Plumed basilisk
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| Basiliscus plumifrons ( |
The plumed basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons) is a species of lizard native to
Plumed basilisks are omnivorous and will eat insects, small mammals (such as rodents), smaller species of lizards, fruits and flowers. Their predators include raptors, opossums and snakes.
The females of this species will lay 5 to 15 eggs at a time in warm, damp sand or soil. They take between eight and ten weeks to hatch, at which point the young emerge as fully independent lizards.
This lizard is able to run short distances across water using both its feet and tail for support, an ability shared with the East Indian water lizard (Hydrosaurus amboinensis). In Costa Rica, this has earned the plumed basilisk the nickname "Jesus Christ lizard". However, it is also an excellent swimmer and can stay under water for up to 30 minutes.
[edit] Further reading
- Hsieh, S. Tonia (2003). "Three-dimensional hindlimb kinematics of water running in the plumed basilisk lizard (Basiliscus plumifrons)". The Journal of Experimental Biology 206, 4363-4377.
- Huggins, Barbara (Feb., 2001). Green Basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons). The Cold Blooded News.
[edit] External links
- Plumed Basilisk gallery, with photos of it running on water