NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Common Basilisk
Basiliscus basiliscus (Linnaeus, 1758)
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 common basilisk (Basiliscus basiliscus) is a species of lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is endemic to Central America and South America, where it is found near rivers and streams in rainforests. It is also known as the Jesus Christ lizard, Jesus lizard, South American Jesus lizard, or lagarto de Jesus Cristo for its ability to run on the surface of water.
Wikipedia contributors, Common basilisk; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:47:32.527049+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Basiliscus basiliscus (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Name authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Common name
- Common 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 basiliscus (Linnaeus, 1758)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Brown BasiliskBasiliscus vittatus Wiegmann, 1828 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Basiliscus mitratus Daudin, 1802 Daudin, 1802 | synonym |
| Basiliscus americanus Laurenti, 1768 Laurenti, 1768 | synonym |
| Basiliscus guttulatus Cope, 1876 Cope, 1876 | synonym |
| Lacerta basiliscus Linnaeus, 1758 Linnaeus, 1758 | synonym |
| Basiliscus barbouri Ruthven, 1914 Ruthven, 1914 | synonym |
| Lophosaura goodridgii Gray, 1852 Gray, 1852 | synonym |
| Ophryessa bilineata Gray, 1839 Gray, 1839 | 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=basiliscus 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:68CY9. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.