Brachylophus

Brachylophus vitiensis

Fiji iguanas ( Brachylophus ) are a genus endemic to Fiji and Tonga live iguanas. They are similar to the Green Iguana, stay with a maximum length of one meter, however, significantly smaller. The ridges in the neck, on the back and the tail and dewlap are not as big and imposing as their relatives. The tail reaches three times the head-body length.

Fiji iguanas are little explored forest dwellers and feed on leaves. Place three to six (usually four) eggs in self-dug caves. The young hatch, depending on temperature after 150 to 200 days.

There are three extant species:

• Short comb Iguana ( Brachylophus fasciatus ) ( Brongniart, 1800 ), lives in Fiji and Tonga and was introduced to Vanuatu.
• Brachylophus vitiensis (Gibbons, 1981), only comes on the smaller island of Fiji Yaduataba with about 4000 to 6000 copies before
• Brachylophus bulabula Fisher & Harlow, Edwards & Keogh, 2008

In the Red List of IUCN Brachylophus fasciatus is " endangered Stark " as, Brachylophus vitiensis classified as " Critically Endangered ". Brachylophus bulabula there is not yet considered as a separate species.

In addition to the species living today, there was growing forms whose bones were found during excavations of the late Lapita culture on the island of Tonga Lifuka. The animals may have been exterminated by the Polynesian settlers or by competition with imported pets.

Origin

Since the closest relatives of Fiji iguanas live about 8000 miles away in South America, wonders how they have come to the South Sea Islands the States Fiji and Tonga. After earlier opinion they should have arrived with driftwood from South America to its current habitat, similar to the migration of other species to the Galapagos Islands. In contrast, the American researchers Brice P. Noonan and Jack W. Sites Jr., the thesis that these iguanas or their last common ancestor a long time to live in this part of the world. Using the molecular clock let themselves recognize that this common ancestor had arrived in the islands millions before 50 to 60 years, at that time were the later South Sea Islands, with parts of Gondwana in conjunction, the ancestor of the Fiji iguanas is therefore migrated over land bridges and did not come across the sea. He had also colonized other South Sea Islands, but had been exterminated by the there early immigrant people.

Swell

• Eric R. Pianka, Laurie J. Vitt: Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of Diversity ( Organisms and Environments ). University of California Press (2003 ) ISBN 0-520-23401-4
• Manfred Rogner: lizards, Ulmer Verlag, ISBN 3-8001-7248-8