| Green basilisk[1] | |
|---|---|
| plumed basilisk | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Sauria or Iguania |
| Family: | Corytophanidae |
| Genus: | Basiliscus |
| Species: | B. plumifrons |
| Binomial name | |
| Basiliscus plumifrons (Cope, 1876) |
|
The plumed basilisk, Basiliscus plumifrons, also called a green basilisk, double crested basilisk, or Jesus Christ lizard, is a species of corytophanid to Latin America.
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Its natural range covers a swath from Mexico to Ecuador.
The Green Basilisk's generic name Basiliscus is taken from the legendary reptilian creature of European mythology which could turn a man to stone by its gaze: the Basilisk.[2] This name derives from the Greek basilískos (βασιλίσκος) meaning "little king".[2] This epithet was given in Carolus Linnaeus' 10th edition of Systema Naturae.[2]
Green basilisks are bright green with small bluish spots along the dorsal ridge. These lizards may grow up to 3 ft (1 m) in length (most of which is tail), with an average length of about 2 ft (0.6 m). Males have three crests: one on the head, one on their back, and one on the tail. The females, however, only have one crest, on the head.
Green basilisks are omnivorous and eat insects, small mammals (such as rodents), smaller species of lizards, fruits and flowers. Their predators include birds of prey, opossums and snakes.
The females of this species lay five to fifteen eggs at a time in warm, damp sand or soil. The eggs hatch after eight to ten weeks, at which point the young emerge as fully independent lizards.
Males are very territorial; a single male may keep land containing a large group of females with whom he mates. Most basilisks are skittish and do not tolerate much handling.
This lizard is able to run short distances across water using both its feet and tail for support, an ability shared with other basilisks and the Malaysian sail-finned lizard, Hydrosaurus amboinensis. In Costa Rica, this has earned the plumed basilisk the nickname "Jesus Christ lizard". It is also an excellent swimmer and can stay under water for up to 30 minutes.
