Lost in the South Pacific

The Fijian Iguanas (Genus Brachylophus)

Abstract

Two species of iguanas occur in the South Pacific: the widely distributed Banded Iguana and the larger Crested Iguana, which is more restricted in its distribution. Abundance data are available only for the Crested Iguana Sanctuary island of Yadua Taba in Fiji, and suggest that in optimal forest habitat densities may approach 200 iguanas per hectare. No other island in the Pacific is known to possess such a dense population of Brachylophus and, on most islands where iguanas occur, sightings are rare or extremely uncommon. As the Pacific iguanas are not hunted, eaten, or traded, their rarity is most likely due to the combination of habitat loss and degradation from forest clearing, burning, and goat grazing, and the introduction of exotic predators such as cats, mongooses, and perhaps rodents.