Basilisk 2020

Basilisk, (genus Basiliscus), any of 4 species of woodland lizards of tropical North and South America belonging to the household Iguanidae. The title is utilized due to the fact of a resemblance to the legendary monster known as basilisk (see cockatrice). The physique is slim and compressed from aspect to side, the tail is lengthy and whiplike, and the rear of the head is prolonged into a flat lobe like a cock’s comb. Males have a crest alongside the back, and this crest runs the size of the physique in two species.

Dade Thornton—The National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers
Basilisks many times stay alongside streams and will run rapidly throughout the water on their hind legs when frightened. They are in many instances referred to as “Jesus Christ” lizards due to the fact of this trait. The animal’s speed, mild weight, and possession of broadscale fringes on the toes maintain it from sinking into the water in the course of a sprint; however, it is normally the youthful and lighter lizards that are viewed going for walks throughout the floor of the water. Basilisks are additionally desirable swimmers, and adults might also stay underwater up to 30 minutes earlier than resurfacing.