Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I haven't been able to quite figure this out. I see green basilisks for sale everywhere and I'm looking at the scientific name but can't quite figure out if it's the same lizard in this picture? Does the regular green basilisk you buy at the pet store grow up to be this? And is this a male or female thing with the big fin all the way down the back and tail. I'd love to get one of these sometime but if I were buying a baby I would want to make sure it grows up to be this spectacular. Any help would be great. By the way, good to see you again 59herps.

Mike

Yes, this Magnigicent lizard is a male Basilisk (Jesus Lizard)
Male basilisk have a large dorsal crest going down most of its body.

The females lack the dorsal crest. Males are also some what larger than the females. They are gorgeous creatures, I have heard from many that they are super nervousy (flighty) lizards.

I too think someday I will have a pair. I also like the brown striped basilisk, because I think the yellow strips are very attractive. Cool pics below of some Nice males.
Basilisk pics

-----
____
----
Eve / PHEve

So any male green basilisk, B. plumifons, is going to turn into this? The ones where the babies are like 30 bucks? Really, it's that easy?

Mike

A baby male basilisk, WILL turn into a BIG male basilisk one day, hehehehehhehe !

Some things that are NEAT are easy, take advantage, LOL
-----
____
----
Eve / PHEve

i had the same hopes you did about 3 years back, and since have not had the greatest luck with b. plumifrons.
i'm an experienced reptile keeper and had it in extremly good conditions and still could not get them to thrive. i would first recommend getting a chinese water dragon which i have had much better luck with.
the plumifrons ad pheve mentioned are extremely jumpy and quite difficult to tame. they stress rather easily and because of that fact to not eat well/put on weight as one would expect. also, just about all green basilisks are wild caught as very young babies and if advertised as CB i would still be rather reluctant to believe it at 20-30 dollars a piece.
let me know if you have any questions about the other problems i encountered. you may want to check out and read up a lot on the water dragon/ basilisk forum. good luck

Thanks for the info grnbasilisk. You might have scared me away. The chinese water dragon is quite a looker as well but the basilisk just looks like a real dinosaur. I have to give this more thought.

Mike

australian water dragons are also very awesome! a bit more unique than the chinese and they can also get some awesome coloration!

Check out my basilisk caresheet.
Some years old, but still OK:
http://forum.kingsnake.com/dragon/messages/7133.html

Ci@o

Ingo

I would have to respectfully disagree.

If provided with a large enough enclosure with the proper environment they should thrive. Large most certainly is the key, and preferably home made. Most commercial tanks (which are usually sold at largest at 150 gallons) simply are not big enough. I was even able to have a trio breeding in a pet store I worked at.

They may never be tame. and captive bred specimens are your best bet.
-----
I am highly prized for my meat.

Yep,
thats a green basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons).Its a male, females lack the crests and only have a small helmet.
Do not expet cb specimens to develop as large sail as their wild collegues.
But do not buy wc basilisks. They usually do not adapt well to captivity.
Ah, and do not forget: 5 x3 x 6 ft shozuld be the minimum enclosure size.
If you spend space and time, they are fascinating creatures. My F5 is just incubating

Ci@o

Ingo