NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Brown Basilisk
Basiliscus vittatus Wiegmann, 1828
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The brown basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus), also commonly referred to as the striped basilisk, is a species of basilisk lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is native to Mexico, Central America and adjacent northwestern Colombia, and has been introduced into the U.S. state of Florida as an invasive species. The brown basilisk has large hind feet with narrow flaps of skin on the distal edge of each toe. The fact that it moves quickly across water gives it the appearance of "walking on water".
Wikipedia contributors, Brown basilisk; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:08:42.132751+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Basiliscus vittatus Wiegmann, 1828
- Name authority
- Wiegmann, 1828
- Common name
- Brown Basilisk
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Corytophanidae
- Genus
- Basiliscus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderIguania
- familyCorytophanidae
- genusBasiliscus
- speciesBasiliscus vittatus Wiegmann, 1828
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Basiliscus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Common BasiliskBasiliscus basiliscus (Linnaeus, 1758) | CorytophanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Green BasiiskBasiliscus plumifrons Cope, 1875 | CorytophanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Western BasiliskBasiliscus galeritus Duméril, 1851 | CorytophanidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Daconura bivittata Hallowell, 1861 Hallowell, 1861 | synonym |
| Basiliscus (Cristasaura) nuchalis Cope, 1863 Cope, 1863 | synonym |
| Dactylocalotes elisa Werner, 1893 Werner, 1893 | synonym |
| Cristasaurus mitrella Gray, 1852 Gray, 1852 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Basiliscus&species=vittatus Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:68CY8. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.