A bright green Fiji banded iguana climbing a branch. — Photo: TomCatX, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fiji Banded Iguana

Brachylophus bulabula

A bright green tree iguana found only on the Fiji Islands; males wear wide blue or pale green bands.

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About the Fiji Banded Iguana

Fiji banded iguanas are bright green lizards with crested spines and long tails for balance. Males have wide blue or pale green stripes, and females are mostly solid green. They live only in moist forests of the Fiji Islands, mostly 650 to 1,650 feet above sea level, and spend most of their time in trees. They eat leaves, flowers and fruit, and rarely insects.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Brachylophus bulabula^[1]
Size: Usually about 7.5 inches long.^[1]
Lifespan: About 10 to 15 years in the wild; up to 25 in zoos.^[1]
Diet: Mostly herbivore. Leaves, flowers and fruit; rarely insects.^[1]
Habitat: Moist forests.^[1]
Where it lives: The Fiji Islands, including Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Ovalau and Kadavu.^[1]
Babies: About 5 eggs that hatch after 7 to 9 months.^[1]
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2012).^[2]

Fun facts

Their eggs take 7 to 9 months to hatch.^[1]
Males court females by bobbing their heads.^[1]
The iguanas are named for the males' blue or green bands.^[1]

Vocabulary

crest: A row of spines or scales along an animal's back.
arboreal: Living mostly in trees.
herbivore: An animal that eats only plants.
cold-blooded: Having a body temperature that changes with the surroundings; also called ectothermic.
endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Reptile Discovery CenterSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Fiji banded iguana.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/fiji-banded-iguana (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Brachylophus bulabula (Fiji Banded Iguana).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/174471/1414101 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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