Fiji Crested Iguana :: Brachylophus vitiensis

Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 051

On today’s show we learn about the Fiji Crested Iguana, a critically endangered reptile native to roughly 8 islands in the Fijian archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean.

• (00:05) Intro
• (02:05) Species Information
• (27:59) Citations
• (29:52) Music
• (36:21) Pledge

For more information about Fiji Crested Iguana conservation please see National Trust of Fiji Islands – https://nationaltrust.org.fj/iguana/.

Research for today’s show was compiled from:

• Australian Journal of Zoology v. 55, 341-350. Morrison Clare, Osborne Tamara, Harlow Peter S., Thomas Nunia, Biciloa Pita, Niukula Jone (2008) “Diet and habitat preferences of the Fijian crested iguana (Brachylophus vitiensis) on Yadua Taba, Fiji: implications for conservation”. – https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO07062
• Ecology and Evolution vol. 11 no.9: 4731-4743. 26 Mar. 2021. Eliades, Samuel J et al. “Gut microbial ecology of the Critically Endangered Fijian crested iguana (Brachylophus vitiensis): Effects of captivity status and host reintroduction on endogenous microbiomes.” – https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7373
• Iguana, v. 11 no.4, 198-205. Harlow, P. S. (2004). “Lost in the South Pacific: The Fijian Iguanas (Genus Brachylophus).” – https://journals.ku.edu/iguana/article/view/17149 
• Harlow, P., Fisher, R. & Grant, T. 2012. Brachylophus vitiensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T2965A2791620. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T2965A2791620.en
• IUCN Fijian crested iguana. Brachylophus vitiensis : species recovery plan, 2008-2012. Harlow, Peter S – https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/46149
• Journal of Herpetology v.15, no. 3 (1981): 255–73. John R. H. Gibbons. “The Biogeography of Brachylophus (Iguanidae) Including the Description of a New Species, B. Vitiensis, from Fiji.” – https://doi.org/10.2307/1563429
• National Trust of Fiji Islands – https://nationaltrust.org.fj/iguana/
• Oryx. v 41. Harlow, Peter & Fisher, Martin & Tuiwawa, Marika & Biciloa, Pita & Palmeirim, Jorge & Mersai, Charlene & Naidu, Shivanjani & Naikatini, Alivereti & Thaman, Baravi & Niukula, Jone & Strand, Erica. (2007). “The decline of the endemic Fijian crested iguana Brachylophus vitiensis in the Yasawa and Mamanuca archipelagos, western Fiji.” – http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0030605307001639
• Pacific Conservation Biology. v. 15. pg.135-147. Morrison, Suzanne & Harlow, Peter & Keogh, J.. (2009). “Nesting ecology of the critically endangered Fijian Crested Iguana Brachylophus vitiensis in a Pacific tropical dry forest.” – http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/PC090135
• Pacific Science v.63 no. 2, 223-242, (1 April 2009). Clare Morrison, Gunnar Keppel, Nunia Thomas, Isaac Rounds, and Peter S. Harlow "Critically Endangered Fijian Crested Iguana (Brachylophus vitiensis) Shows Habitat Preference for Globally Threatened Tropical Dry Forest," – https://doi.org/10.2984/049.063.0205
• PloS one. 8. E73127. Morrison, Suzanne & Biciloa, Pita & Harlow, Peter & Keogh, J.. (2013). “Spatial Ecology of the Critically Endangered Fijian Crested Iguana, Brachylophus vitiensis, in an Extremely Dense Population: Implications for Conservation.” – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073127
• Proceedings of the international conference on island invasives 2017: Island invasives : scaling up to meet the challenge. ed: Veitch, C.R. “Community-based conservation and recovery of native species on Monuriki Island, Fiji.” (2019). Fisher, Robert N., Jone Niukula, Peter S. Harlow, Sia Rasalato, Ramesh Chand, Baravi Stewart Helu Thaman, Elenoa Seniloli, Joeli Vadada, Steve Cranwell, J. Jed Brown, Kim Lovich and Nunia Thomas-Moko. – https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2019.SSC-OP.62.EN
• Reptiles & Amphibians, v. 29 no.1, 243-249. Anstey, S. (2022). “Saving the Fijian Crested Iguana (Brachylophus vitiensis)”. – https://doi.org/10.17161/randa.v29i1.16749
• Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji_crested_iguana

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A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m an ambient musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.