Is the basilisk a fairy-tale creature or a real animal? Basilisk lizard. Basilisk lifestyle and habitat Helmet-bearing basilisk

Many believe that “basilisk” is a literary term, since in the Middle Ages this was the name given to fantastic monsters with a toad’s body, a rooster’s head and a snake’s tail. But, as it turned out, this term also has a scientific meaning, since in nature there are reptiles with the same name. What kind of unusual animal is this?

Features of the appearance of basilisks

Biologists call 4 species basilisks large lizards, whose body length reaches 1.4-2 meters, but about 70% of the total length is a thin tail.

That is why, despite their large size, these lizards are fragile and defenseless creatures.

Basilisks, like close relatives of iguanas, have a crest on their backs, but these lizards were nicknamed basilisks due to the leathery decoration on their heads that looks like a cockscomb.

Basilisks have long fingers on their hind legs; it even seems that they complicate the process of movement, but in reality it turns out to be the opposite.

Distribution and habitats of basilisks

All 4 species live in Central America, in South America and in Mexico. Recently, basilisks were brought to Florida, where they have adapted to more low temperatures, hiding in the forest floor.

Basilisks live exclusively in wet forests, settling in thickets along the banks of reservoirs. Most often they sit on the roots of bushes protruding from the water or on the lower branches of trees.

The Incredible Abilities of Basilisks

If the lizard is in danger, it instantly runs away. Basilisks have 2 escape strategies.

Basilisks have one incredible ability - they run on the surface of water.

If the water is far away, the lizard immediately buries itself in the forest floor or sand, while the nostrils are closed with special valves so that sand does not get into the nose. Buried in a shelter, the basilisk for a long time doesn't move. If there is a body of water nearby, the lizard rushes headlong into the water, while it runs along the surface of the water. The ability of basilisks to move through water without drowning seems incredible, but all individuals without exception can run this way.

What is noteworthy is that the basilisk runs through the water only on its hind legs, which is also not typical for reptiles. A basilisk can walk on water as easily as on the surface of soil. For this ability, basilisks were also nicknamed “Jesus lizards,” since it was he who was capable of such a miracle. But if faith in God helped Christ, then how does the basilisk cope?

In fact, the secret to the ability to run on a rein is quite simple. The long toes of the hind legs distribute the weight of the entire body. In addition, the basilisk protrudes scales on its fingers, which makes movement even easier. In addition, these lizards move their paws so quickly that they simply do not have time to drown. The basilisk's running speed reaches 1.5 meters per second.

But lizards spend a huge amount of energy on such running, so the basilisk can run through the water no more than 3-4 meters, then it plunges under the water and begins to swim calmly, as if nothing had happened. It is worth noting that they can submerge completely in water, like crocodiles, and spend about half an hour under water until the predator leaves.

Since young basilisks weigh less than adults, their distance increases to 10-20 meters. Thanks to its rapid throw, the lizard distances itself from the enemy as much as possible, thereby escaping. In rare cases, basilisks also move on land on their hind legs, but the speed is much slower.

Basilisk lifestyle

Basilisks feed on insects, small snakes, birds, rodents, eggs, fruits and flowers. These lizards exhibit pronounced sexual dimorphism.

Only males have ridges on their heads; females do not. And this is no coincidence, since males need to defend their territory, and with the help of combs they warn neighbors about their location. Females gather in groups near males, and they do not show aggression towards each other. Females do not have combs, since it is important for them to remain invisible in order to preserve their offspring.

Basilisk, also called basilisk, is quite unusual and beautiful name for a simple lizard. Why exactly this lizard received it, there are two versions. The first says that she has a fold of skin on her head that resembles a crown. And the word basilisk, translated from Greek, means king of the snake.

The second version, more mythical, found similarities in the lizard with the invented basilisk, which had a rooster’s head with a tuft, the body of a frog and a long snake tail.

Types of basilisks

Scientists call lizards basilisks large sizes, which grow up to one meter long. But, despite such parameters, the individual itself is small because only one third of the animal is its body. Everything else - long tail Basilisk.

They are divided into four types, which differ in color, size and location.

— Basilisk vulgaris or helmet-bearing - inhabits the Center of America and Colombia.

— Double-crested basilisk- lives in the Panamanian and Costa Rican forests.

— Mexican striped basilisk- His homeland is Mexico and Colombia.

— Crested Basilisk, it lives in Panama, western Colombia and Ecuador tropical forests.

Description and character of the basilisk lizard

These lizards live in the countries of Mexico and America. They are inhabitants of wet tropical forests and everything is yours free time they sit on trees and bushes that grow near water. They also love to bask in the sun, climbing on a stone or dry branch.

