Elapidae is a family of snakes characterized by their permanently erect fangs at the front of the mouth. Most elapids are venomous, with the exception of the genus Emydocephalus. Many members of this family exhibit a threat display of rearing upwards while spreading out a neck flap. Elapids are endemic to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, with terrestrial forms in Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas and marine forms in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Members of the family have a wide range of sizes, from the 18 cm (7.1 in) white-lipped snake to the 5.85 m king cobra. Most species have neurotoxic venom that is channeled by their hollow fangs, and some may contain other toxic components in various proportions. The family includes 55 genera with around 360 species and over 170 subspecies.
Hydrophiinae is a subfamily of venomous snakes in the family Elapidae. It contains most sea snakes and many genera of venomous land snakes found in Australasia, such as the taipans (Oxyuranus), tiger snakes (Notechis), brown snakes (Pseudonaja) and death adders (Acanthophis).
Iguania is an infraorder of squamate reptiles that includes iguanas, chameleons, agamids, and New World lizards like anoles and phrynosomatids. Using morphological features as a guide to evolutionary relationships, the Iguania are believed to form the sister group to the remainder of the Squamata, which comprise nearly 11,000 named species, roughly 2000 of which are iguanians. However, molecular information has placed Iguania well within the Squamata as sister taxa to the Anguimorpha and closely related to snakes. The order has been under debate and revisions after being classified by Charles Lewis Camp in 1923 due to difficulties finding adequate synapomorphic morphological characteristics. Most iguanians are arboreal but there are several terrestrial groups. They usually have primitive fleshy, non-prehensile tongues, although the tongue is highly modified in chameleons. Today they are scattered occurring in Madagascar, the Fiji and Friendly Islands and Western Hemisphere.
Hydrophis ornatus, commonly known as the ornate reef sea snake, is a species of venomous sea snake in the family Elapidae.
The yellow-lipped sea krait, also known as the banded sea krait or colubrine sea krait, is a species of venomous sea snake found in tropical Indo-Pacific oceanic waters. The snake has distinctive black stripes and a yellow snout, with a paddle-like tail for use in swimming.
Guioa is a genus of about 78 rainforest tree species known to science, which constitute part of the plant family Sapindaceae. They have a wide distribution, ranging from throughout Malesia, in Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, Philippines, Java, Flores, Timor, Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea, further southwards through the east coast of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia and further eastwards to the Pacific Islands, including Tonga, New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa.
Python is a genus of constricting snakes in the Pythonidae family native to the tropics and subtropics of the Eastern Hemisphere.
Leptotyphlops is a genus of nonvenomous blind snakes, commonly known as slender blind snakes and threadsnakes, in the family Leptotyphlopidae. The genus is endemic to and found throughout Africa. Eleven species have been moved to the genus Trilepida, and other species have been moved to the genera Epacrophis, Epictia, Mitophis, Myriopholis, Namibiana, Rena, Siagonodon, Tetracheilostoma, and Tricheilostoma.
The Indian brown mongoose or brown mongoose is a mongoose species native to the Western Ghats in India and the western coast in Sri Lanka and introduced to Fiji. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.
Cornufer vitianus, commonly known as Fiji ground frog or Viti wrinkled ground frog, is a species of frog in the family Ceratobatrachidae. It is endemic to Fiji.
Platymantis vitiensis is a species of frog in the family Ceratobatrachidae. It is one of two endemic frogs in Fiji, the other being the closely related Platymantis vitianus.
The Fijian mastiff bat, also known as the Fijian free-tailed bat, is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Fiji and Vanuatu. In 2013, Bat Conservation International listed this species as one of the 35 species of its worldwide priority list of conservation. This species is currently listed as endangered and considered a species of special concern due to habitat fragmentation and cave disturbance. The Fijian free-tailed bat is endemic to Fiji and Vanuatu. This species was previously documented on the islands of Taveuni and Vanua Levu, current research indicates possible small fragmented populations inhabiting both islands. Only two insectivorous bats occupy Fiji, the Pacific sheath-tailed bat and the Fijian free-tailed bat. Both species consume night flying insects, foraging high above the canopy.
The Fijian monkey-faced bat Also known as Fijian flying fox or Fijian flying monkey, is a megabat endemic to Fiji. It was discovered in old-growth cloud forest on Des Vœux Peak, the second highest mountain peak on the island of Taveuni by William and Ruth Beckon in 1976, and is Fiji's only endemic mammal. It has recently been transferred from Pteralopex to its own monotypic genus Mirimiri.
Brachylophus bulabula, commonly known as the Central Fijian Banded Iguana is a species of iguanid lizard endemic to some of the larger central and northwestern islands of Fiji, where it occurs in Fijian wet forest. It was described by a team led by a scientist from the Australian National University in 2008. It is one of the few species of iguana found outside of the New World and one of the most geographically isolated members of the family Iguanidae. Initially also reported from Gau Island, in 2017 this population was described as a separate species, B. gau. They can grow up to 2 feet long and have an average lifespan of 10-15 years. However, there have been some captive Fiji banded iguanas that have lived as long as 25 years. Fijian banded iguana typically are found in tropical wet islands that are typically 650-1700 feet above sea level. They also like to bask in temperatures ranging from 75–95 °F (24–35 °C). The areas that are most suitable for Fiji banded iguanas are Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Ovalau, Viwa, and Kadavu. Males are typically are green with blue stripes and the females are green with white stripes.
The Paraguayan bolo mouse or Paraguayan akodont is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. According to the IUCN, it is present in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru, and possibly also in Argentina and Brazil. It is found at elevations from 300 to 2,030 m in a variety of habitats, including cerrado, chaco, and heath pampas.
The slender-necked sea snake, also known commonly as Cogger's sea snake, is a species of marine venomous snake in the subfamily Hydrophiinae of the family Elapidae. The species is native to waters around western Australia and the southern Pacific Ocean.
The Fiji tropical moist forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in Fiji and Wallis and Futuna. It covers the windward sides of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, Fiji's largest islands, as well as the smaller Fijian islands and the three islands that make up Wallis and Futuna, an overseas territory of France. The drier leeward sides of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu are home to the distinct Fiji tropical dry forests ecoregion.
