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Basiliscus galeritus

Basiliscus galeritus

Duméril, 1851

Family: Iguanidae
Order: Squamata
Class: Reptilia
Phylum / Division: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia

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Records from Mindo


Description


The western basilisk (Basiliscus galeritus) is a large species of lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is endemic to northwestern South America.

Etymology: The specific name, galeritus, which is Latin, means "wearing a hood", referring to the head crest.

Habitat and geographic range: B. galeritus inhabits forests at altitudes of in western Colombia and western Ecuador in South America. Earlier reports of its occurrence in Central America are mistaken and actually refer to young of the closely related common basilisk.

Conservation status: The western basilisk is common and not threatened.

 Males of B. galeritus reach a total length (including tail) up to about , while females reach about . 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.

Invasive species: The western basilisk has been introduced to Gorgona Island, Colombia. This species is not native to the island, and thus, is endangering native species that reside on the island, such as the endemic blue anole (Anolis gorgonae).

Source: Wikipedia, article Basiliscus galeritus. Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Accessed on 17/07/2026.





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Foto
Photography ID: 226946
  Adult

Mindo
Pichincha
Ecuador
10/27/2017
Manuel Godoy



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Page 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
63830527/10/2017EcuadorPichinchaMindoManuel Godoy
Page 1

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Recommended citation
Please use the following reference when citing this species account.
EcoRegistros. 2026. Basiliscus galeritus – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 15/09/2026.