Brown basilisk
Brown basilisk | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Iguania |
Family: | Corytophanidae |
Genus: | Basiliscus |
Species: | B. vittatus
|
Binomial name | |
Basiliscus vittatus Wiegmann, 1828
|
The brown basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus), also commonly referred to as the striped basilisk or in some areas as the common basilisk, is a
Description
The male brown basilisk can reach 61 centimetres (24 in) in total length (including tail), but the female is somewhat smaller. It has a three-part
Etymology and taxonomy
The brown basilisk's
Running on water
Smaller brown basilisks can run about 10–20 m (33–66 ft) on the water without sinking. Young brown basilisks can usually run farther than older ones. If the animal faces danger, it starts to run very fast on the surface of a river or a lake. Then the flaps on its hind feet are opened and thus more surface area is provided for it to run on water.
Behavior
Basiliscus vittatus is in the same
Reproduction
Female brown basilisks lay about 2–18 eggs, five to eight times a year. Eggs hatch after about three months and the babies weigh about 2 g (0.071 oz). It is hypothesized that they reproduce year-round, but males exhibit a peak in spermatogenic activity during the dry season and a peak in insemination and/or copulation at the beginning of the rainy season.[5]
Gallery
-
Juvenile before developing crests
-
Closeup of face
-
In Florida, United States
References
- . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ISBN 978-3936180282.
- ISBN 978-0226735382.
- ISBN 0-395-58389-6.
- ISSN 0362-2525.
Further reading
- Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. Iguanidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers) xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I-XXIV. (Basiliscus vittatus, pp. 109–110).
- Wiegmann AF (1828). "Beyträge zur Amphibienkunde ". Isis von Oken 21 (4): 364-383. (Basiliscus vittatus, new species, p. 373). (in German and Latin).