News and Endangered Species Updates http://www.naturefiji.org NatureFiji-MareqetiViti 2008 en-us Veivatuloa village has started planting sago palm, thanks to the assistance in kind of Philip Gerlach who has provided the sago palm seeds http://www.naturefiji.org/newsstory.php?id=22 NatureFiji-MareqetiViti's new Endangered Species of Fiji website was launched by the British High Commissioner, Mr Roger Sykes http://www.naturefiji.org/newsstory.php?id=21 The Fiji Blossom bat is quite small, with body size (nose-tip to anus) ranging from 98-110 mm in males; 95-107 mm in females. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Fiji Blossom Bat The Bristle-thighed curlew is a heavily built wader that measures 44 cm from the tip of its bill to the tip of its tail. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Bristle-thighed Curlew The Red-throated lorikeet is a small and delicate lorikeet that measures up to 18cm from beak-tip to tail-tip. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Red-throated Lorikeet The Devil clam (formerly known as Tridacna tevoroa) is a marine bivalve (having two shells joined at a hinge) and is so named because of its appearance with contrasting dark and bright colours. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Devil Clams The Silktail measures 12cm from beak tip to tail tip. It is a striking bird, with deep velvet black plumage and metallic blue spangling on the head, nape, throat and breast. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Silktail Fijidoma maculata is a freshwater snail (gastropod), and reaches a height of 14 mm in size. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Fijidoma maculata There are 125 varieties of Colocasia esculenta, or dalo known in the Fiji Islands, of which at least 70 were grown and consumed by Fijians before the arrival of other settlers and the before commercialisation of the root crop. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Taro Yaka, one of Fijis renowned primitive conifers, is a member of the family Podocarpaceae. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Dacrydium nausoriense The Ogea monarch is a small bird, measuring 12 cm from beak tip to tail tip. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Ogea Monarch The Fijian stick insect is a very rare insect that can grow up to 10cm in length. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Fijian Stick Insect The Hawksbill turtle has a distinctly narrow heart-shaped shell, and often has a distinct vertebral keel. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Hawksbill Turtle The Green turtle has a sub-circular to heart-shaped shell. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Green Turtle Cibicibi is a slender tree that can grow up to 4m in height. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Cynometra falcata The Tagimaucia is a liana (woody vine), that forms thickets high up in the canopy, much similar to the growth of the duva, Derris trifoliata. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Tagimaucia This species of Balaka is usually a small palm, but it can grow up to 13m in height, with an 8 cm diameter trunk. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Balaka microcarpa Balaka macrocarpa is a small palm that grows to only 8 m high with a trunk from 5-10 cm in diameter. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Balaka The Giant Fijian Longhorn Beetle is the world’s second largest beetle, with specimens reaching up to 15 cm in body length. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Giant Fijian Longhorn Beetle Yasi is a small shrub or tree that grows up to 8-10 m in height. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Sandalwood The Pacific kauri is a gymnosperm, and can become a tall tree, growing up to 40 m in height, with a trunk up to 3 m in diameter. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Pacific Kauri The Yanita is a beautiful tall tree that can grow from 15-30m in height. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Pterocymbium oceanicum Drautabua is a gymnosperm belonging to the family Podocarpaceae, and a member of the wider and better known Pine family. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Acmopyle sahniana The Fiji petrel is a small, all black-brown petrel with a short neck and stout black bill giving it a chunky, thickset appearance. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Fiji Petrel The Black-faced Shrikebill is a thickset, medium-sized bird that measures up to 21 cm from the tip of the beak to the tail. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Black-faced Shrikebill The Friendly Ground-dove is a medium sized brown dove that measures up to 26cm from the tip of its beak to the tip of its tail. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Friendly Ground-dove The Rotuman myzomela is a small bird; its body size, from the tip of its beak to the tip of its tail measuring only 9cm. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Rotuman myzomela The Pink-billed parrotfinch is a small bird measuring up to 11cm from the beak to tail. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Pink Billed Parrotfinch The Soga is a large conspicuous palm that grows to 15m in height. http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Sago Palm There are two subspecies of the Long-legged warbler: the Viti Levu subspecies (Trichocichla rufa rufa) and the Vanua Levu subspecies (T. r. clunei). http://www.naturefiji.org/endspecies.php?info=Long-legged Warbler