Rare iguana is a photo opportunity.



On a recent trip to Fiji, I met this young man with several Fijian Iguanas clinging to him.

 He offered me the chance to photograph them for a small fee. While they are often seen in Fiji, their numbers are small due to de-forestation in the past and introduced feral animals

I was surprised to discover this rare creature is available as a pet in the UK. It’s pretty unusual and breeders will ask $3000AU per pair. It may be available elsewhere in the world. I don’t know. 

The Fijian Crested Iguana is a diurnal creature that lives in the shade of trees and seeks sunlight/heat on cool days. It has the ability to rapidly change colour from green to black when threatened. 

Bright green is standard. It changes to dark green and then to black if the threat is extreme. It will ultimately resort to an expansion of its neck, a bobbing of its head, and it will pounce itself towards the potential threat. 

They move from tree to tree using the overlapping branches in order to move effectively through their environment. Their long toes and tails help them keep balanced.

Their habitat has been increased by 10%-20% since 1980, which means more resources for the iguanas and a larger environment. 

The biggest threat they face today is predation by other animals such as feral cats, rats, and mongoose. The only island being monitored is Yadua Taba Island.  Other islands that inhabit Fiji Crested iguanas are Macuata, Monu, and Monuriki.

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