Basilisk - a fabulous creature or a real animal? What can a helmeted basilisk lizard living in South America do? Basilisk lizard interesting facts

Which, more often than other animals from the genus Basilisks, is kept in terrariums. The size of an adult reptile reaches 60-80 cm in length, about two or three of which falls on the length of the tail. The color of the helmeted Basilisk varies from bright green to brownish-olive. But offspring bred in captivity often have a bluish-green color. The belly of this lizard is yellow. Along the back of the lizard, you can see small white or blue spots, and on the sides there are black stripes along the entire body to the tail. As the Basilisk gets older, these spots and stripes may become more blurred or disappear altogether. This coloration allows the basilisks to go unnoticed when they are crouching on the branches. On these long fingers one can see sharp claws that help this species, the leading sex tree image life, it is easy to move around the rainforest.

A distinctive feature of males is a sail-like crest that adorns the head, back and passes to the tail. On the head, this crest resembles a helmet in shape and consists of two parts, different in size, which is why the species was called helmet-bearing. At the same time, the female has only a smaller crest on the head, while both of them are observed in males. Also hallmark males have a blue-yellow throat pouch that they inflate to show their territorial superiority.

The name "basilisk" these animals owe to their mythical past, in which they were considered very dangerous animals due to the fact that they were little known. And because they began to be called "serpent king", this is how the word "basilisk" sounds in Greek.

You can often find another alternative name "lizard Jesus". Basilisks got this name due to their ability to move over long distances on the surface of the water. Fleeing from predators, basilisks can overcome up to 20 meters, running on the surface of the water at speeds up to 11 km / h. This is made possible thanks to anatomical structure basilisk.

Their hind legs are much stronger and larger than their front legs and have special skin pouches located around their toes. These skin sacs open and fill with air only on water. In order for the skin pouches around the fingers of the basilisk not to fill with water (this will make its paws heavier and prevent it from “sliding” on the water), it must move its hind legs very quickly - this is why basilisks run so fast through the water. At the same time, he raises his front paws and tail above the water. The tail also plays very important role in this process, it helps to balance, and therefore basilisks do not throw it away when attacked by predators. When the hind legs are not on the water, these skin pouches are closed so as not to increase the friction force when running. This allows basilisks to run well not only on water, but also on land.

Origin and habitats in nature:

The genus Basiliscus (Basiliscus) belongs to the Corytophanidae family. Previously, this genus was assigned to the family (Iguanidae), but relatively recently, herpetologists have identified nine species of helmet-bearing lizards in a separate family. The family consists of three genera: Basiliscus (Basilisks), Corytophanes (Coritophanes or helmeted iguanas) and Laemanctus (Caskogolovye iguanas). In turn, the genus Basilisk consists of four main species: Basiliscus basiliscus(Common Basilisk), Basiliscus galeritus (Crested Basilisk), Basiliscus plumifrons (Helmeted Basilisk), and Basiliscus vittatus (Mexican Striped Basilisk).
The type of helmet-bearing basilisk inhabits rainforests Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama from the Caribbean.

The habitats of the Basilisk helmet in most cases are in the lowlands located 500 m below sea level, but there have been cases when basilisks were found in areas 1200 m above sea level.

Lifestyle:

This is a lizard that leads a diurnal semi-arboreal lifestyle, and therefore it can often be found on trees, bushes growing near rivers and reservoirs. Sometimes in nature, helmet-bearing basilisks can be seen on stones or logs, where they bask under the rays of the tropical sun. Wherever you meet this amazing one, it will in any case be a place hidden from prying eyes.

If you get a little closer to the basilisk, then it may not even move. But if you get too close, then in this case the lizard will quickly jump into the water and, using its amazing ability to run on water, will disappear from your field of vision so quickly, or slip away among the bushes, that you won’t even have time to understand anything.
In addition, the helmeted Basilisk swims perfectly with complete immersion in water. There were cases when the basilisk spent up to 2 hours, being completely immersed in water.

