Brachylophus fasciatus (BRONGNIART, 1800)
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Brachylophus fasciatus
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| Higher Taxa | Iguanidae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Lau Banded Iguana, Fiji Banded Iguana G: Gebänderter Fidschileguan |
| Synonym | Iguana fasciata BRONGNIART 1800 Agama fasciata — DAUDIN 1802 Brachylophus fasciatus — CUVIER 1829 Iguana (Brachylophus) fasciatus — GRAY 1831 Brachylophus fasciatus — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1837: 226 Ctenosaurus Sieberi FITZINGER 1843 Hypsilophus (Brachylophus) fasciatus — FITZINGER 1843 Chloroscartes fasciatus GÜNTHER 1862: 134 Chloroscartes fasciatus GÜNTHER 1862: 188 Brachylophus fasciatus — BOULENGER 1885: 192 Brachylophus brevicephalus AVERY & TANNER 1970 Brachylophus fasciatus — GIBBONS 1981 Brachylophus fasciatusLINNAEUS 1758 |
| Distribution | Fiji Islands (Viti Levu, Wakaya, Ovalau, Moturiki, Gau, Beqa, Vatuele, Kandavu Ono, Dravuni, Taveuni, Nggamea, Vanua, Balavu, Avea, Vatu Vara,Lakeba, Aiwa, Oneata, Vanua Levu, Vanua Vatu, Totoya, Kabara, Fulaga), Tonga Islands (Tongatapu), New Hebrides (Efate), Iles Wallis Type locality: Tonga |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: MNHN-RA 6812; other types erroneously given as BMNH 1946.8.3.83-84 Holotype: BYU 32662 [brevicephalus] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): differs from all other iguanid genera in possessing the following combination of character states: a) lateral process of the palatine behind infraorbital foramen contacts jugal, b) infraorbital foramen located entirely within palatine bone, but may or may not be connected to the lateral edge of the palatine suture, c) anterior inferior alveolar foramen located entirely within dentary, d) labial process of coronoid moderately large, e) second ceratobranchials of hyoid much longer than first ceratobranchials, e) zygosphenes separated from prezygapophyses by a deep notch, f) caudal autotomy septa absent, g) midsagittal processes on dorsal surfaces of caudal centra anterior to neural spine relatively small and confined to anterior fifth of caudal sequence, h) anterior postxiphisternal inscriptional ribs enlarged and members of at least one pair united midventrally to form continuous chevrons, i) large dewlap present in at least one sex, j) posterior marginal teeth with a fourth cusp in some individuals (John Iverson et al., pers. comm.) Description (Chloroscartes fasciatus). “Head rather elevated and obtuse; pouch below the throat and transverse fold in front of the shoulder well developed ; body and basal portion of the tail compressed, the latter rounded in the middle and posteriorly, tapering, three or four times as long as the body. The fore limbs extend backwards to the loin ; the third and fourth fingers are equal in length. The hind limbs are as long as the trunk ; the third toe has a series of enlarged triangular scales along its inner margin, forming a serrated edge. Shields on the upper and lateral parts of the head very numerous and smooth. Nostril in a single somewhat elevated shield, situated above the second and third upper labials. Rostral shield much broader than high, subtriangular; nine upper labials, the posterior being considerably lower than the anterior ; there are three or four series of small shields between the labials and the eyelid; eyelids entirely scaly. Seven lower labials; scales on the throat conically elevated. Scales of the upper parts of the body very small, of equal size, each with a short keel or conical protuberance. A low crest, formed by compressed triangular scales, runs from the occiput towards the middle of the tail, where it is gradually lost. Scales on the belly in transverse, slightly oblique series, small, but much larger than those on the sides, strongly keeled. Limbs with keeled scales of moderate size. The scales of the middle and posterior parts of the tail are much larger than those on its basal portion ; all are keeled, the keels forming continuous longitudinal ridges. Each femur with a series of twelve to fourteen large pores filled with a greasy substance; prœanal pores none. Tympanum larger than the eye. Each jaw with eighteen to twenty teeth on each side; teeth tricuspid, the lateral points being small ; palatines with small teeth posteriorly. Coloration: Bright grass-green; head and nape of the neck, three broad cross bands on the trunk, and about fourteen broad rings round the tail dark green. Nasal shield white.” (GÜNTHER 1862: 188) |
| Comment | Type species: Iguana fasciata BRONGNIART 1800 is the type species of the genus Brachylophus CUVIER 1829. Fossil species: one extinct species, B. gibbonsi, has been described. Additionally the extinct monotypic iguana genus Lapitiguana was also known only from Fiji and was twice the length of the largest living Brachylophus (Pregill & Worthy 2003, Pregill 1989). |
| Etymology | Named after Latin fascia = band, for the dorsal cross-bands in this species. |
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