Basilisk maintenance and care. Helmeted basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons)

Titles: helmeted basilisk, green basilisk.
Habitat: Central America.
Lifespan: 7 years.

Helmeted Basilisk- an arboreal lizard that lives in damp tropical forests Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama. Prefers to stay in thickets along river banks.

The helmeted basilisk got its name because of its bright green color and distinctive crest starting on the head and ending on the tail. The crest on the head of males is larger than that of females.

Adult lizards reach a length of up to 60-80 cm. The basilisk's tail makes up almost two-thirds of the length of its body. They are excellent swimmers, able to stay underwater for up to half an hour. They also run well and quickly, sometimes reaching ground speeds of up to 11 km/h. It has the ability to run on water, keeping its body on the surface with rapidly alternating kicks of its hind legs.

The terrarium contains many artificial plants that create hidden places. The daytime temperature is on average about 29.4"C (in the heating area - 35.5"C), in the cool part of the terrarium - 26.6"C. At night the temperature is reduced to 21"C.

For lighting and heating, lamps with a full spectrum of ultraviolet radiation are used for 12-13 hours a day.

The terrarium maintains high humidity (80-90%). A wide shallow saucer with fresh water. Once a day, water is sprayed over the substrate. The substrate is soil or a slightly damp mixture of peat moss, soil and sand.

Helmeted basilisks are omnivores, feeding on greenery covered with dark leaves, a small amount vegetables, insects (earthworms, crickets, mealworm larvae), snails, small frogs. Sometimes you can add some fruit to your diet. Don't forget to sprinkle the food with calcium powder and reptile vitamins (2 times a week).
Young basilisks are fed once a day, adults - 2 times a week.

For successful breeding In captivity, helmeted basilisks must be constantly maintained at the proper humidity, temperature, and light. Basilisks breed in high humidity (about 80%) and at average temperatures of 26.6 "C, with 12 hours of daylight. Before the breeding season, males and females are separated from each other.

Mating in basilisks can last up to 20 minutes. Pregnant females become fat after 2-3 weeks, at the same time they begin to look for a place to lay eggs.

Each clutch contains 9-18 eggs. A female basilisk can lay eggs up to 4-5 times during the breeding season. Incubation of eggs is carried out at a temperature of about 28.8 "C in a mixture of water and vermiculite (1 part water and 1 part vermiculite). Incubation period is 8-10 weeks. Puberty occurs at 1.5-2 years.

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The helmeted basilisk is an unusual lizard from the genus Basilisk. In my own way appearance she is very similar to a dinosaur. Helmet-bearing basilisks have the ability to float on the surface of the water and run quite quickly across it. They live in tropical forests, in thickets near rivers or in trees.

At night, reptiles sleep, and in the morning they go hunting. Their prey can be various insects, as well as chicks and even small fish, which they snatch directly from the water.

The character of basilisk lizards is quite timid. There are many in the jungle voracious predators that hunt them. Many lizards do not even live to be two years old, as they become their prey. Basilisks are constantly on the alert and at the slightest danger they immediately take flight.

The task of sexually mature males is to protect the territory. Females are responsible for food.

These lizards can be kept in captivity. At proper care, their lifespan can be about ten years. Basilisks are completely safe for humans. They are not aggressive or poisonous.

Description of the helmeted basilisk

This is a fairly large lizard with a bright green color. On the sides of the reptiles there are light inclusions. Basilisks have a small head with a wide mouth. On the back of their head they have a flat outgrowth about four centimeters long, which resembles a helmet. This is where these unusual lizards got their name.. On the back of these reptiles there is a crest, which is covered with vertebral processes. It is larger in males than in females. Basilisks have short forelimbs with long claws. The toes of the muscular hind limbs have a scaly edge.

Male weight maybe about 600 grams, but the weight of females is no more than 400 grams. The body length of these amazing lizards can reach 80 cm. The tail occupies two-thirds of the length of the lizard's entire body.

Helmeted basilisks are excellent swimmers and divers. These animals are able to stay under water for about half an hour. On land, lizards also move very quickly. They can reach speeds of about ten kilometers per hour.

Maintenance and care of helmeted basilisks

Lizards can be kept in captivity, but for this they need a spacious vertical terrarium. For one adult basilisk you need a terrarium, the volume of which should be about 200 liters. It should contain plants that imitate thickets. There should also be branches and various driftwood that will serve as an imitation of trees.

