and one invasive (Green (or American) iguana. Recently it has been discovered that there are more than one species of banded iguana.

Thousands of years ago, we used to have giant iguanas living in Fiji.

Fossil remains have been found in the Volivoli Caves near Sigatoka. It is likely that it became extinct shortly after the first people arrived.

Our beautiful native iguanas are protected by the government of Fiji and under the Endangered and Protected Species Act (2002) as they are listed as an Appendix I species under the Convention of the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). They are threatened because of habitat loss and introduced species including mongoose, house cats and rats.

The Fijian Crested Iguana

PLEASE DON’T BE AFRAID OF THESE AMAZING ANIMALS. THEY WON’T HURT YOU AND WE ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE THEM HERE IN FIJI!
• Crested iguanas are critically endangered. Goats destroy their habitat (home), mongooses eat their eggs and young hatchlings. Cats and rats are also a huge problem. So are people! Adult iguanas and eggs are sometimes stolen and smuggled to be sold for the pet trade. Keep watch!
We must do everything we can to protect the few that remain! They need everyone’s help and support.
What is your favourite food? A crested iguana’s favourite snack is the hibiscus flowers from the Vau tree! Read on to find out more. Share the information with friend, family –everyone!

• Their body is emerald green with three white bands across the back. They are quite stocky
• They are about 75cm long from nose to tail tip and weigh less than a small packet of breakfast crackers!
• They have long, spindly toes ending in claws which help them to climb the trees that they live in.
• They have crest spines (up to about 1cm long) along their back
• When disturbed or aroused they quickly change colour from green to black. It takes much longer for them to change back!
• When Crested Iguanas meet they bob their heads. If two males meet and head-bob it is a challenge and NOT friendly. Between a male and female head-bobbing is part of their courtship and they will also change colour (as mentioned above).
• They are herbivores (plant eaters)
• Four eggs are laid in March/April and are incubated for an incredibly long time ( 8-9 months) and fearlessly guarded by their mum during this time!

The Banded Iguana

As with crested iguanas:
PLEASE DON’T BE AFRAID OF THESE AMAZING ANIMALS. THEY WON’T HURT YOU AND WE ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE THEM HERE IN FIJI!
• Banded iguanas are critically endangered. Mongooses eat their eggs and young hatchlings. Cats and rats are also a huge problem. So are people! Adult iguanas and eggs are sometimes stolen and smuggled to be sold for the pet trade. Keep watch!
We must do everything we can to protect the few that remain! They need everyone’s help and support.

Until 2008, there was thought to be just one species of banded iguana. There are now 3 recognised kinds including (Brachylophus bulabula) found in central Fiji and the Lau Banded Iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus). There may be other kinds too but more analysis is needed ( R. Fisher and P. Harlow,2011). For today, we will call them all Banded iguanas
• It is thought that the ancestors of banded iguanas probably rafted over from Central or South America. Once established on the islands, they evolved into new species.
• The Fiji banded iguana is native to Fiji and lots of nearby islands.
• Like the crested iguana, banded iguanas are herbivorous, eating leaves, fruits and flowers.
• Banded iguanas are shorter and lighter than crested iguanas. They grow to be about 60cm ( 2 feet ) long –half of this is tail!
• They weigh around 200g ( about the same as half a small packet of breakfast crackers!)
• Like us, the banded iguana is active during the day (diurnal)
• They lay eggs that incubate for about 165 days, and like crested iguanas, the females guard the nest to protect their eggs.

• The male is coloured with light blue to white bands on a bright green background. Females are more uniformly green with occasional faint banding
• Both sexes have yellow underbellies and yellow-rimmed nostrils.
• They have long, spindly toes ending in claws which help them to climb the trees that they live in.
• They have a very short crest (only 0.5 centimetres high)
• Fijian banded iguanas are arboreal (tree-dwelling)
• They prefer coastal and lowland/swampy forests but are sometimes spotted in rainforest areas.
• They rarely come down from the trees except to lay eggs.
• Their habitat is disappearing due to land clearing
• They are also threatened by introduced species such as rats, feral cats and mongooses.

Why don’t you color in these iguanas below. You will find another species of iguana in this picture – and it is an iguana that is not native to Fiji. Can you tell which one it is?

 

 

Join us tomorrow to meet one of the most beautiful butterflies in the World