The helmeted basilisk is one that lives strictly in a certain area, where you can meet only one male, and two or three females. Two males do not get along in the same territory, but it is also worth noting that this is a species of herd lizards, and they must definitely live as a family, otherwise they start to get bored and this can lead to the death of the animal if it is not placed in a family in time. Care must be taken, however, that the young are separated from the adults, as the stronger adults may eat the weak (young). Disputes are also often observed among females, but they are less pronounced, the main thing is that the number of females in one territory does not exceed three.

Basilisks often become prey birds of prey, big fish and mammals. And if they can run away from enemies who hunt only during the day, then here are the mammals leading night image lives often overtake basilisks at the moment when they sleep.

It is important to note that only captive-bred basilisks should be selected for keeping, as those caught in wild nature animals almost never live long, as they do not tolerate transportation and changing living conditions very well.

Terrarium: to keep a helmeted basilisk, you will need one equipped with a pool. Minimum size a terrarium for two or three adults should be 130x60x170 cm. The size of the pool should be at least the size of a lizard. The water in the pool must be changed every day, or equipped with filters on the principle of an aquarium. Also in the water you can get small unpretentious fish, such as guppies, so you will give the basilisks the opportunity to hunt prey in the water, diversifying their diet. But in any case, the water must be changed as it becomes contaminated in order to avoid the appearance of harmful microorganisms.

Content temperature: the background temperature in the terrarium during the day should be 28-30 ºC, the night temperature can drop to 20-25 ºC. The temperature at the heating point can reach 35-38 ºC.

Lighting: daylight hours for basilisks should be 12-14 hours. As is the case with other tropical lizards, basilisks need to be installed (for example,). It must be placed at a sufficient distance from the placed snags so that the lizard does not get burned.

Humidity maintenance: humidity in a basilisk terrarium must be maintained at 70-90%. At the same time, the humidity should be higher at night than during the day. In addition, during the tropical rainy season, it is recommended to spray the terrarium 3-4 times a day with a spray gun. To maintain humidity, a small waterfall that will fall into the pond will be an excellent solution. Thus, the issue of water flow in the pool can also be solved.

Decor: basilisks are quite mobile lizards, they definitely need a place closer to where they can bask after bathing. In addition, they like to move around the terrarium, where for this they need to place several thick snags that could withstand all the individuals living in the terrarium at once. It is also necessary to place in case the lizards want to hide. . As with other tropical lizards, live non-poisonous plants with dense leaves can be placed in a basilisk terrarium. But you should be prepared for the fact that sooner or later your pets will damage them with their sharp claws. In this case, the plants must be replaced.

Feeding in captivity:

The helmeted basilisk is a rather omnivorous lizard. As live prey, they need to be offered mainly insects:. Also, adults can be fed small mice and small non-poisonous fish.

In the wild, basilisks consume flowers, leaves as plant food. tropical plants. Captive-bred basilisks can be trained to consume plant foods that are not part of their diet in the wild. Such foods include sprouted wheat, as well as slices of bananas, soft pears, oranges and other fruits, and soft vegetables, berries.

Feeding in captivity must be supplemented.
It is necessary to offer food to young basilisks once a day, but adults can be fed 3-4 times a week.

Breeding in captivity:

The helmet-bearing basilisk becomes sexually mature at the age of 1.5-2 years. Basilisks can breed all year round. Females are able to carry out several clutches per year, which consist of 8-18 eggs. The female's pregnancy lasts approximately 2 months, after which she lays her eggs. All eggs laid are leathery and should be a uniform white color.

Females should be closely monitored and if they increase in size in the abdominal area, a container should be placed in the terrarium. It is recommended to choose a plastic container, about 20 cm high. A layer of sand, 2 cm thick and a layer of moss, 6 cm thick, must be placed on the bottom of the container. The substrate in the masonry container must always be moistened. As soon as the female completes the laying and leaves, she can be transferred to the incubator. The incubation process is 26-31 days, with constant temperature at a level of 26-34 ° C. The helmeted basilisk lacks the instinct to care for offspring, and therefore young individuals cannot be left with adults, since they can be eaten by their parents.

After hatching, the offspring of the helmet-bearing basilisks can not be fed for two days, since during this time they absorb the protein obtained from the egg. After that, they can begin to offer a crushed mixture of bananas, pears and apples. Small basilisks prefer to stay in thickets near water. They are very cautious, shy and agile - this is what saves them in the wild from numerous enemies.

