Fiji crested iguana  (Brachylophus vitiensis)

Description

The Fiji crested iguana is a large stocky lizard, which was first discovered in 1979 (4). Dr John Gibbons found the iguana whilst researching the, more common, banded iguana (B. fasciatus) that is also found on the Fijian islands (5). The crested iguana is green with three narrow white bands crossing its back, whilst the bands of the banded iguana are much broader and are blue in colour (5). The crested iguana is also much larger than its close relative and has distinct crest spines along its back that can be up to 1.2 centimetres long (5). A further distinction between the two species occurs when the iguanas are aroused; the crested iguana is able to change colour very rapidly from green to black (5).

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