Questions about Brachylophus
Short answers. For recovery work, see conservation. For citations, see about.
What is Brachylophus?
A genus of arboreal iguanas in the family Iguanidae. They are Fiji’s native iguanas — the most isolated living iguanas on Earth. The name means “short crest.”
How do you pronounce Brachylophus?
Brack-ih-LOH-fus. Some speakers say BRAK-ee-lo-fus. The Greek roots are brachys (short) and lophos (crest).
How many species are there?
Four living: B. bulabula, B. fasciatus, B. vitiensis and B. gau. A fifth, B. gibbonsi, was a giant Tongan species known from bones. Fiji also had an even larger extinct iguana in another genus, Lapitiguana.
Where do they live?
Native to Fiji. B. fasciatus was introduced to Tonga. They are not migratory and do not island-hop. Each island population has been evolving on its own.
Why are they in the Pacific if other iguanas are American?
It is a genuine biogeographic puzzle. The lineage split from other iguanids around 35 million years ago. The usual story is rafting: ancestors crossing ~10,000 km of ocean on the South Equatorial Current, able to live off food moisture for a long crossing. A vanished Old-World iguana radiation has been proposed too, but nobody has found the fossils that would prove it.
What do they eat?
Leaves, fruit and flowers of native trees. They are canopy herbivores. They come to the ground mainly to nest, which is when introduced mammals catch them.
How big are they, and how long do they live?
Snout–vent length is typically in the 15–20 cm range for adults (Gau is smaller; the crested iguana is the largest living species). The tail is longer than the body. Captive animals often live 10–15 years or more. Wild lifespan is not well measured.
How do you tell banded and crested iguanas apart?
Crested iguanas (vitiensis) are paler, with a more obvious spine crest, and they live in western dry forest. Banded species are usually vivid green; males show pale cross-bands. Separating bulabula, fasciatus and gau is mostly a matter of which island you are on, plus a few scale and colour details.
Are they endangered?
Yes. B. vitiensis is Critically Endangered. The other three living species are Endangered on published IUCN assessments. Check the Red List for updates. All four are CITES Appendix I.
Can you keep one as a pet?
No. Appendix I listing means commercial international trade is prohibited. Wild collection is illegal. Zoo animals exist for education and breeding, not the pet trade.
What is threatening them?
Forest loss, fire, goats, and cats, rats and mongoose. Females burying eggs on the ground are an easy meal. See conservation.