The Green Basilisk of Costa Rica
I took this photo in Cahuita National Park, near the river filled with caimans. I used an iPhone 12 and my 8x48 Nikon binoculars to get this shot. I explain how I did it in this Instagram post!
Hey, what’s up guys! It’s Saadat. Things are going well- I’m in my third semester at Miami University (pursuing an MA in biology), and I recently came back from a family vacation in Costa Rica. We stayed in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca and made the drive up to the beautiful Cahuita National Park. I saw a ton of species during the three days we were there, including a venomous viper! I’ll be sharing photos and videos of it all, so stay tuned! As of now, enjoy this short article I wrote:
I absolutely love being immersed in the neotropics. The bugs bite, the thorns prick and the heat and humidity is unrelenting. But all of this is worth it. The abundance and diversity of life here is mind-blowing. From reptiles and insects to birds and mammals, the place is simply bursting with life. In fact, a significant percentage of all species on our planet calls this region home! Here, there is life in abundance, especially in the jungles.
One of the many species I saw while visiting Costa Rica this past month was the green basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons), also known as the Jesus Christ lizard. This one was a female since she didn’t have a prominent crest on her head and sails on her back and tail. I managed to get some decent photographs of her by a river (filled with caimans, mind you!) in Cahuita National Park. I first saw her running bipedally as she chased a large dragonfly. She almost looked like a dinosaur, and seeing a lizard running on two legs made me think of the Compsognathus scenes from the Jurassic Park films and books.
This basilisk then launched herself off a log and caught the dragonfly in her jaws. She was chewing on it while I got into position for a good shot. I stuck my iPhone 12 lens on my 8x48 Nikon binoculars and voila- this is the budget way to get close-up shots of species without getting too close to them physically (if you have steady enough hands that is). Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a shot of her eating the insect because she had swallowed it by the time I started recording and taking pictures. Watching her hunt was awesome to witness, though! Some facts about this awesome species:
1.) They are also known as Jesus Christ lizards since they can run on the surface of water without sinking, resembling the biblical depiction of Jesus walking on water. They have adapted to have huge feet in proportion to their bodies and one elongated toe on their rear feet, which helps them run on water. Their toes have scaly flaps that act as feathers do on a bird, except it captures the surface area of water instead of air. They can run for 15 feet on water before gravity causes them to start sinking. It isn’t a huge problem if they sink, as they are excellent swimmers. You can imagine what it must’ve been like for native people to discover this lizard as it ran across a river or lake. No wonder they named it the Jesus Christ lizard!
2.) They eat basically anything they can catch that is smaller than them, including crabs, shrimp, bats, fish, other lizards, fruits, flowers, and even birds!
3.) They live throughout Central America and northern South America; some species populate Mexico and are invasive in Florida!
4.) There are different species of basilisk, such as the common basilisk, the green or plumed basilisk, the striped or brown basilisk, and the red-head or western basilisk!
5.) Basilisks can be up to 2 feet long, and much of this length consists of their tail, which they use as a whip to fend off predators!
6.) Female basilisks are smaller and have a small hood on their heads instead of crests, sails, and plumes as the males do. Males use these colorful appendages to impress the females.
7.) Every year, female basilisks lay several clutches of around 10 eggs in burrows, which incubate for 2-3 months before hatching. Like many reptile offspring, their babies are precocial, meaning they are entirely independent right after they hatch
8.) On land, they can be bipedal or run on all four legs! They sure look like dinosaurs when running on two legs!
9.) The average lifespan of basilisks in the wild is around 5 years, and they can live much longer in captivity!
10.) Unlike the mythological basilisks, the real basilisk is not dangerous, fierce, or venomous- they’re just skittish lizards that are super fast and well adapted for their environment!
11.) They’ve adapted to be quick because their predators include birds of prey, snakes, and other predators larger than them. Although they are great swimmers, they are not safe in the waters of their habitats either, as crocs and caimans love to eat these guys!
VIEW THE FULL INSTAGRAM POST WITH ALL PHOTOS AND A VIDEO OF THE BASILISK I SAW!
Looking for more reptiles and birds in Cahuita National Park. This was not too far from where I saw the basilisk. Photo credits go to my brother, who used an iPhone 14 to capture this shot. The shirt I’m wearing is covered in sloths, and it is from The Jaguar Rescue Center, an incredible place.
Thanks for reading this article. If you enjoyed it, please share it with others! Leave comments below. I will be sharing photos and videos of many other species I saw on my Costa Rica trip, so consider subscribing to my blog! Can you guys which species I saw during my stay in southeastern Costa Rica?? Check out my YouTube channel and Instagram for more content on Earth’s fantastic biodiversity! Until next time, and remember, KEEP IT WILD!
References:
Hsieh, S. T., & Lauder, G. V. (2004). Running on water: Three-dimensional force generation by basilisk lizards. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(48), 16784-16788.
Alvarado, R., Alvarado, E. V., López, L. I., Umaña, D., & Mora, J. M. (2022). Predation of a Juvenile Iguana rhinolopha (Squamata: Iguanidae) by Basiliscus plumifrons (Squamata: Corytophanidae) in the Costa Rican Rainforest. Caribbean Journal of Science, 52(2), 203-208.
