''Basiliscus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomencla ...

of large corytophanid

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of Squamata, 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 Amphisbae ...

s, commonly known as basilisks, which are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to southern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. C ...

, and northern South America. The genus contains four species, which are commonly known as the

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

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.

Taxonomy and etymology

Both the

generic Generic or generics may refer to: In business * Generic term, a common name used for a range or class of similar things not protected by trademark * Generic brand, a brand for a product that does not have an associated brand or trademark, other ...

name, ''Basiliscus'', and the common name, "basilisk", derive from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

''basilískos'' (βασιλίσκος) meaning "little king". The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

, ''vittatus'', which is

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for "striped", was given in Carl Linnaeus' 10th edition of ''

Systema Naturae ' (originally in Latin written ' with the ligature æ) is one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) and introduced the Linnaean taxonomy. Although the system, now known as binomial nom ...

''.

Physiology

Basilisks on average measure in total length (including tail). Their growth is perpetual, fast when they are young and nonlinear for mature basilisks. Their long crest-like sails, reinforced in three distinct points (head, back, and tail), confer the impression of creatures such as ''

Dimetrodon ''Dimetrodon'' ( or ,) meaning "two measures of teeth,” is an extinct genus of non-mammalian synapsid that lived during the Cisuralian (Early Permian), around 295–272 million years ago (Mya). It is a member of the family Sphenacodonti ...

'' and ''

Edaphosaurus ''Edaphosaurus'' (, meaning "pavement lizard" for dense clusters of teeth) is a genus of extinct edaphosaurid synapsids that lived in what is now North America and Europe around 303.4 to 272.5 million years ago, during the Late Carboniferous to ...

''. Their skin is shed in pieces.

Running on water

Basilisks sometimes run

bipedally Bipedalism is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an organism moves by means of its two rear limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a bipedal manner is known as a biped , meaning 'two feet' (from Latin ''bis'' 'double' ...

. Basilisks have the ability to "run" on water, and because of this, they have been dubbed the "Jesus Christ lizard" in reference to the biblical passage of Matthew 14:22-34. On water, basilisks can run at a velocity of per second for approximately before sinking on all fours and swimming. Flaps between their toes help support basilisks, creating a larger surface and pockets of air, giving them the buoyancy needed to run across water. They can also sustain themselves on all fours while "water-walking" to increase the distance travelled above the surface by about . A similar behavior, running bipedally across water, is known from the

sailfin lizard ''Hydrosaurus'', commonly known as the sailfin dragons or sailfin lizards, is a genus in the family Agamidae.anole Dactyloidae are a family of lizards commonly known as anoles () and native to warmer parts of the Americas, ranging from southeastern United States to Paraguay. Instead of treating it as a family, some authorities prefer to treat it as a subfami ...

lizards. Basilisks and sailfin lizards share the specialized toe fringes, which however are lacking in the anoles.

Other defense mechanisms

Basilisks can burrow into sand to hide from predators; a ring of muscles around both nostrils prevents sand from entering the nose.

Habitat and geographic range

Basilisks are abundant in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Ekua ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in t ...

Invasive species

The species ''Basiliscus vittatus'' (brown basilisk) has been introduced to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...

. It has adapted to the colder winters by burrowing into leaf litter for warmth. Current reports sight the brown basilisk as far north as

Fort Pierce Fort Pierce is a city in and the county seat of St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Treasure Coast region of Atlantic Coast Florida. It is also known as the Sunrise City, sister to San Francisco, California, the Su ...

, on the state's East Coast, where small groups have crept up the North Fork of the Saint Lucie River. Mainly it has been seen in

Boca Raton Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...

and other cities in

Palm Beach County Palm Beach County is a county located in the southeastern part of Florida and lies directly north of Broward County and Miami-Dade County. The county had a population of 1,492,191 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous county ...

. as seen in this photo taken in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Classification

Genus ''Basiliscus'' *''

Basiliscus basiliscus 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 ...

'' – common basilisk *''

Basiliscus galeritus The western basilisk, or red-headed basilisk (''Basiliscus galeritus''), is a large species of lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is endemic to northwestern South America. Etymology The specific name, ''galeritus'', which is Lati ...

'' – red-headed basilisk *'' Basiliscus plumifrons'' "''Basiliscus plumifrons'' "
The Reptile Database. – plumed basilisk *'' Basiliscus vittatus'' – brown basilisk, striped basilisk

Extant species

References

External links

Jesus Lizard Robot
An attempt at building a robotic version of the Jesus Lizard