For lighting and heating the terrarium, special lamps for reptiles are used. ultraviolet radiation. They must work about 13 hours a day. During daylight hours, the temperature should be about 29 degrees, and at night it can be reduced to 21 degrees Celsius.

Since the habitat of helmeted basilisks is tropical rainforests, the humidity in the terrarium should be high (about 80%). In order to maintain it, it is necessary to spray the terrarium with water. Worth knowing that excessive humidity can contribute to the development of fungal infections in basilisks.

The character of helmet-bearing lizards is nervous and excited. It is very difficult to tame these animals. Only lizards of different sexes can be kept together. Two males should never be kept together. They cannot stand each other, they will constantly sort things out and start fights among themselves.

Diet of helmeted basilisks

Helmeted basilisks are omnivores. Their diet may include:

Twice a week you should add special vitamins for reptiles to your food. And also do not forget that food must be sprinkled with calcium.

Young lizards need to be fed twice a day. Adults are fed four times a week.

Reproduction of helmeted basilisks

To breed lizards was successful, it is necessary to properly house these animals. The following factors are of great importance when breeding:

1. Temperature.
2. Humidity.
3. Lighting.

Basilisks are considered sexually mature at one and a half to two years. They mate in about 20 minutes. Three weeks after pregnancy occurs, females begin to look for a suitable place to lay eggs. A clutch may contain more than fifteen eggs. Females can lay eggs about five times during the breeding season. The incubation period lasts about ten weeks. Then small basilisks are born. The body length of young reptiles is about 11 cm. Basilisks grow quite quickly. First days of newborns feed on the contents yolk sacs. When they are empty, young lizards go hunting for the first time.

Helmeted basilisk (lat. Basiliscus basiliscus ) is an arboreal lizard that lives in the tropical rainforests of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama. Prefers to stay in thickets along river banks.

Adult lizards reach a length of up to 60-80 cm. The basilisk's tail makes up almost two-thirds of the length of its body. They are excellent swimmers, able to stay underwater for up to half an hour. They also run well and quickly, sometimes reaching ground speeds of up to 11 km/h. Possesses, keeping its body on the surface by rapidly alternating strikes of the hind legs.

The helmeted basilisk got its name because of its bright green color and distinctive crest starting on the head and ending on the tail. The crest on the head of males is larger than that of females.

“It was a basilisk - green as lettuce, with bright eyes, a male about 14 inches in length ... having lost his balance, he fell like a stone into the black river, immediately plunged into the water, but in a moment he found himself on the surface and ran across the water. carried in front of him, his tail bent upward, and his hind legs thrashed the surface of the water with the speed of a machine gun. The speed of the splash was so significant that the lizard did not drown. Before we had time to figure out how he was doing it, the basilisk reached the land, climbed onto the shore and darted away. through the branches..." wrote Archie Carr, an American zoologist.

Helmeted basilisks are omnivores, feeding on greenery covered with dark leaves, a small amount of vegetables, insects (earthworms, crickets, mealworm larvae), snails, and small frogs.

Mating in basilisks can last up to 20 minutes. Pregnant females become fat after 2-3 weeks, at the same time they begin to look for a place to lay eggs.

Each clutch contains 9-18 eggs. A female basilisk can lay eggs up to 4-5 times during the breeding season. Sexual maturity occurs at 1.5-2 years.

The helmeted basilisk (lat. Basiliscus basiliscus) is one of the most amazing lizards from the family Corytophanidae. The basilisk runs through the water, staying on its surface by rapidly alternating strikes of the hind limbs. For such wonderful art, he is often called “Christ’s lizard.”

Not everyone is given the talent by nature to run across the surface of the water up to 400 m, while developing a speed of up to 12 km/h. Main secret this art consists in special structure hind legs. The lizard's toes are very long, and on their outer side there are special membranes made of modified scales.

At rest, they look like a fringe growing abundantly around the toes, and while running on water they straighten out, increasing the supporting surface of the feet.

Distribution and behavior

Helmeted basilisks live in Central America. These lizards prefer to settle in tropical rainforests growing in Nicaragua, Panama and Costa Rica. Here all year round It's stiflingly hot. Daytime temperatures range from 25°C to 30°C, and air humidity rarely drops below 60% and increases greatly during the rainy season.

Being an arboreal lizard, the basilisk spends most of its time in the crowns of trees growing along the banks of fresh water bodies.

He leads a daily lifestyle, and at night he sleeps peacefully, lying on a convenient branch. At dawn it gets out to sunny place and, having warmed up well, goes in search of food.

