Home
Bookmark and Share
change colour theme

Plumed basilisk

Scientific name: Basiliscus plumifrons Plumed basilisk

Country: Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama

Continent: North America

Diet: Insects, fish, frogs and snails. In the Zoo they are given crickets, locusts and fruit.

Food & feeding: Carnivore

Habitats: Tropical rainforest, freshwater

Conservation status: Not Threatened

Relatives: Rhinoceros iguana

Description: These very beautiful green lizards are known in Costa Rica as the 'Jesus Christ lizard' because of their ability to run across the surface of water for short distances on their long hind legs. They reach a maximum size of around 70 cm.

Lifestyle: They live in trees and bushes near to water. Their toes and long tail are used to push against the water and sprint over the surface of the water. They are also excellent swimmers. In many respects they are similar in appearance and behaviour to the Philippine sail-fin water dragon - which also runs on water, but in fact these two species are only distantly related. Their shared features are the result of a process called convergent evolution - they have both evolved similar features from different beginnings in response to the special challenges of running across water.

Family & friends: Male basilisks are aggressive towards each other.

Keeping in touch: Head-bobbing, as with many other species of lizard, seems to be a way of communicating between rivals and potential mates.

Growing up: The female lays 5 to 15 eggs in warm damp sand or soil and they hatch after about 10 weeks.

Conservation news: This species is relatively common in the wild and is found in mature (primary) rainforest areas and areas of regrown (secondary) forest too.

Plumed basilisks have been bred successfully at Bristol Zoo Gardens for many years.

Lizards and other reptiles are ectothermic (cold-blooded). This means their body temperature varies with the surroundings. In the morning they are cool from the night. Once warmed up in the morning sun, many reptiles feed and then rest in the shade in the middle of the day to prevent overheating.