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A Fiji Crested Iguana in the Perth Zoo
Brachylophus vitiensis, also known as the Fiji Crested Iguana, is the rarer of two species of iguana native to the islands of Fiji, the other being Brachylophus fasciatus. Both species are thought to have evolved from an iguana species which rafted from South America. Brachylophus vitiensis was first discovered in 1979 by Dr. John Gibbons. It is distinguished from Brachylophus fasciatus by the presence of three narrow, white bands on males, rather than the broader bluish bands of the latter species. Brachylophus vitiensis is also distinguished by its larger size, the presence of a spiny "crest" on its back, and its ability to change color to black when aroused. One of the largest remining populations of this species lives on Yaduataba Island, which lacks the goat populations that destroy iguana habitat on other islands.
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