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The decline of the endemic Fijian crested iguana Brachylophus vitiensis in the Yasawa and Mamanuca archipelagos, western Fiji

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2007

Peter S. Harlow ,
Martin Fisher ,
Marika Tuiwawa ,
Pita N. Biciloa ,
Jorge M. Palmeirim ,
Charlene Mersai ,
Shivanjani Naidu ,
Alifereti Naikatini ,
Baravi Thaman  and
Jone Niukula
...Show all authors
Peter S. Harlow
Affiliation:
Current address: Herpetofauna Division, Taronga Zoo, PO Box 20, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia School of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
Martin Fisher
Affiliation:
Current address: Fauna & Flora International, Great Eastern House, Tenison Road, Cambridge, CB1 2TT, UK Department of Biological Sciences, University of the South Pacific, PO Box 1168 Suva, Fiji
Marika Tuiwawa
Affiliation:
South Pacific Regional Herbarium, University of the South Pacific, PO Box 1168 Suva, Fiji
Pita N. Biciloa
Affiliation:
National Trust of Fiji Islands, PO Box 2089, Government Buildings, Suva, Fiji
Jorge M. Palmeirim
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Biology, Faculdade de Ciencias, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Charlene Mersai
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of the South Pacific, PO Box 1168 Suva, Fiji
Shivanjani Naidu
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of the South Pacific, PO Box 1168 Suva, Fiji
Alifereti Naikatini
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of the South Pacific, PO Box 1168 Suva, Fiji
Baravi Thaman
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of the South Pacific, PO Box 1168 Suva, Fiji
Jone Niukula
Affiliation:
National Trust of Fiji Islands, PO Box 2089, Government Buildings, Suva, Fiji
Erica Strand
Affiliation:
790 Dixon Way, Los Altos CA94022, USA
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Abstract

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The endemic Fijian crested iguana Brachylophus vitiensis, categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, has been recorded from several islands in western Fiji. We conducted a survey for the crested iguana on 12 uninhabited and five inhabited islands in the Yasawa and Mamanuca archipelagos of western Fiji in September 2000. Night searches for sleeping iguanas along a total of 11.2 km of forest transects suggest that crested iguanas are either extremely rare or extinct on all of these islands. Although we collectively searched a total of 44 km of transect over 123 person hours, we located crested iguanas on only four islands: three small uninhabited islands (all <73 ha) and one large inhabited island (22 km). In July 2003 we resurveyed two islands identified as having the best potential for the long-term conservation of crested iguanas, and found that populations were continuing to decline. We suggest that the scarcity of crested iguanas on all islands surveyed is due to the combination of habitat loss and the introduction of exotic predators. All islands surveyed have free ranging goats, forest fires have occurred repeatedly over the last few decades, and feral cats are established on many islands. To reverse the population decline of this species immediate intervention is required on selected islands to halt continuing forest degradation and to clarify the effects of introduced predators.

Keywords

Brachylophus vitiensiscrested iguanaFiji islandsforest degradationPacifictransect survey
Type
Articles
Information
Oryx , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , January 2007 , pp. 44 - 50
Copyright
© 2007 Fauna & Flora International