THE FIJI BANDED IGUANA IS ENDANGERED, BUT WHY?

Have you met Plantasia Tropical Zoo’s very own Fiji Banded Iguana?

He can be found greeting you with his wide bright blue and green stripes and a very long tail. This article will tell you a little bit more about these fascinating unique animals, with an explanation on how and why they are endangered in their natural habitat.

It’s all about the Fiji Banded Iguana:

The Fiji Banded Iguana (Brachylophus bulabula) is a type of reptile iguana with an endangered conservation status, mostly due to human interference. They are naturally found in shrubland, wet and moist forests, coastal swamps and rocky areas of the Fijian islands, but have also been introduced to Vanuatu. In the wild they have an average lifespan of around 10-15 years, however, in captivity they have been known to live up to 25 years. 

So what do they look like?

They have bright green and blue stripes with a crested spine and long tail, which helps them to balance whilst climbing trees. The difference between males and females is that males have wider blue or green stripes along their body and females usually have solid green with a few white or pale blue spots. Their long tail helps them reach a length of about 60-80 centimetres. Fiji banded iguanas also have distinguished reddish-orange eyes and yellow nostrils.