The western basilisk, or red-headed basilisk (''Basiliscus galeritus''), is a large
species of
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
in the
family Corytophanidae. The species is
endemic to northwestern
South America.
Etymology
The
specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
, ''galeritus'', which is Latin, means "wearing a hood", referring to the head crest.
Habitat and geographic range
''B. galeritus'' inhabits forests at altitudes of in western
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
and western
Ecuador in South America.
[Bustamante-Enríquez LM, Arteaga AF (2012).]
Western Basilisk (''Basiliscus galeritus'')
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Mindo. Version 2012.a Earlier reports of its occurrence in Central America are mistaken and actually refer to young of the closely related
common basilisk
The common basilisk (''Basiliscus basiliscus'') 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 J ...
.
[ Köhler G (2000). ''Reptilien und Amphibien Mittelamerikas, Band 1: Krokodile, Schildkröten, Echsen'' entral American Reptiles and Amphibians, Volume 1: Crocodiles, Turtles, Lizards Offenbach, Germany: Herpeton. 158 pp. . p. 72. (in German).]
Conservation status
The western basilisk is common and not threatened.
[
]
Description
Males of ''B. galeritus'' reach a total length (including tail) up to about , while females reach about .[ Its body color is olive-green with a reddish-brown underbelly. The throat is white to yellow. On the back it has a small crest similar to that of young individuals of the common basilisk. It may have a narrow white stripe or a row of white dots on each side. It has no back flap. The adult males bear a round head flap/crest.
]
Invasive species
The western basilisk has been introduced to Gorgona Island, Colombia. This species is not native to the island, and thus, is endangering native species that reside on the island, such as the endemic blue anole
The blue anole (''Anolis gorgonae'') falls into the genus Dactyloa, which are all highly arboreal, but differ in size, coloration, and perch preferences. The blue anole specifically occupies higher perches. It is also a small species of dactyloi ...
(''Anolis gorgonae'').
References
External links
''Basiliscus galeritus'' photograph
Further reading
* Boulenger GA (1885). ''Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. Iguanidæ ...'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I-XXIV. (''Basiliscus galeritus'', pp. 110–111).
* Duméril AMC, Duméril AHA (1851). ''Catalogue méthodique de la collection des reptiles du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris'' 'Systematic Catalogue of the Collection of Reptiles of the Museum of Natural History of Paris'' Paris: Gide et Baudry / Roret. 224 pp. (''Basiliscus galeritus'', new species, p. 61). (in French).
Basiliscus
Reptiles of Colombia
Reptiles of Ecuador
Reptiles described in 1851
Taxa named by André Marie Constant Duméril
Taxa named by Auguste Duméril
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