Have you ever heard about a lizard that can run on water? Today you will have a grand opportunity to get to know her - because it is helmeted basilisk! We will tell you not only about the habitat of the reptile, but also about keeping it at home.

Description of the helmeted basilisk

Helmeted Basilisk - it is rather an ancient lizard 30 cm long, weighing 250-600 gr. The first thing that catches your eye is long fingers with rather sharp claws. But, a special part is occupied by the reptile's tail, which grows almost 2/3 of the body length. Are you interested in water running? It really is the helmeted basilisk has this ability, allowing you to keep the body on the water due to the alternating blows of the hind legs on the water. In addition, the lizard is an excellent swimmer, being under water 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 helmed basilisk

Where do helmeted basilisks live?

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

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

Helmeted basilisks feed mostly insects, small vertebrates like birds, fish and snakes, but also plants and flowers.

Keeping a 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 a mixture of them are excellent as soil (apply a layer of 5-7 cm). Of course, the terrarium must have lighting, the right temperature and humidity. To help your pet absorb calcium and receive vitamin D on a regular basis, install a UV lamp, but only for 10-12 hours daily. Keep 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 with a hydrometer, or spray the reptile's house yourself every day. A pond will not hurt either, because the basilisk loves water very much, this is his element, so to speak. Your pet will definitely be grateful for such an acquisition, where he can splash and just relax.

At home you can feed your pet with crickets, flour worms, cockroaches, zoophobuses, grasshoppers, cabbage, dandelions, lettuce. Plants are best cut before serving, but leaving only one type of food is not recommended, it is best to alternate. We feed, for example, 4 times plant food per week, and 3 times live food. Nutrition daily!

So we have learned that helmeted basilisk really runs on water, and that it is quite possible to keep it 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-BASED BASILIS

Helm-bearing basilisk (lat. Basiliscus basiliscus) is a tree lizard that lives in the tropical rainforests of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama. Prefers to stay in thickets along the banks of rivers.

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

The helmeted basilisk got its name because of its bright green color and distinctive crest starting at the head and ending at 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 ... losing balance, he fell like a stone into a black river, immediately plunged into the water, but after a moment he found himself on the surface and ran across the water. Forepaws he carried in front of him, his tail bent upwards, and with his hind legs thrashed the surface of the water with the speed of a machine gun. The speed of the spanking was so significant that the lizard did not sink. Before we could figure out how he did it, the basilisk reached land, climbed onto the shore and darted through the branches…" wrote Archie Carr, an American zoologist.

Helm-bearing basilisks are omnivorous, they feed on greens covered with dark leaves, a small amount of vegetables, insects (earthworms, crickets, mealworm larvae), snails, small frogs.

Basilisk mating 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 is an unusual lizard from the genus Basilisks. In my own way appearance She is very similar to a dinosaur. Helmeted basilisks have the ability to stay on the surface of the water and run quite quickly on it. They live in tropical forests, in thickets near rivers or in trees.

At night, the 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 nature of basilisk lizards is rather shy. There are many in the jungle voracious predators that hunt them. Many lizards do not even live up to two years, as they become their prey. Basilisks are constantly on the alert and, at the slightest danger, they immediately take to their heels.

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

These lizards can be kept in captivity. With proper care, their life expectancy can be about ten years. For humans, basilisks are completely safe. 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 blotches. Basilisks have a small head with a wide mouth. On the back of the 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 is a crest, which is covered vertebral processes. It is larger in males than in females. Basilisks have short forelimbs with long claws. On the fingers of the muscular hind limbs there is a scaly border.

Male weight maybe about 600 grams, but the weight of females is not 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 entire body of the lizard.

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 a terrarium is required, the volume of which should be about 200 liters. It should contain plants that mimic thickets. And also there should be branches and various snags that will serve as an imitation of trees.

To light and heat the terrarium, special lamps for reptiles with ultraviolet radiation are used. They have to work about 13 hours a day. During daylight hours, the temperature should be around 29 degrees, and at night it can be reduced to 21 degrees Celsius.