The basilisk feeds on a variety of insects and invertebrates. His hunting trophies Sometimes there are small chicks and small fish. He snatches fish out of the water with amazing dexterity. Adult lizards diversify their menu with ripe fruits.

This reptile has a great many enemies, so its character is, to put it mildly, timid. He flees at the slightest threat, quickly jumping from branch to branch. The helmeted basilisk runs on water not because of religious ecstasy, but solely from toothy predators and voracious birds. To escape from birds, he often jumps into the water from tree branches.

Having stunned the adversary with its sprinting jerk, the basilisk hides in the abyss of the water and quickly swims away. This increased alertness helps him survive in the nightmarish conditions of the jungle. True, despite their outstanding abilities, the majority of basilisks do not live up to two years, becoming prey to their ubiquitous enemies.

When it comes to defending its possessions from competitors, the helmet-bearing basilisk turns from a despicable coward into a brave warrior.

Two males are capable of thrashing and biting each other for a long time, until the weakest leaves the home territory, and the winner gets the harem of females living on it. The male declares his rights to the territory with the help of ritual nods of his head. The area of ​​the home plot can be from 500 to 1000 square meters.

Reproduction

The mating season begins with the arrival of the rainy season. At this time, air humidity rises to 80% and after the drought, the desired coolness sets in. In the third week of pregnancy, the female looks for a secluded place to lay eggs. To do this, she descends from the tree to the ground.

The female methodically presses her muzzle to the soil in search of the most favorable temperature and soil moisture for incubating eggs. Having found a suitable place, she lays 15-17 eggs, 2.1 to 2.4 cm long and 1.2 to 1.5 cm wide, burying them in the sand. During one season, each female is able to lay several clutches.

Incubation lasts 8-10 weeks, after which small lizards approximately 11 cm long are born.

They pierce the shell with a special egg tooth, which later falls out. During the first days of their lives, the cubs do not hunt, feeding exclusively on the contents of the yolk sacs. When food supplies run out, they go on the first hunt in their lives.

They grow quickly and already at the age of 5 months the males begin to fight among themselves for a place in the sun. Lizards become sexually mature only at 18-24 months of age.

Description

The body length of an adult reptile is 60-80 cm, of which up to 50 cm is the tail. Body weight ranges from 250-500 g. The body is completely covered with small scales and has a bright green or bluish-green color. The tail has alternating yellow and brown stripes, and there are large light specks on the sides.

The head of the basilisk is decorated with a small skin outgrowth resembling a two-bladed helmet. The head itself is small, with a wide mouth. Eyes with bright orange irises are set on the sides of the head. Males have a high crest along the ridge. A low ridge also extends along the upper side of the long tail.

The short forelimbs are armed with long claws. The muscular hind limbs are much larger than the front ones. All five toes of the hind legs are equipped with scaly membranes.

The life expectancy of the helmeted basilisk in captivity is longer than in natural conditions. Many individuals live up to 5-6 years.

Synonyms and names in other languages

Plumed basilis

Stirnlappenbasilisk (German)

Lacerta basiliscus (lat.)

Classification

Squad— Scaly (Squamata).

Family— Helmet-headed lizards (Corytophanidae).

Genus— Basilisks (Basiliscus).

View— Helmeted basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons).

Subspecies- Basiliscus plumifrons linnaeus, 1758 and basiliscus plumifrons barbouri ruthven, 1914.

The habitat of the helmeted basilisk includes the territories of South and Central America: Panama, Nicaragua, Ecuador. They live near water - along rivers, in thickets of trees and coastal vegetation. Their entire way of life is connected with water; they are not found in waterless areas or in the thick of forests. Basilisks are widespread and are not protected animals; the species is not in danger of extinction.

Appearance

Dimensions Most basilisks are small - up to 30 cm in length. But there is information about very large individuals up to 75 cm in length. But these reptiles can grow to such a size only in nature; when grown in a terrarium, they are still never that small.

The appearance of the basilisk is very memorable. This is a diurnal species of lizard, therefore, they are active mainly during the day, and since they spend most of their lives climbing trees, they have long fingers with sharp claws that provide good grip on the bark of trees. The male differs from the female by the presence of a crest on the head. Basilisks of both sexes are colored in shades green- as a rule, the back is darker than the stomach, white spots are scattered throughout the body. Their color is camouflage, this allows them to reliably hide from predators in the thickets, especially since they have nothing else to protect themselves with.

