The Green Basilisk is a handsome-looking lizard: both the male and female are a bright apple-green color, and the male has showy head crests and sailfins on his back, making him look like a miniature dinosaur. But this Florida invader is probably most famous for a neat trick that has earned it the nickname of "Jesus Christ Lizard".
The Daily Bucket is a regular series from the Backyard Science group. Here we talk about Mother Nature in all her glory, especially the parts that live nearby. So let us know (as close as you are comfortable) where you are and what's going on around you. What's the weather like? Seen any interesting plants, bugs or critters? Are there birds at your feeders? Deer, foxes or peahens in your yard? Seen any cool rocks or geological features? Post your observations and notes here. And photos. We like lots of photos. :)
The Green Basilisk Lizard
The basilisks, named after a monster from Greek mythology with poisonous breath that could also turn people to stone by looking at them, is a group of lizards related to the Iguanas, forming the family Corytophanidae. There are four species in one genus, all of them limited to the area of southern Mexico, Central America, and the northern part of South America.
The largest of these is the Green Basilisk, Basiliscus plumifrons, also known as the Crested Basilisk or the Plumed Basilisk. A resident of Central America, it is a large lizard, averaging about 2 feet and sometimes up to 3 feet in length (though most of this is tail). The females are bright green with blue and white markings; the males are similarly colored but are larger and have showy crests along their head and back which they can erect as a territorial display.
All of the basilisks are unusual among lizards because they are capable of running bipedally on their back legs for some distance, like a little T rex, as a way of escaping predators and also running down insect prey. Although their gait is ungainly (the legs are splayed out to the side which gives them a wide waddling stance), they are capable of surprising speed over short distances. In fact, their speed combines with a special set of fringelike scales on their long toes to give them a surprising ability--they can run across the surface of water for several feet without sinking. Their ability to "walk on water" has earned them the name by which they are widely known in Central America; the "Jesus Christ Lizard".
In the wild, they spend nearly all their time near water, usually perched on branches overhanging rivers and ponds, where they can bask at leisure in the sun and drop into the water if disturbed. They are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for almost half an hour.
In the trees they can find ripe fruit and flowers to eat, but they also hunt insects, bird eggs, and small animals. Their ability to run across the water surface allows them to dash out and snap up aquatic insects or frogs that are resting on rocks or driftwood offshore.
The adult males establish territories along their riverbank, which they defend from other males, and will try to mate with any adult female who enters. The females then dig nest burrows into the riverbank, where they lay up to 12-15 eggs. These hatch in about two to four months depending on the temperature. The youngsters are miniature copies of their parents and are fully capable of living on their own. Wild basilisks live about 7 years; in captivity they have lived to age 10. Throughout its range, the Green Basilisk is very common, and is not listed as threatened or endangered.
It was probably inevitable, though, that such interesting lizards would become popular in the pet trade. Throughout the 1990's, thousands of Green Basilisks and their cousins, the Brown Basilisks (Basiliscus vittatus) were imported into the US. By 1994, both species had become established in Florida, most likely as released/escaped pets. They can be found all over south Florida.
Because the lizards are skittish and don't like being around people, they are most often found in rural areas, along canals and around ponds. It is not really known how much of an effect they have on local native species--they likely make meals of small native frogs and lizards as well as bird eggs, but since the Basilisks are still somewhat limited in their Florida range and do not have a very dense population, it does not appear that their impact is very large. The Brown Basilisk species seems to be better suited to Florida than the Green, and is slowly increasing its range.
For now, the state of Florida isn't making much effort to eradicate either species. So it is likely the Jesus Christ Lizards will remain a part of the landscape.
NOTE: As some of you already know, all of my diaries here are draft chapters for a number of books I am working on. So I welcome any corrections you may have, whether it's typos or places that are unclear or factual errors. I think of y'all as my pre-publication editors and proofreaders. ;)