Common basilisk.html

Common Basilisk

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Corytophanidae
Genus:	Basiliscus
Species:	B. basiliscus

Binomial name

Basiliscus basiliscus
(Linnaeus, 1758)

The Common basilisk (Basiliscus basiliscus) is a lizard found in Central and South American rainforests near rivers and streams.The basilisk is part of the corytophanid family. It is also known as the Jesus lizard or largato de Jesus Christo for its ability to run on the surface of water.

1 Taxonomy and etymology
2 Range and habitat
3 Description
4 Diet
5 Reproduction
6 Ability to walk on water
7 References
8 External links

Taxonomy and etymology

The Common basilisk is named for the creature of Greek mythology made up of parts of a rooster, snake, and lion which could turn a man to stone by its gaze: the Basilisk.¹ Its generic, specific and common names all derive from the Greek basilískos (βασιλίσκος) meaning "little king". The specific epithet was given in Carolus Linnaeus' 10th edition of Systema Naturae.¹

Range and habitat

The Common basilisk is found throughout Central and South America from Panama to Venezuela.¹ It has been introduced to Florida as a feral species.²

Description

The Common basilisk is a diurnal lizard which has long toes and sharp claws. Their heads are adorned with both a crest and a coloured dewlap.¹ Most are under 25 centimetres (1 foot) in length, but some may grow up 75 centimetres and usually weigh between 200-600 grams.

Diet

It has a diet consisting of insects, flowers and small vertebrates like snakes, birds, eggs and fish.¹ The basilisk has numerous predators including large birds of prey, snakes, fish, other larger reptiles, and mammals.

Reproduction

Females lay three to four clutches of 10-20 eggs a year.¹ Eggs hatch after about three months and the young weigh about 2 grams. Their outstanding camouflage allows them to remain undetected when they remain motionless in the undergrowth.

Ability to walk on water

It, along with the Brown basilisk, has the nickname the "Jesus Christ Lizard" or "Jesus Lizard" because when fleeing from a predator, it gathers sufficient momentum to run on the surface of the water for a brief distance.¹ Basilisks have large hind feet with flaps of skin between each toe, much like the webbing on a frog.¹ These are rolled up when the lizard walks on land; but if the basilisk senses danger, it can open up this webbing to increase the surface area on the water relative to its weight, thus allowing it to run on water for short distances.¹ Smaller basilisks can run about 10-20 meters on the water surface without sinking, and the young can usually run farther than older basilisks.¹

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Robert George Sprackland (1992). Giant lizards. Neptune, NJ: T.F.H. Publications. ISBN 0866226346.
^ Conant, Roger; Collins, Joseph (1991). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians Eastern/Central North America. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395583896.