Basilisk maintenance and care. Helmeted Basilisk. Habitat in nature

Synonyms and names in other languages

Plumed basilis

Stirnlappenbasilisk (German)

Lacerta basiliscus (lat.)

Classification

Detachment- Scaly (Squamata).

Family— Helmet-headed lizards (Corytophanidae).

Genus- Basilisks (Basiliscus).

View- Helmeted Basilisk ( Basiliscus plumifrons).

Subspecies- Basiliscus plumifrons linnaeus, 1758 and basiliscus plumifrons barbouri ruthven, 1914.

The habitat of the helmet-nosed basilisk includes the territories of South and Central America: Panama, Nicaragua, Ecuador. They live near water - along rivers, in thickets of trees and coastal vegetation. Their whole way of life is connected with water; they are not found in waterless territories and in the thick of forests. Basilisks are widespread and do not belong to protected animals, the species is not threatened with extinction.

Appearance

Dimensions most basilisks are small - up to 30 cm in length. But there is information about very large individuals up to 75 cm in length. But these reptiles can grow to such a size only in nature, when grown in a terrarium, they are never of such size anyway.

The appearance of the basilisk is very memorable. This is a diurnal species of lizard, therefore, they are active mainly during the day, and since they most They spend their lives climbing trees, they have long fingers with sharp claws that provide a good grip on the bark of trees. The male differs from the female in the presence of a crest on the head. Basilisks of both sexes are colored in shades Green colour- as a rule, the back is darker than the belly, white spots are scattered all over the body. Their color is camouflage, this allows them to reliably hide from predators in the thickets, especially since they have nothing more to protect themselves with.

Character

The character of the helmet-nosed basilisk is cautious, it has many enemies in nature, therefore, at the slightest danger, it prefers to run away, because it has no way to resist the enemy, only color can disguise it. Basilisks are good swimmers and can stay underwater for half an hour. On the ground, basilisks run fast and can reach speeds of up to 11 km per hour. The basilisk can also run on water - thanks to its fast movements hind legs Basilisk can run up to 400 meters on the surface of the water at a speed of up to 12 km per hour.

Terrarium for basilisks it must be large, otherwise they can beat on the glass of the terrarium in a panic, not noticing it. The minimum size of the terrarium is 130x60x70 cm - for one basilisk, but if you want to keep a group of basilisks, the terrarium should be much larger.

As a primer, coconut fiber or coconut chips are appropriate, up to 10 cm thick, it is good to put pots with live plants in them - the plants should be large and not deteriorate from the fact that the basilisks will sit on them and climb on them. Different types of dracaena, monstera, scindapsus, arrowroot are suitable. In addition to their decorative function, plants create shelters for animals and help maintain the necessary humidity. Strong winding driftwood is also highly desirable. If you keep a group of basilisks, it is important to remember that males do not get along with each other, you can keep females or a male and a group of females.

You need to light the terrarium for at least 10 hours a day. An ultraviolet lamp is needed - for the absorption of vitamin D and the prevention of rickets. For heating, you need an incandescent lamp, you need to direct it to a piece of driftwood, there will be the most heat in a terrarium and a basilisk can bask there. But such a lamp should not be closer than 15 centimeters from the reptile, otherwise it may get burned. A daily temperature difference of about 10 degrees is required.

Basilisks love water, so a capacious reservoir is needed in the terrarium, where they can swim. The water in it should be changed daily and washed from time to time.

Temperatureair from 25°C at night to 32°C during the day.

Humidityair 60 - 70%.

Lighting scattered. Incandescent lamp and ultraviolet lamp.

Feeding

Basilisks are insectivorous animals, they eat various insects - crickets, flour worms, zoophobas (its head must be crushed before feeding, otherwise it can damage the gastrointestinal tract with its powerful jaws), cockroaches. The food should not be too hard for the lizard to swallow comfortably. Insects before feeding must be rolled in mineral top dressing. Basilisks also need vegetable feeding - lettuce, dandelions, lettuce: before feeding, they need to be washed, dried and finely chopped. Adult basilisks can alternate plant and animal food, while young ones need to be fed twice a day. various types food.

It is necessary to add vitamins and calcium supplements to food.

Peculiarities

An interesting sight to watch, as it is active during the day.

unpretentious, eats different types feed, but requires the mandatory presence of live insects in the diet.

It is possible to accustom to feeding insects from tweezers, while, of course, the lizard will not become tame, but will calmly relate to the presence of a person next to the terrarium.

Not very well suited for the role of a pet, as it is shy. It is not given in the hands, it can only be taken very carefully, for veterinary manipulations. They may react with flight and panic to sudden movements. If the lizard ran away in a panic, you should not catch it right away, it is better to wait a bit, calmly approach it and quietly pick it up.

Possible injury due to hitting the glass in a state of panic. You can apply wound healing powders, eliminate the likelihood of stress and, possibly, increase the size of the terrarium.

Problem molting- after molting, shreds of old skin remain on the body of the basilisk, tightly adhering to the new skin. They must be soaked with water and removed with tweezers, otherwise necrosis may begin with them.

Breeding

Subject to right conditions content does not need to create special conditions for reproduction. Usually, mating takes place at a humidity of about 80%, a temperature of about 26 degrees and a light day of about 12 hours. It is best to separate the pair briefly before mating. Mating itself lasts about 20 minutes, pregnancy becomes noticeable after 2 - 3 weeks - the female becomes fat, begins to look for a place to lay eggs. Basilisks are oviparous lizards, clutching from 9 to 18 eggs. During the breeding season, the female can lay eggs several times. For incubation, it is better to remove the eggs and keep them in a mixture of water and vermiculite in equal proportions, at a temperature of 28.8 degrees in an incubator. The incubation period is long - from 8 to 10 weeks. It is important to ensure that the vermiculite does not dry out in order to maintain normal temperature. Helmeted basilisk hatchlings are born small and require a large number small insects as food - mainly a mealworm, immature cockroaches or crickets. For cubs, top dressing and ultraviolet are necessary. They reach sexual maturity at 1.5-2 years.

Lifespan- Basilisks live in a terrarium for a long time, up to 10 years.

The helmeted basilisk is an unusual lizard from the genus Basilisks. In my own way appearance She is very similar to a dinosaur. Helmeted basilisks have the ability to stay on the surface of the water and run quite quickly on it. They live in tropical forests, in thickets near rivers or in trees.

At night, the reptiles sleep, and in the morning they go hunting. Their prey can be various insects, as well as chicks and even small fish, which they snatch directly from the water.

The nature of basilisk lizards is rather shy. There are many in the jungle voracious predators that hunt them. Many lizards do not even live up to two years, as they become their prey. Basilisks are constantly on the alert and, at the slightest danger, they immediately take to their heels.

The task of sexually mature males is to protect the territory. The females are responsible for food.

These lizards can be kept in captivity. With proper care, their life expectancy can be about ten years. For humans, basilisks are completely safe. They are not aggressive or poisonous.

Description of the helmeted basilisk

This is a fairly large lizard with a bright green color. On the sides of the reptiles there are light blotches. Basilisks have a small head with a wide mouth. On the back of the head they have a flat outgrowth about four centimeters long, which resembles a helmet. This is where these got their name. unusual lizards . On the back of these reptiles is a crest, which is covered with vertebral processes. It is larger in males than in females. Basilisks have short forelimbs with long claws. On the fingers of the muscular hind limbs there is a scaly border.

Male weight maybe about 600 grams, but the weight of females is not more than 400 grams. The body length of these amazing lizards can reach 80 cm. The tail occupies two thirds of the length of the entire body of the lizard.

Helmeted basilisks are excellent swimmers and divers. These animals are able to stay under water for about half an hour. On land, lizards also move very quickly. They can reach speeds of about ten kilometers per hour.

Maintenance and care of helmeted basilisks

Lizards can be kept in captivity, but for this they need a spacious vertical terrarium. For one adult basilisk a terrarium is required, the volume of which should be about 200 liters. It should contain plants that mimic thickets. And also there should be branches and various snags that will serve as an imitation of trees.

To light and heat the terrarium, special lamps for reptiles with ultraviolet radiation are used. They have to work about 13 hours a day. During daylight hours, the temperature should be around 29 degrees, and at night it can be reduced to 21 degrees Celsius.

Since the habitat of the helmeted basilisks is wet rainforests, then the humidity in the terrarium should be high (about 80%). In order to maintain it, it is necessary to spray the terrarium with water. Worth knowing that excessive moisture can promote the development of fungal infections in basilisks.

character helmeted lizards nervous, agitated. It is very difficult to tame these animals. Only heterosexual lizards can be kept together. Two males should never be kept together. They can not stand each other, they will constantly sort things out and arrange fights among themselves.

Feeding helmeted basilisks

Helmeted basilisks are omnivorous. Their diet may include:

Twice a week it is worth adding special vitamins for reptiles to food. And also do not forget that food must be sprinkled with calcium.

Young lizards need to be fed twice a day. Adults are fed four times a week.

Reproduction of helmeted basilisks

To breed lizards was successful, it is necessary to properly manage these animals. The following factors are of great importance in breeding:

1. Temperature.
2. Humidity.
3. Lighting.

Basilisks are considered sexually mature at one and a half, two years. They mate for about 20 minutes. Three weeks after the onset of pregnancy, females begin to look for a suitable place to lay their eggs. A clutch may contain more than fifteen eggs. During the breeding season, females can lay eggs about five times. The incubation period lasts about ten weeks. Then small basilisks are born. The body length of young reptiles is about 11 cm. Basilisks grow quite quickly. First days of newborns feed on the contents of the yolk sacs. When they are empty, young lizards go hunting for the first time.

Titles: helmeted basilisk, green basilisk.
Habitat: Central America.
Lifespan: 7 years.

The helmeted basilisk is a tree lizard that lives in the tropical rainforests of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama. Prefers to stay in thickets along the banks of rivers.

The helmeted basilisk got its name because of its bright green color and distinctive crest starting at the head and ending at the tail. The crest on the head of males is larger than that of females.

Adult lizards reach a length of up to 60-80 cm. The tail of the basilisk is almost two thirds of the length of its body. They are excellent swimmers, able to stay under water for half an hour. They also run well and fast, sometimes reaching ground speeds of up to 11 km/h. It has the ability to run on water, keeping its body on the surface with rapidly alternating kicks from its hind legs.

The terrarium contains many artificial plants that create hidden places. Daytime temperature averages about 29.4 "C (in the heating area - 35.5" C), in the cool part of the terrarium - 26.6 "C. At night, the temperature is reduced to 21" C.

Full spectrum lamps are used for lighting and heating ultraviolet radiation within 12-13 hours a day.

Maintain high humidity (80-90%) in the terrarium. Inside is placed a wide small saucer with fresh water. Once a day, water is sprayed over the substrate. The substrate is earth or a slightly damp mixture of peat moss, soil and sand.

Helmeted basilisks are omnivorous, feeding on greens covered with dark leaves, a small amount of vegetables, insects ( earthworms, crickets, flour beetle larvae), snails, small frogs. Sometimes you can add some fruit to the diet. Remember to sprinkle the food with powdered calcium and reptile vitamins (2 times a week).
They feed young basilisks once a day, adults - 2 times a week.

Successful captive breeding of helmed basilisks requires proper humidity, temperature and light to be maintained at all times. Basilisks breed at high humidity (about 80%) and at average temperatures of 26.6 "C, the day length is 12 hours. Before the breeding season, males and females are separated from each other.

Basilisk mating can last up to 20 minutes. Pregnant females become fat after 2-3 weeks, at the same time they begin to look for a place to lay eggs.

Each clutch contains 9-18 eggs. A female basilisk can lay eggs up to 4-5 times during the breeding season. Eggs are incubated at a temperature of about 28.8 "C in a mixture of water and vermiculite (1 part water and 1 part vermiculite). The incubation period is 8-10 weeks. Sexual maturity occurs at 1.5-2 years.

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Helm-bearing basilisk (lat. Basiliscus basiliscus) is a tree lizard that lives in the tropical rainforests of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama. Prefers to stay in thickets along the banks of rivers.

Adult lizards reach a length of up to 60-80 cm. The tail of the basilisk is almost two thirds of the length of its body. They are excellent swimmers, able to stay under water for half an hour. They also run well and fast, sometimes reaching ground speeds of up to 11 km/h. It has the ability to run on water, keeping its body on the surface with rapidly alternating kicks from its hind legs.

The helmeted basilisk got its name because of its bright green color and distinctive crest starting at the head and ending at the tail. The crest on the head of males is larger than that of females.

"It was a basilisk, green as lettuce, with bright eyes, a male about 14 inches in length ... having lost his balance, he fell like a stone into a black river, immediately sank into the water, but after a moment he found himself on the surface and ran through the water. He carried his front paws in front of him, his tail bent upwards, and with his hind legs he thrashed the surface of the water at the speed of a machine gun. The speed of the spanking was so significant that the lizard did not sink. Before we had time to figure out how he does it, the basilisk reached land, climbed ashore and darted through the branches ... "- wrote Archie Carr, an American zoologist.

Helm-bearing basilisks are omnivorous, they feed on greens covered with dark leaves, a small amount of vegetables, insects (earthworms, crickets, mealworm larvae), snails, small frogs.

Basilisk mating can last up to 20 minutes. Pregnant females become fat after 2-3 weeks, at the same time they begin to look for a place to lay eggs.

Each clutch contains 9-18 eggs. A female basilisk can lay eggs up to 4-5 times during the breeding season. Sexual maturity occurs at 1.5-2 years.

Which, more often than other animals from the genus Basilisks, is kept in terrariums. The size of an adult reptile reaches 60-80 cm in length, about two or three of which falls on the length of the tail. The color of the helmeted Basilisk varies from bright green to brownish-olive. But offspring bred in captivity often have a bluish-green color. The belly of this lizard is yellow. Along the back of the lizard, you can see small white or blue spots, and on the sides there are black stripes along the entire body to the tail. As the Basilisk gets older, these spots and stripes may become more blurred or disappear altogether. This coloration allows the basilisks to go unnoticed when they are crouching on the branches. On the long fingers these can be seen with sharp claws that help this semi-arboreal species to move easily through the rainforest.

A distinctive feature of males is a sail-like crest that adorns the head, back and passes to the tail. On the head, this crest resembles a helmet in shape and consists of two parts, different in size, which is why the species was called helmet-bearing. At the same time, the female has only a smaller crest on the head, while both of them are observed in males. Also hallmark males have a blue-yellow throat pouch that they inflate to show their territorial superiority.

The name "basilisk" these animals owe to their mythical past, in which they were considered very dangerous animals due to the fact that they were little known. And because they began to be called "serpent king", this is how the word "basilisk" sounds in Greek.

You can often find another alternative name "lizard Jesus". Basilisks got this name due to their ability to move over long distances on the surface of the water. Fleeing from predators, basilisks can overcome up to 20 meters, running on the surface of the water at speeds up to 11 km / h. This is made possible by the anatomical structure of the basilisk.

Them hind legs significantly stronger and larger than the anterior ones and have special skin pouches located around the fingers. These skin sacs open and fill with air only on water. In order for the skin pouches around the fingers of the basilisk not to fill with water (this will make its paws heavier and prevent it from “sliding” on the water), it must move its hind legs very quickly - this is why basilisks run so fast through the water. At the same time, he raises his front paws and tail above the water. The tail also plays very important role in this process, it helps to balance, and therefore basilisks do not throw it away when attacked by predators. When the hind legs are not on the water, these skin pouches are closed so as not to increase the friction force when running. This allows basilisks to run well not only on water, but also on land.

Origin and habitats in nature:

The genus Basiliscus (Basiliscus) belongs to the Corytophanidae family. Previously, this genus was assigned to the family (Iguanidae), but relatively recently, herpetologists have identified nine species of helmet-bearing lizards in a separate family. The family consists of three genera: Basiliscus (Basilisks), Corytophanes (Coritophanes or helmeted iguanas) and Laemanctus (Caskogolovye iguanas). In turn, the Basilisk genus consists of four main species: Basiliscus basiliscus (common basilisk), Basiliscus galeritus (Crested basilisk), Basiliscus plumifrons (helmet-bearing basilisk) and Basiliscus vittatus (Mexican striped basilisk).
The helmeted basilisk species inhabits the tropical forests of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama from the Caribbean Sea.

The habitats of the Basilisk helmet in most cases are in the lowlands located 500 m below sea level, but there have been cases when basilisks were found in areas 1200 m above sea level.

Lifestyle:

This is a lizard that leads a diurnal semi-arboreal lifestyle, and therefore it can often be found on trees, bushes growing near rivers and reservoirs. Sometimes in nature, helmet-bearing basilisks can be seen on stones or logs, where they bask under the rays of the tropical sun. Wherever you meet this amazing one, it will in any case be a place hidden from prying eyes.

If you get a little closer to the basilisk, then it may not even move. But if you get too close, then in this case the lizard will quickly jump into the water and, using its amazing ability to run on water, will disappear from your field of vision so quickly or slip away among the bushes that you won’t even have time to understand anything.
In addition, the Helmeted Basilisk is an excellent swimmer with full immersion in water. There were cases when the basilisk spent up to 2 hours, being completely immersed in water.