Females and males of basilisks differ slightly in appearance. For example, a female is smaller than her male. A large fold of skin in the form of a triangular ridge grows on the head of male basilisks; in females it is practically invisible.

The crest also grows along the entire length of the back and up to half of the tail. Nature gave them such differences for a reason. Males actively guard their possessions, so they wear this outfit to intimidate uninvited guests.

If the male encounters a stranger on his territory, he inflates the skin pouch located on his throat, showing his aggression and superiority over the enemy.

For females, everything is different; like all women, they like to gather in a group near some eligible groom, and wash all his bones. And their instinct of self-preservation is more pronounced; girls prefer to remain invisible, disguising themselves as some kind of twig.

Lizards live in families; one male, as a rule, has two or three females, but nothing more, otherwise the women will not get along. Families of lizards live in one place and do not migrate anywhere.

Basilisks have very long fingers and large claws at the ends of their fingers. They need claws of this length to move freely through trees and bushes, and to sit on a branch for a long time, firmly grasping it.

These ancient animals weigh from two hundred grams to half a kilogram. But there are also larger specimens. The color of basilisks can be grassy green, or light brown with an olive tint.

Zoologists have noticed that lizards bred in captivity differ in color, with turquoise shades predominating. Their belly white, and light spots are visible on the back.

Although these lizards have a slightly unpleasant appearance, they are very timid by nature. And as soon as they feel alarm and danger, they immediately start to run away.

But this is only if they are not far from the water. And if there is no rescue reservoir nearby, they have no choice but to fall through the ground, that is, bury themselves in it.

They hide in forest floor from fallen leaves, rotten twigs and branches, or instantly burrowing into the sand. To prevent sand from getting into the animal’s nostrils, it has special protective partitions there that slam shut. right moment and block all exits and entrances.

And like this, with its nostrils closed and completely immobilized, the lizard can remain for a long time until it is completely sure that nothing threatens its life.

They breed all year round, females lay eggs several times with an interval of three to four months between clutches. One clutch can contain up to ten eggs.

After two and a half months, the offspring are born, but they immediately have to leave their parental home and look for a place to live. Otherwise, the basilisk predator can easily eat its child.

Basilisks have many enemies in the water, on land and in the air. And if they can notice and hide somewhere in the thickets, then from some mammals leading night look life, lizards suffer the most.

Features of the basilisk lizard

Basilisks are the only ones in everything globe that are able to run on water. They do this when danger threatens, they run as fast as they can, on their hind legs, and don’t even think about drowning.

I wonder how they do it? The solution is simple, it's all about the paws. First of all, their fingers, they are so long that when immersed in water, they capture an air bubble with them, the leg does not sink.

Then between them there are small membranes that help to push off the water well. And of course the speed of movement, because out of fear, it reaches ten to twelve kilometers per hour. So, run By water basilisk maybe up to half a kilometer. Then, quite tired, he dives under the water and does not emerge for a whole half an hour!

Basilisk at home

The main thing you need to know when buying a lizard is that it is domestic. An individual caught by poachers and brought in later has very little chance of survival. During catching and transportation, she suffered enormous stress and, as a result, all the animal’s diseases worsened.

The terrarium should be voluminous and tall; its optimal size for one individual is two hundred liters. You need to plant a lot of greenery in the basilisk's new home; they will really like a ficus tree or dracaena.

Don’t forget about dry tree branches, snags and stumps, on which the lizard will warm its body under the lamp. It would be nice to install a pool; you can use a smaller aquarium.

It is already known that basilisks are shy, so the walls of the terrarium should be visible to the lizard. Use paper to cover the outside of them, or tint the windows with something.

Otherwise, following its instincts, frightened, the lizard will start to run and then it will definitely crash glass wall, since it is not visible to the animal.

It is very important that basilisks live in pairs, but under no circumstances should you house two males. They will fight among themselves until one is left.

Basilisk food

The basilisk lizard is a carnivorous animal, so ninety percent of its diet should consist of meat, the rest is plant food. Animals are very fond of newborn rats, mice and lizards.

You can also throw pieces of raw fish into a pool or aquarium. They will like various midges and insects, cockroaches and locusts, grasshoppers and worms.

Small lizards are fed several times a day and only with live food, always sprinkled with a nutritional supplement for reptiles. And an adult animal is fed four times a week, adding plant foods to the diet.

The terrarium should be heated with heating lamps, they are placed with reverse side so that the animal does not get burned. Only one half of the home needs to be made warm, the other half ten degrees cooler. You need to place two thermometers in the lizard’s house for constant monitoring. temperature regime.

Purchase an ultraviolet lamp for reptiles to control the lizard's daylight hours; it should last at least twelve hours.

