Plumed Basilisk
| Plumed basilisk | |
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| Male plumed basilisk | |
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| Female plumed basilisk | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Corytophanidae |
| Genus: | Basiliscus |
| Species: | B. plumifrons |
| Binomial name | |
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Basiliscus plumifrons Cope, 1875 |
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The plumed basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons), also called a green basilisk, double crested basilisk, or Jesus Christ lizard, is a species of corytophanid native to Central America.
Its natural distribution ranges from eastern Honduras, through Nicaragua and Costa Rica, to western Panama.
The plumed basilisk's generic name Basiliscus is taken from the legendary reptilian creature of European mythology which could turn a man to stone by its gaze: the Basilisk. This name derives from the Greek basilískos (βασιλίσκος) meaning "little king". This epithet was given in Carl Linnaeus' 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
Plumed basilisks are one of the largest basilisk species, with an average body length of approximately 10 inches (25 cm). Including the tail, they can reach 3 feet (91 cm) long. Adult lizards are brilliant green with bright yellow eyes and small bluish spots along the dorsal ridge. Males have three crests: one on the head, one on their back, and one on the tail while the females only have the head crest. Juveniles are less conspicuously colored, and lack the characteristic crests.
Plumed basilisks are omnivorous and eat insects, small mammals (such as rodents), smaller species of lizards, fruits and flowers. Their predators include birds of prey, opossums and snakes.
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Wikipedia