Basilisk lizard. Basilisk lifestyle and habitat. Helmeted Basilisk What the Helmeted Basilisk Lizard Does

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.

Your name helmeted basilisk received 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 (lat. Basiliscus basiliscus) is one of the most amazing lizards from the Corytophanidae family. The basilisk runs on the water, holding on to its surface with rapidly alternating blows of the hind limbs. For such wonderful art, he is often called the "Christ lizard."

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

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

Distribution and behavior

Helm-bearing basilisks live in Central America. These lizards prefer to settle in tropical rain forests growing in Nicaragua, Panama and Costa Rica. Here all year round it's swelteringly hot. Daytime temperatures range from 25°C to 30°C, and air humidity rarely drops below 60% and rises strongly during the rainy season.

Being a tree lizard, the basilisk spends most of its time in the crowns of trees growing along the banks of fresh water.

He leads a daytime lifestyle, and at night he sleeps peacefully, lying on a comfortable branch. At dawn, it gets out to a 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 small chicks and small fish become. He pulls fish out of the water with amazing dexterity. Adult lizards diversify their menu with ripe fruits.

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

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

When it comes to defending its realm from competitors, the helmeted basilisk turns from a despicable coward into a brave warrior.

Two males are able to thresh and bite each other for a long time, until the weakest one leaves the home area, 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 advent of the rainy season. At this time, the humidity of the air rises to 80% and after the drought comes the desired coolness. In the third week of pregnancy, the female is looking for a secluded place to lay eggs. To do this, she descends from the tree to the ground.

The female methodically leans her muzzle to the soil in search of the most favorable temperature and soil moisture for incubation of 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 make several clutches.

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

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

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

Description

The body length of an adult reptile is 60-80 cm, of which up to 50 cm falls on 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. Yellow and brown stripes alternate on the tail, and large light speckles are located 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 spine. A low crest 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 forelimbs. All five toes of the hind legs are covered with scaly membranes.

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

Why zoologists named this harmless lizard in honor of the evil Basilisk, no one knows, but in nature it is, as is the official name of the individual - a helmet-bearing (see a crest like a helmet on your head?) Basilisk. The habitat halo is exclusively the territory of Central America, therefore, in order to watch the Basilisks, and they are distinguished by 4 species, you will have to cross the ocean.

If speak about characteristic features Basilisk, then the tail is much longer than the body, about 2/3 of 80 cm, this is the length of the lizard. The body and tail are flattened on the sides, such a semblance of a "thickened knife blade" and a sharp ridge along the entire back. In general, scale up for thrillers and shoot living "dinosaurs" without resorting to mock-ups or fantasy. Terrible lizard, you see. But at the same time, she is a herbivore, a vegetarian, therefore, for other inhabitants of Central America, she is harmless.

Based on the correct answer, the places for the life of the Basilisk are trees growing near rivers, and danger makes it run through the water, sensing which, the lizard first begins to turn its head menacingly, and then it is carried away through the water.

P.S. The question remained open: reading about the Basilisks, I didn’t understand why she had 100 teeth measured by nature when she eats grass ...

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 helmeted lizards into a separate family. The family consists of three genera: Basiliscus (Basilisks), Corytophanes (Coritophanes or helmeted iguanas) and Laemanctus (Caskogolovye iguanas). In turn, the Basilisk genus consists of four main species: Basiliscus basiliscus (common basilisk), Basiliscus galeritus (Crested basilisk), Basiliscus plumifrons (helmet-bearing basilisk) and Basiliscus vittatus (Mexican striped basilisk).
The helmeted basilisk species inhabits the tropical forests of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama from the Caribbean Sea.

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 vegetable food, which is not included in 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.

helmeted basilisk(Basiliscus plumifrons)

Class - reptiles
Squad - scaly

Family - corytophanidae

Genus - basilisks

Appearance

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.

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.

Habitat

It lives in the tropical rainforests of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama.

Prefers to stay in thickets along the banks of rivers.

Lifestyle

They are excellent swimmers, able to stay underwater for up to half an hour. They also run well and fast, 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 from its hind legs.

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.

reproduction

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. Incubation period is 8-10 weeks. Sexual maturity occurs at 1.5-2 years.

If you are going to get a basilisk, it is better to take a pair - a female and a male, so it will be easier for them to live in captivity. To keep these lizards, you need a spacious vertical type with a pool. The minimum size of the terrarium is 130x60x70 cm. The pool should be large enough for the entire lizard to fit in. Since basilisks unfortunately have a habit of quickly polluting the water, it will have to be changed frequently. Another way out is to arrange the pool according to the principle of an aquarium, providing it with a filter system. In this case, you can even land in it aquatic plants and launch some cheap and unpretentious fish. Then the animal will also be satisfied, having the opportunity to diversify its menu with fish, and watching the underwater activity of the lizard is much more interesting!

Basilisks are very mobile, so live plants should not be used in a small terrarium - just put a snag on which animals will spend most of their time. But if it is large enough, then with the help of living plants you can create a corner of the real rainforest! Plants should be strong enough so that your pets do not break them while moving.

Light day for a basilisk is 12-14 hours. In this case, the illumination may not be very high, but extra light will not hurt. Daytime background temperature - 26-33°С (- up to 35°С). Like many other reptiles, basilisks need local heating. This can be done by using an incandescent reflector lamp, a mirror-coated lamp, or a special reptile heat lamp. It is necessary to install such a lamp at some distance from the snag - moving along it, the animals themselves will choose a place with a suitable one for them. temperature regime. To avoid thermal burns, position the heater so that the lizard cannot get close to it. The animal should also be able to crawl to a cooler area of ​​the terrarium so as not to overheat.

At night time optimum temperature is approximately 24°C. Relative Humidity quite high - 80-90%, in connection with which daily spraying of the terrarium is required. Moisturizing can be carried out twice a day using a sprayer to indoor plants. By the way, basilisks love to be sprayed! Like many tropical reptiles, basilisks need ultraviolet radiation.

In captivity, you can offer them, which are sold in a pet store, or you can teach a basilisk to eat foods that are not characteristic of them in the wild, for example, of plant origin: germinated wheat grains, pieces of fruit (bananas, oranges, pieces of sweet pears) or cottage cheese, which By the way, they are very helpful. Lizards in captivity need calcium, so it is recommended to roll food insects in crushed eggshells before feeding.