This will significantly improve the body’s absorption of calcium, the animal will receive the required amount of vitamin D, and metabolism will be normalized. By following all the rules of keeping, the animal has every chance of living hand in hand with you for ten years.

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 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 with 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 vegetables, insects (earthworms, crickets, mealworm larvae), snails, 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. Puberty occurs at 1.5-2 years.

Have you ever heard about a lizard that can run on water? Today you will have a great opportunity to meet her - after all, this is helmeted basilisk! We will tell you not only about the reptile’s habitat, but also about keeping it at home.

Description of the helmeted basilisk

Helmeted Basilisk– it’s more likely ancient lizard 30 cm long, weighing 250-600 g. The first thing that catches your eye is the long fingers with rather sharp claws. But, special part occupies the tail of a reptile, growing to almost 2/3 of the body length. Are you probably interested in running on water? It's true the helmed basilisk has this ability, allowing you to keep your body on the water thanks to alternating strikes of your hind legs on the water. In addition, the lizard is excellent swimmer, underwater without air for about half an hour. Basilisk accelerates on water at a speed of 12 km/h and can easily run 400 meters!

HABITAT AND LIFESTYLE OF THE HELMET BASILISK

Where do helmeted basilisks live?

Helmeted Basilisk is common in South and Central America, as well as in Florida.

The reptile reaches sexual maturity only at 1-5-2 years of age, but as soon as lizards reach this age, they begin mate more than once, because at one time the female can lay 3-4 eggs, and in a year from 10 to 20.

Helmeted basilisks feed mainly insects, small vertebrates such as birds, fish and snakes, but also plants and flowers.

Contents of the helmeted basilisk

Certainly, for content any reptile needs a terrarium in which you can install trees, branches, driftwood and various plants(dracaena, ficus). Moss, mulch and their mixture are excellent as soil (apply a layer of 5-7 cm). Of course, the terrarium must have lighting, the correct temperature and humidity. To ensure your pet can absorb calcium and regularly receive vitamin D, install a UV lamp, but only for 10-12 hours daily. Maintain the temperature in the terrarium at 24-25 degrees during the day and 20 at night.

You must understand that in nature helmeted basilisk lives with a humidity of 60-70%, which is why it is so important that he feels comfortable. Monitor the same humidity using a hydrometer, or spray your reptile's home yourself every day. A pond wouldn’t hurt either, because the basilisk loves water very much, it’s its element, so to speak. Your pet will definitely be grateful for such a purchase, where he can splash around and just relax.

At home you can feed your pet with crickets, mealworms, cockroaches, zoophobes, grasshoppers, cabbage, dandelions, lettuce. It is best to cut the plants before serving, but it is not recommended to leave only one type of food; it is best to alternate. We feed, for example, 4 times a week with plant food, and 3 times with live food. Nutrition daily!

So we found out that helmed basilisk really runs on water, and that it can be kept at home, like many reptiles. Follow our recommendations and your pet will be healthy and happy.

VIDEO: ABOUT LIZARDS

IN THIS VIDEO, WE OFFER YOU TO LEARN A LOT OF INTERESTING ABOUT HELMET-BEARING BASILISKS

It has not been proven whether helmeted basilisk a relative of one of the monsters of the Middle Ages, but external features and their name is similar.

True, these creatures live on different continents: helmeted lizard found in Guatemala and Costa Rica, and the monster scared Europeans. If you believe the legends, the basilisk killed with one look, and its appearance was deadly: a huge toad with a snake tail and the head of a rooster. The basilisk lizard also has a crown on its head, it is called a crown, it looks a little like a cockscomb. This lizard has a rather long tail: it is 3/5 of the body size of this reptile.


Unlike the mythical relative, helmeted basilisk- a completely harmless creature. By the way, Costa Ricans themselves compare this reptile with Jesus Christ. The lizard was awarded this honor because it can deftly move across the surface of the water. Few animals and insects are endowed with this ability. For example, a water strider or Pisaurid spider They also walk calmly on water. But, unlike a lizard, insects weigh no more than a few grams, but the basilisk manages to keep its body, long tail and crest on its head above the water. And how does he manage to do this? It is believed that the basilisk moves through water at breakneck speed, which is why it does not drown. Its strong hind legs allow it to develop enormous speed. A basilisk rushing over the surface of the water reaches speeds of up to twelve km/h.


A running basilisk is an unusual and a little funny sight: madly flailing hind legs and splayed front legs. Of course, this lizard can run not only on the surface of the water. He dives and swims well and can spend up to half an hour underwater. He feels comfortable on land too: he rushes along the ground, climbs trees.
These lizards are omnivores and unpretentious in their choice of food. That is why they are often kept as pets in terrariums. True, locked up they have no opportunity to demonstrate their talents.