Common Name : Green Basilisk

Scientific Name : Basiliscus plumifrons

General Information

The Green Basilisk is a medium size species of lizard originating from Central America, from southern Mexico to Panama. In their natural habitat they are most likely to be found near rivers and lakes in forests, woodlands, when seen they are usually on rocks, logs or overhanging branches. Basilisks are an underrated reptile, but their individual personalities and readiness to live and breed in captivity make them a great animal to own. Adult male basilisks grow to about 34 inches (including tail) with females being a little shorter, in captivity they can be long lived pets, the average being 14-17 years, with some reaching as old as 20. In the wild if frightened, the lizard will drop from a branch into water and scurry off, they have specialized scales on the bottoms of the rear feet, so are able to run across the surface of water for some distance, earning the name "Jesus lizard" in their native countries.

Enclosure

When choosing a home for your basilisk three main points have to be taken into consideration; height, heat and light. A young basilisk can comfortably be housed in a 3ft vivarium, until it reaches between 6 and 9 months of age, at this point it is recommended that the animal is moved to its adult enclosure, which needs to be a minimum of 3 x 3 x 2 (L x H x W) foot, preferably 4 x 4 x 2 (L x H x W).

Heat and Light

As basilisks are cold blooded and come from a warmer climate than our own it is essential to provide them with additional heating. The only option when heating a water basilisk is to space heat; heat mats have no place in a basilisk’s vivarium; space heating is best achieved using a combination of a thermostat, ceramic heater and a spot bulb. As with all reptiles a temperature gradient is required within the vivarium, the warm end should be maintained between 80-95oF, and the cool end between 75-80oF. A night time temperature drop is also beneficial to the basilisk so during the hours of darkness the vivarium temperature should drop to between 75-80oF. Basilisks are diurnal, meaning that like us they sleep at night and are active during the day, being a tropical animal they have a high requirement for UVB light, so as such this should be provided. A 5.0% UV light is an essential part of the setup, and should be used to provide between 10 and 12 hours of light per day, UV lights have a limited life and should be changed at 5-7 month intervals.

Substrate

For ease of care we recommend a mixture of orchid bark and coconut fibres as a substrate for water basilisks, these mediums will tolerate the very high humidity required without rotting.

Shelter, Basking and Decor

Being tree dwellers basilisks have little use for hides, as they are active all day and tend to just sleep in the trees at night; it is important though to provide basking areas, unlike ground dwelling species of lizards these should be in the form of branches and vines to allow the animal to move vertically within the vivarium. Plenty of imitation or live plants are also a must in the basilisk’s vivarium; being a rainforest animal these will help the basilisk to feel secure and relaxed.

Water, Humidity and Minerals

Calcium is essential to proper bone growth and general health in all reptiles, this along with a fresh supply of water should be provided to your basilisk, powdered calcium and vitamin supplements should be added to the food daily, and fresh water should be available at all times. Green basilisks love water, their water bowl should be larger enough to fully submerge themselves and if space allows even swim in it. Being a rainforest animal they require high humidity; this should be maintained between 70 and 85% by heavily spraying the animal 2-4 times per day.

Food

Basilisks are carnivorous, and so require a diet of insects, here at Grange Reptiles our basilisks are fed a mixture of locusts, crickets, mealworms, morio-worms, as mentioned above calcium and vitamins are essential, so calcium should be sprinkled on the insects 5 times a week, with a vitamin powder being used on the remaining two days. It is also recommended that all food items are gut loaded before being fed to the basilisk to increase the nutritional value, this should be done using a combination of commercial gut loading products, fish food and leafy green vegetables. In the wild basilisks will become more predatory as they reach adulthood, feeding on small birds and mammals as well as insects, this can be replicated in captivity by the addition of a pinkie mouse or two per week to the animal’s diet.

Shedding

A basilisk will shed it skin about once a month for its whole life, in the few days before this shed takes place the basilisk will appear dull in colour, most basilisks will never have an issue with shedding but it is recommended to spray the animal more frequently at this time. The shedding process normally takes a few hours, but in some cases a few days may pass before the animal has completely finished. Once the shed is complete check that there is no retained shed on the tail or toes, if there is any visible place your basilisk in a shallow dish of luke warm water for up to half an hour, you will then be able to assist by gently removing the skin by hand or with tweezers.

Handling

Young basilisks are alert and wary lizards, it will take persistent, non-threatening interaction to ensure that you end up with an easy to handle lizard. By the time it reaches adult size so long as it is not allowed to become cool it is possible to have the basilisk out of its vivarium for several hours at a time.

We hope that this care sheet has been of assistance and if you have any further enquiries do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail. info@superpetsdirect.com