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Basilisks | |
---|---|
Brown basilisk, Basiliscus vittatus, Costa Rica | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Iguania |
Family: | Corytophanidae |
Genus: | Basiliscus Laurenti, 1768 |
Type species | |
Draco basiliscus Linnaeus, 1758 | |
Species | |
Four, see text. |
Basiliscus is a genus of large corytophanid lizards, commonly known as basilisks, which are endemic to southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. The genus contains four species, which are commonly known as the Jesus Christ lizard, or simply the Jesus lizard, due to their ability to run across water for significant distances before sinking due to the large surface area of their feet.
Both the generic name, Basiliscus, and the common name, "basilisk", derive from the Greek basilískos (βασιλίσκος) meaning "little king". The specific epithet, vittatus, which is Latin for "striped", was given in Carl Linnæus' 10th edition of Systema Naturæ . [1]
Basilisks on average measure 70 to 75 cm (28 to 30 in) in total length (including tail). Their growth is perpetual, fast when they are young and nonlinear for mature basilisks. Their skin is shed in pieces.[ citation needed ]
Basilisks sometimes run bipedally. Basilisks have the ability to "run" on water, [2] [3] and because of this, they have been dubbed the "Jesus Christ lizard" in reference to the biblical passage of Jesus walking on water. [3] On water, basilisks can run at a velocity of 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) per second for approximately 4.5 meters (15 feet) before sinking on all fours and swimming. [3] Flaps between their toes help support basilisks, creating a larger surface and pockets of air, giving them the ability to run across water. [3]
A similar behavior, running bipedally across water, is known from the sailfin lizards and a few species of anole lizards. [4] [5]
Basilisks can burrow into sand to hide from predators; a ring of muscles around both nostrils prevents sand from entering the nose.[ citation needed ]
Basilisks are abundant in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Ecuador and Venezuela.[ citation needed ]
The species Basiliscus vittatus (brown basilisk) has been introduced to Florida. [6] It has adapted to the colder winters by burrowing into leaf litter for warmth.[ citation needed ] Current reports sight the brown basilisk as far north as Fort Pierce, on the state's East Coast, where small groups have crept up the North Fork of the Saint Lucie River.[ citation needed ] Mainly it has been seen in Boca Raton and other cities in Palm Beach County.[ citation needed ] as seen in this photo taken in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Genus Basiliscus has four extant species: [7]
Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Basiliscus basiliscus (Linnaeus, 1758) | common basilisk | from southwestern Nicaragua to northwestern Colombia on the Pacific side, and from central Panama to northwestern Venezuela | |
Basiliscus galeritus A.M.C. Duméril & A.H.A. Duméril, 1851 | western basilisk, red-headed basilisk | western Colombia and western Ecuador | |
Basiliscus plumifrons Cope, 1875 | plumed basilisk, green basilisk, double crested basilisk | eastern Honduras, through Nicaragua and Costa Rica, to western Panama | |
Basiliscus vittatus Wiegmann, 1828 | brown basilisk, striped basilisk | Mexico, Central America and adjacent northwestern Colombia | |
Corytophanidae is a family of iguanian lizards, also called casquehead lizards or helmeted lizards, endemic to the New World. Nine species of casquehead lizards from three genera are recognized.
The Gerrhosauridae are a family of lizards native to Africa and Madagascar. They are close relatives of skinks and were once classified in the same family as them.
The plumed basilisk, also called the green basilisk, double crested basilisk, or Jesus Christ lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is native to Central America.
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The zebra-tailed lizard is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to the Southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico. There are nine recognized subspecies.
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The genus Cordylus includes a wide variety of species of small to medium spiny lizards from Africa, collectively called girdle-tailed lizards or girdled lizards. All are diurnal and ovoviviparous. Most species are rupicolous (rock-dwelling), while a few species are arboreal or live in burrows. They defend themselves with osteoderms and by quickly retreating into rock crevices or burrows. Many species live in groups, and males defend territories.
The Florida sand skink is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae, the skinks. It is endemic to Florida in the United States.
Ameiva, commonly called jungle-runners, is a genus of whiptail lizards that belongs to the family Teiidae.
The brown basilisk, also commonly referred to as the striped basilisk or in some areas as the common basilisk, is a species of basilisk lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is native to Mexico, Central America and adjacent northwestern Colombia, and has been introduced into the U.S. state of Florida as an invasive species. The brown basilisk has large hind feet with narrow flaps of skin on the distal edge of each toe. The fact that it moves quickly across water gives it the appearance of "walking on water".
The common basilisk is a species of lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is endemic to Central America and South America, where it is found near rivers and streams in rainforests. It is also known as the Jesus Christ lizard, Jesus lizard, South American Jesus lizard, or lagarto de Jesus Cristo for its ability to run on the surface of water.
Saara hardwickii, commonly known as Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard or the Indian spiny-tailed lizard is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is found in patches across the Thar desert, Kutch, and surrounding arid zones in India and Pakistan. It is mainly herbivorous and lives in numbers in some areas. Since it is found in loose clusters it often attracts predators such as raptors. It is also hunted by local peoples in the belief that the fat extracted from it is an aphrodisiac.
Cerastes is a genus of small, venomous vipers found in the deserts and semi-deserts of northern North Africa eastward through Arabia and Iran. Three species are currently recognized by ITIS, and an additional recently described species is recognized by the Reptile Database. Common names for members the genus include horned vipers, North African desert vipers, and cerastes vipers.
Plasmodium basilisci is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Carinamoeba.
The long-nosed leopard lizard is a species of relatively large North American lizard in the family Crotaphytidae. Gambelia wislizenii ranges in snout-to-vent length (SVL) from 8.3 to 14.6 cm. It has a large head, a long nose, and a long round tail that can be longer than its body. It is closely related to the blunt-nosed leopard lizard, which closely resembles the long-nosed leopard lizard in body proportions, but has a conspicuously blunt snout. The species G. wislizenii, once considered part of the genus Crotaphytus, is under moderate pressure because of habitat destruction but is categorized as "least concern".
The western basilisk, or red-headed basilisk, is a large species of lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is endemic to northwestern South America.
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In the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, Carl Linnaeus described the Amphibia as:
Animals that are distinguished by a body cold and generally naked; stern and expressive countenance; harsh voice; mostly lurid color; filthy odor; a few are furnished with a horrid poison; all have cartilaginous bones, slow circulation, exquisite sight and hearing, large pulmonary vessels, lobate liver, oblong thick stomach, and cystic, hepatic, and pancreatic ducts: they are deficient in diaphragm, do not transpire (sweat), can live a long time without food, are tenatious of life, and have the power of reproducing parts which have been destroyed or lost; some undergo a metamorphosis; some cast (shed) their skin; some appear to live promiscuously on land or in the water, and some are torpid during the winter.
The flora and fauna of Honduras reflects the country's geographical location inside the tropics. This has allowed for diverse species of plants and animals to be adapted, but some of them are now in danger of extinction. This has posed the Honduran government, offices and nature organizations to look after the protection of the local environment, like the creation of nature reserves.