Since the rainforests are the habitat of the helmet-bearing basilisks, 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 moisture can promote the development of fungal infections in basilisks.

The character of helmeted lizards is nervous, excited. It is very difficult to tame these animals. Only heterosexual lizards can be kept together. Two males should never be kept together. They can not stand each other, they will constantly sort things out and arrange fights among themselves.

Feeding helmeted basilisks

Helmeted basilisks are omnivorous. Their diet may include:

Twice a week it is worth adding special vitamins for reptiles to 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 manage these animals. The following factors are of great importance in breeding:

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

Basilisks are considered sexually mature at one and a half, two years. They mate for about 20 minutes. Three weeks after the onset of pregnancy, females begin to look for a suitable place to lay their eggs. A clutch may contain more than fifteen eggs. During the breeding season, females can lay eggs about five times. 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 of the yolk sacs. When they are empty, young lizards go hunting for the first time.

The basilisk lizard belongs to the class of reptiles, the order of scaly, the suborder of lizards, the genus of basilisks. Habitat The habitats of this animal are the tropical forests of the states of Central America: Costa Rica, Panama and Guiana. The lizard has an unusual appearance, as well as some physiological features.

Name history

The basilisk lizard got its name because of its resemblance to the mythical creature Basilisk, which is mentioned in the Latin version of the Bible. The legend about this terrible creature with a cock's head, a snake's tail and a toad's body was especially widespread in the Middle Ages.

"Basilisk" translates as "king". Such a comparison appeared due to the fact that his head is crowned with a crest, similar to a crown. Mythical basilisk the ability to kill the victim with just a glance was attributed, he also had poisonous breath, fangs and claws.

Basilisk on the pages of a medieval bestiary. There was a belief
that only weasel can resist the terrible basilisk

But the basilisk lizard, which we will talk about, quite harmless and has a peaceful disposition. She herself among the representatives of the fauna has much more enemies than the animals it can harm.

Appearance, habits, reproduction

The average body size of an adult lizard is 75-85 cm, but occasionally there are meter-long individuals. Weight 200-250 g. The hind legs are longer than the front ones, the tail is from 2/3 to 1/2 of the reptile's body. The legs allow the basilisk lizard to move quickly and provide excellent maneuverability.

Features males: the presence of a leathery crest on the back of the head and along the ridge and a fold located across the throat. Males jealously guard their territory, not allowing outsiders to enter it. They allow only females to live nearby. One male can have one or several partners at the same time. Quarrels and fights occur only between individuals of the same sex.

Crested basilisk (Basiliscus galeritus)

The habitual habitat of basilisks is shady areas around water bodies shrubs, trees. Lizards feed mainly on insects, fruits and herbs.

Basilisk lizard climbs trees and swims perfectly, stays awake, mainly in daytime. When running, it develops speed up to 1.5 m / s. The reptile has good vision, able to distinguish colors.

The body color of the basilisk is green or brown. It allows the lizard to safely hide in the crown of trees, merge with foliage and trunk.

Basilisk lizard breeds 2-3 times a year laying eggs. Cubs are born tiny and weigh only a couple of grams. There can be from 10 to 16 babies in one litter. do not take care of their offspring, and the cubs have to get their own food and hide from predators. Sometimes the parents themselves eat them.

The life expectancy of basilisks, on average, is 10 years.

Common (helmeted) basilisk (Basiliscus basiliscus)

Basilisk lizard species

Zoology knows four types of basilisks:

basilisk ordinary or helmet-bearing;

two-crested basilisk;

crested basilisk;

Mexican striped basilisk.

Mexican striped basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus)

Movement on water

An amazing feature of the basilisk lizard is its ability to move on the surface of the water surface. For this, she was nicknamed "the lizard of Jesus Christ." The reptile puts its webbed feet strictly horizontally and moves them very quickly, so that the water film does not have time to break through under the weight of the animal's body.

However, only young individuals have this amazing gift. Once the basilisk lizard reaches a length of 50 cm, the water can no longer support its weight. But these reptiles also swim great.

Two-crested basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons)