| Western basilisk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The head of a western basilisk. | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Corytophanidae |
| Genus: | Basiliscus |
| Species: | B. galeritus |
| Binomial name | |
| Basiliscus galeritus A.M.C. Duméril &A.H.A. Duméril, 1851 | |
Thewestern basilisk, orred-headed basilisk (Basiliscus galeritus), is a largespecies oflizard in thefamilyCorytophanidae. The species isendemic to northwesternSouth America.
Thespecific name,galeritus, which is Latin, means "wearing a hood", referring to the head crest.[2]
B. galeritus inhabits forests at altitudes of 0–1,600 m (0–5,249 ft) in westernColombia and westernEcuador in South America.[3] Earlier reports of its occurrence in Central America are mistaken and actually refer to young of the closely relatedcommon basilisk.[4][5]
The western basilisk is common and not threatened.[3]
Males ofB. galeritus reach a total length (including tail) up to about 77.5 cm (30.5 in), while females reach about 63.5 cm (25.0 in).[3] Its body color is olive-green with a reddish-brown underbelly. The throat is white to yellow. On the back it has a small crest similar to that of young individuals of the common basilisk. It may have a narrow white stripe or a row of white dots on each side. It has no back flap. The adult males bear a round head flap/crest.
The western basilisk has beenintroduced toGorgona Island, Colombia. This species is not native to the island, and thus, is endangering native species that reside on the island, such as the endemicblue anole (Anolis gorgonae).
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