All printables
Common Basilisk — printable fact sheet
Free to print or save as PDF. Great for classrooms, homeschooling, and young explorers.
Creature Atlas
Animal Fact Sheet
Name: ____________________
Date: ____________________
Common Basilisk
Basiliscus basiliscus
Basiliscus basiliscus of Central American streamsides is the original "Jesus Christ lizard," and the physics of its water-running is better understood than most people assume. Each hind foot carries a fringe of scales that unfurls on the downstroke, widening the foot and driving…
Did you know?
- The Common Basilisk's unique water-running ability is due to its rapid movement and specialized toe fringes that slap the water, creating enough lift to keep the lizard above the surface for several seconds.
- Studies of the running gait found that a basilisk generates enough upward force for its weight only for the first fraction of each step — the rest of the stroke is spent extracting the foot before the air cavity closes. A human would have to run at roughly 100 km/h with enormous feet to reproduce the effect. Basilisks sleep on branches overhanging water so that a disturbance drops them straight into the stream. The plumed basilisk of the same genus is the bright green species usually pictured; the true common basilisk is a plainer brown animal with a pale stripe.
What I learned
Draw the common basilisk
© Creature Atlas · www.creatureatlas.com · Free for classroom & personal use
Want the whole set?
Get printable fact-sheet packs, coloring pages, and classroom worksheet bundles for dozens of animals — ready to download and print.
Browse printable packsGet a free printable each week
Join the newsletter for a new Creature of the Week + printables.