Our Jesus Christ! Lizard
We’ve all heard of the so-called Jesus Christ Lizard – famous for walking (or, to be precise, running) on water. Those with a keen eye have no doubt witnessed this miracle – performed, chaotically, by any one of three Basilisk species that call Costa Rica home. These animals can get pretty big which makes their feats that much more impressive.
The basilisk runs in an upright position – its back is straight, hind legs are in the water and its front legs are held up over the surface, on the sides of its body. The leg movements are quick and it can be hard to distinguish what is going on as the legs are very fast and often shielded behind splashing water.
HOW CAN THE BASILISKS RUN ON WATER?
The key to running on water lies between the Basilisks’ long toes – in the form of large flaps. The flaps, with their huge surface area, help to create resistance against the water and also are able to trap air bubbles which push back on the lizards’ feet – allowing the Basilisks to stay on the surface as they quickly lift and submerge their legs and toe flaps. The toe flaps stay tucked in during the normal course of the day but, when its time to run on water, the Basilisks spread their toes open to activate their secret weapon. Speed is the key – the forward momentum allows the lizard to quickly rotate their feet in and out of the water. As speed is lost, so is the ability to stay on top of the surface. The top speed of a basilisk over the surface of the water is an impressive 25 kph or 15 mph.
Smaller basilisks can run a much further distance due to their reduced size – up to 20 meters or more while mature Basilisk can cover a distance of about 5 meters before sinking into the waters and reverting to traditional swimming – they may also choose to stay underwater for up to one hour. The smaller lizards are lighter and thus can maintain the required speed for a longer time, and are able to keep more of their body above water while they run thus reducing drag which would otherwise slow them down.
The movement is accomplished in three distinct steps. The first step, called SLAP, is when the lizard moves its leg downward thus slapping water out of the way – this allows the lizard to push itself upwards from the water. The air trapped under its webbed foot provides additional resistance. The second step, STROKE, is the backward movement of the foot which propels the lizard forward. And finally, the RECOVERY is when the foot is pulled out of the water in preparation for a repeat of the cycle. A basilisk may finish a couple of complete repetitions of each step within the span of a single second.
Running on water is mostly a defensive maneuver, a way to escape potential predators. Another defensive adaptation of the Basilisk is the ability to burrow in sand – a ring of muscles in the nostrils prevent sand from getting into their respiratory system.
THREE LOCAL BASILISKS
There are four basilisk species, three of which live in Costa Rica: the Common, Plumbed and Brown Basilisk. The Western / Red Headed Basilisk is only found in Colombia and Ecuador. Their greater range stretches from southern Mexico into the norther areas of the amazon rainforest. These animals are not at any risk of extinction and are quite common around their range and in Costa Rica. They can often be seen sunning themselves around swimming pools, carparks, and even tree branches.
THE ORIGION OF THE NAME
In Greek Mythology, a creature called the Basilisk had the power to turn a man to stone just by its gaze – in addition to its toxic breath and venom so potent it could kill at a distance. Born from a toad or serpent’s egg, the basilisk has the head and legs of a rooster and the body of a serpent – often with dragon-like wings. Our basilisk lizards were honored to be named after the feared mythical monster. Perhaps the basilisk’s large, chicken-like legs and rooster-like crest contributed to this honor, not to mention the nearly supernatural ability to run on water!
HABITAT AND DIET
Basilisks can be found near freshwater rivers, streams, ponds and lakes. They frequent the water areas during the day where they hunt for food. At night, they retreat into the trees to stay safe from predators. The animal prefers forested areas between sea level and 600m, but in Costa Rica they can sometimes be found at elevations of 1,200m or higher.
The main diet of basilisks are insects and worms – but they have also been known to hunt fish, birds, rodents, snakes, lizards, amphibians, shrimps and other animals. When meat is scarce, basilisks can feed on fruit, nuts and seeds.
SIZE
Basilisks generally grow to 75 cm / 2.5 feet in length including the tail but some individuals can stretch to over a meter long. The hatchlings are tiny, at 4 cm or 2.5 inches – but they do grow up very quickly. A basilisk never stops growing although the rate of growth slows as the animals becomes older.
WHERE TO SEE THE BASILISK?
Any area close to fresh water can be a potential home to basilisks – I have seen them running on the waters of a freshwater pond near the south end of Playa Ventanas, been acquainted with the resident basilisk that lives near a swimming pool, and have seen numerous smaller basilisks run on the water holes of jungle rivers. If you walk along the edge of freshwater streams or ponds it should not be long before you scare a resident basilisk into running on the water in opposite direction – and of course be mindful that other, much larger creatures also like to lurk in similar habitats, especially oceanside ponds! The action happens way too quickly so put away your camera and just enjoy the spectacle.
Exotic animals at your doorsteps – who here hasn’t seen a Jesus Christ Lizard run across their swimming pool, stopped their car so a Sloth could safely (and s-l-o-w-l-y) cross the road, or watched a Toucan help itself to their orchard fruit? if this is your idea of paradise, why aren’t you here yet? RE/MAX WE SELL PARADISE is your trusted partner in the beautiful, tropical, exotic COSTA RICA – start by exploring our listings database here.
