Endangered Lau banded iguana arrives at Dartmoor Zoo - Plymouth Live

An endangered Lau banded iguana has been welcomed at Dartmoor Zoo. Tonga has arrived at the Zoo near Sparkwell and is their latest addition.

Lau banded iguanas are found on the Lau Islands of the eastern part of the Fijian archipelago. The species is considered a national treasure by the government of Fiji, and its likeness has been featured on postage stamps and currency.

But populations of these iguanas have been declining over the past century and they're now sadly listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Threats include habitat destruction from logging and farming, invasive predators and the illegal pet trade.

Read More - Critically endangered wildcats arrive at Dartmoor Zoo

A spokesperson for Dartmoor Zoo said: "Come and meet Tonga for yourself this May half term. You can spot him in our Reptile and Bug House."

The Lau Banded Iguana is an Endangered species found on several landmasses in the Lau Island Group in Fiji. Depending on the island flora they are found in both wet and dry forest patches, these habitats are often threatened however, and the remaining populations are declining in the wild and nowhere are they considered secure.

They are threatened by land conversion, logging of important food and shelter trees, non-native invasive species such as Black Rats and feral cats predate on the iguanas while, free-roaming domestic pigs and goats. Forest burning in Fiji's Lau islands is widespread and the continuation of this practice is likely to cause additional local extinctions in the future.

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