Character

The helmet-nosed basilisk has a cautious character, it has many enemies in nature, so at the slightest danger it prefers to run away, because it has no way to resist the enemy, only its color can disguise it. Basilisks are good swimmers and can remain underwater for half an hour. On the ground, basilisks run quickly and can reach speeds of up to 11 km per hour. The basilisk can also run on water - thanks to the rapid movements of its hind legs, the basilisk can run up to 400 meters on the surface of the water at a speed of up to 12 km per hour.

Terrarium for basilisks it must be large, otherwise they may panic and hit the glass of the terrarium without noticing it. The minimum size of the terrarium is 130x60x70 cm - for one basilisk, but if you want to keep a group of basilisks, the terrarium should be significantly larger.

Coconut fiber or coconut chips, up to a 10 cm layer, are appropriate as soil; it is good to place pots with live plants in them - the plants should be large and not deteriorate from the fact that basilisks will sit on them and climb on them. Various types of dracaenas, monstera, scindapsus, and arrowroot are suitable. In addition to their decorative function, plants create shelter for animals and help maintain the necessary humidity. Strong, twisting driftwood is also highly desirable. If you keep a group of basilisks, it is important to remember that males do not get along with each other; you can keep females or a male and a group of females.

The terrarium needs to be illuminated for at least 10 hours a day. An ultraviolet lamp is needed to absorb vitamin D and prevent rickets. For heating you need an incandescent lamp, it needs to be directed at a piece of driftwood, there will be the most high temperature in a terrarium and the basilisk can bask there. But such a lamp should not be located closer than 15 centimeters from the reptile, otherwise it may get burned. A daily temperature difference of about 10 degrees is required.

Basilisks love water, so a large reservoir is needed in the terrarium where they can swim. The water in it should be changed daily and the pond washed from time to time.

Temperatureair from 25°C at night to 32°C during the day.

Humidityair 60 - 70%.

Lighting scattered. Incandescent lamp and ultraviolet lamp.

Feeding

Basilisks are insectivores, they eat various insects - crickets, mealworms, zoophobass (its head must be crushed before feeding, otherwise it can damage the lizard's gastrointestinal tract with its powerful jaws), cockroaches. The food should not be too hard so that it is convenient for the lizard to swallow it. Before feeding, insects must be coated in mineral fertilizer. Basilisks also definitely need plant nutrition - lettuce, dandelions, lettuce: before feeding, they need to be washed, dried and finely chopped. Adult basilisks can alternate between plant and animal foods, but young animals need to be fed twice a day. various types food.

It is necessary to add vitamins and calcium supplements to food.

Peculiarities

An interesting species to observe as it is active during the day.

Unpretentious, eats different types feed, but requires the mandatory presence of live insects in the diet.

It is possible to get used to feeding insects with tweezers, and, of course, the lizard will not become tame, but will calmly tolerate the presence of a person near the terrarium.

Not very good for the role pet because she is shy. It is not given to the hand; it can only be taken very carefully, for veterinary manipulations. They may react with flight and panic to sudden movements. If the lizard runs away in panic, you should not catch it right away, it is better to wait a little, calmly approach it and quietly pick it up.

Possible injuries due to hitting the glass in a state of panic. You can use wound-healing powders, eliminate the possibility of stress and, possibly, increase the size of the terrarium.

Problematic shedding- after molting, scraps of old skin remain on the basilisk’s body, tightly adjacent to the new skin. They must be soaked with water and removed with tweezers, otherwise necrosis may begin.

Breeding

Subject to the right conditions maintenance does not need to create special conditions for reproduction. Usually mating occurs at a humidity of about 80%, a temperature of about 26 degrees and daylight hours about 12 o'clock. It is better to separate the pair for a short time before mating. Mating itself lasts about 20 minutes, pregnancy becomes noticeable after 2 - 3 weeks - the female becomes fat and begins to look for a place to lay eggs. Basilisks are oviparous lizards, with a clutch of 9 to 18 eggs. During the breeding season, the female may lay eggs several times. For incubation, it is better to remove the eggs and keep them in a mixture of water and vermiculite in equal parts, at a temperature of 28.8 degrees in the incubator. The incubation period is long - from 8 to 10 weeks. It is important to ensure that vermiculite does not dry out so that it is maintained normal temperature. Helmeted basilisk babies are born small and require large quantity small insects as food - mainly mealworms, immature cockroaches or crickets. Cubs require feeding and ultraviolet light. They reach sexual maturity at 1.5-2 years.

Lifespan- Basilisks live in a terrarium for quite a long time, up to 10 years.