Nearly all plants and animals indigenous to Fiji are found on Taveuni, which has suffered less devastation from land clearance than other areas of Fiji. The absence of the mongoose, a major predator, has also played a part in the survival on Taveuni of land crabs, the unique Fiji fruit bat, the Taveuni silk bat, and some unique species of palm. The island is the second largest in the Pacific Ocean to be free from the mongoose. Other species found on the island include the Fiji banded iguana and both "Platymantis vitiensis" and "P. vitianus" frog species. The critically endangered Fijian monkey-faced bat is found only on Taveuni. It was discovered by scientists in 1977. The flowering plant "Balaka seemannii", which is endemic to Fiji, is found on the island.