The helmet-bearing basilisk is one that lives strictly on certain territory, where you can meet only one male, and two or three females. Two males do not get along in the same territory, but it is also worth noting that this is a species of herd lizards, and they must definitely live as a family, otherwise they start to get bored and this can lead to the death of the animal if it is not placed in a family in time. Care must be taken, however, that the young are separated from the adults, as the stronger adults may eat the weak (young). Disputes are also often observed among females, but they are less pronounced, the main thing is that the number of females in one territory does not exceed three.

Basilisks often become the prey of birds of prey, big fish and mammals. And if they can run away from enemies who hunt only during the day, then here are the mammals leading night image lives often overtake basilisks at the moment when they sleep.

It is important to note that only captive-bred basilisks should be selected for keeping, as those caught in wild nature animals almost never live long, as they do not tolerate transportation and changing living conditions very well.

Terrarium: to keep a helmeted basilisk, you will need one equipped with a pool. The minimum size of the terrarium for two or three adults should be 130x60x170 cm. The size of the pool should be at least the size of a lizard. The water in the pool must be changed every day, or equipped with filters on the principle of an aquarium. Also in the water you can get small unpretentious fish, such as guppies, so you will give the basilisks the opportunity to hunt prey in the water, diversifying their diet. But in any case, the water must be changed as it becomes contaminated in order to avoid the appearance of harmful microorganisms.

Content temperature: the background temperature in the terrarium during the day should be 28-30 ºC, the night temperature can drop to 20-25 ºC. The temperature at the heating point can reach 35-38 ºC.

Lighting: daylight hours for basilisks should be 12-14 hours. As is the case with other tropical lizards, basilisks need to be installed (for example,). It must be placed at a sufficient distance from the placed snags so that the lizard does not get burned.

Humidity maintenance: humidity in a basilisk terrarium must be maintained at 70-90%. At the same time, the humidity should be higher at night than during the day. In addition, during the tropical rainy season, it is recommended to spray the terrarium 3-4 times a day with a spray gun. To maintain humidity, a small waterfall that will fall into the pond will be an excellent solution. Thus, the issue of water flow in the pool can also be solved.

Registration: basilisks are quite mobile lizards, they definitely need a place closer to where they can bask after bathing. In addition, they like to move around the terrarium, where for this they need to place several thick snags that could withstand all the individuals living in the terrarium at once. It is also necessary to place in case the lizards want to hide. . As with other tropical lizards, live non-poisonous plants with dense leaves can be placed in a basilisk terrarium. But you should be prepared for the fact that sooner or later your pets will damage them with their sharp claws. In this case, the plants must be replaced.

Feeding in captivity:

The helmeted basilisk is a rather omnivorous lizard. As live prey, they need to be offered mainly insects:. Also, adults can be fed small mice and small non-poisonous fish.

In the wild, basilisks consume flowers, leaves as plant food. tropical plants. Captive-bred basilisks can be trained to consume vegetable food, which is not included in their diet in the wild. Such food includes germinated wheat, as well as pieces of bananas, soft pears, oranges and other fruits, and soft vegetables, berries.

Feeding in captivity must be supplemented.
It is necessary to offer food to young basilisks once a day, but adults can be fed 3-4 times a week.

Breeding in captivity:

The helmet-bearing basilisk becomes sexually mature at the age of 1.5-2 years. Basilisks can breed all year round. Females are able to carry out several clutches per year, which consist of 8-18 eggs. The female's pregnancy lasts approximately 2 months, after which she lays her eggs. All eggs laid are leathery and should be a uniform white color.

Females should be closely monitored and if they increase in size in the area abdominal cavity, then a container should be placed in the terrarium. It is recommended to choose a plastic container, about 20 cm high. A layer of sand, 2 cm thick and a layer of moss, 6 cm thick, must be placed on the bottom of the container. The substrate in the masonry container must always be moistened. As soon as the female completes the laying and leaves, she can be transferred to the incubator. The incubation process is 26-31 days, at a constant temperature of 26-34 ° C. The helmet-bearing basilisk has no instinct for caring for offspring, and therefore young individuals cannot be left with adults, as they can be eaten by their parents.

After hatching, the offspring of the helminthic basilisks can not be fed for two days, since during this time they absorb the protein obtained from the egg. After that, they can begin to offer a crushed mixture of bananas, pears and apples. Small basilisks prefer to stay in thickets near water. They are very cautious, shy and agile - this is what saves them in the wild from numerous enemies.