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Brachylophus bulabula FISHER, HARLOW, EDWARDS & KEOGH, 2008

IUCN Red List - Brachylophus bulabula - Endangered, EN

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Higher TaxaIguanidae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Central Fijian Banded Iguana 
SynonymBrachylophus bulabula FISHER, HARLOW, EDWARDS & KEOGH in KEOGH et al. 2008 
DistributionLarger NW islands Fiji (Viti group, including Ovalau,Gau,Kadavu and Viti Levu), Vanuatu

Type locality: Navuloa Village, Ovalau Island, Republic of Fiji (178420 05.95 00 S, 178845 0 42.1200 E )  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: CAS 172524, California Academy of Sciences (Field number CAS 9205), adult male; ; collected by R. N. Fisher, D. T. Bolger & T. J. Case, 8 October 1988. 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: Brachylophus bulabula is distinguished from both B. fasciatus and B. vitiensis by its intermediate maximum size, intermediate crest height, circular and yellow nasal scale, rounded nostril, wide and U-shaped nuchal stripe and red iris. These and additional morphological characters that distinguish B. bulabula from B. fasciatus and B. vitiensis are summarized in table 1 of KEOGH et al. 2008. 
CommentNote that the order of authors of the species does NOT correspond to the order of authors of the paper.

Animals from the Lau group ( Lakeba, Aiwa, Oneata and Moce) are included in B. fasciatus. While animals from the nor thern islands (i.e. Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Yacata, Vatu Vara) and southern islands (i.e. Fulaga) have been examined, KEOGH et al. have not assigned them to either species due to small sample sizes. Brachylophus bulabula is introduced onto Vanuatu on Efate Island (Gibbons 1981) and this species identification is confirmed by KEOGH et al. 2008 with both genetic and morphological data (specimens CAS 172419-20). 
EtymologyNamed after the Fijian word bula, an all-purpose greeting that literally means ‘to live’, but is most commonly used for ‘hello’, ‘how are you?’ or even just ‘good’. The double bula is a more enthusiastic greeting, and would be used with a close friend. Thus we use bulabula to designate the more familiar banded iguana or ‘Vokai’ of the main Fijian islands, the iguana that is more often depicted as the ‘typical’ banded form. Used as a noun in apposition. 
References
  • Buckley, Larry J.; Kevin de Queiroz, Tandora D. Grant, Bradford D. Hollingsworth, John B. Iverson (Chair, <br>Stesha A. Pasachnik, and Catherine L. Stephen (Iguana Taxonomy Working Group, ITWG 2016. A Checklist of the Iguanas of the World (Iguanidae; Iguaninae). Herp. Cons. Biol. 11 (Monograph 6) - get paper here
  • Cunningham, O. K. & Allain, S. J. R. 2018. A Description of the Successful Hatching of the Fijian Banded Iguana (Brachylophus bulabula) and Observations on Vermiculite Moisture. Captive & Field Herpetology 2 (1): 12-15 - get paper here
  • Ineich, I. 2009. The terrestrial herpetofauna of Torres and Banks Groups (northern Vanuatu), with report of a new species for Vanuatu. Zootaxa 2198: 1-15 - get paper here
  • Ineich, I. 2011. Amphibians and reptiles. In: Bouchet P., Le Guyader H. & PascaL O. (eds), The Natural History of Santo. pp. 187-236. MNhN, Paris; Ird, Marseille; PNI, Paris. 572 pp. (Patrimoines naturels; 70). - get paper here
  • Keogh JS, Edwards DL, Fisher RN, Harlow PS. 2008. Molecular and morphological analysis of the critically endangered Fijian iguanas reveals cryptic diversity and a complex biogeographic history. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 363(1508): 3413-26 - get paper here
  • Kwet, A. 2009. Brachylophus bulabula "Hallo Hallo", neuer Fidschi-Leguan Terraria (15) 4 (1): 74.
  • ZUG, G.R. 2013. Reptiles and Amphibians of the Pacific Islands. University of California Press, Berkeley, 306 pp. - get paper here
 
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