Basiliscus ( genus ) - wikipedia Basiliscus ( genus ) Basilisks Brown basilisk, Basiliscus vittatus, Costa Rica Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Reptilia Order : Squamata Suborder : Iguania Family : Corytophanidae Genus : Basiliscus Laurenti, 1768 Species Basiliscus basiliscus Basiliscus galeritus Basiliscus plumifrons Basiliscus vittatus Basiliscus is a genus of large corytophanid lizards, commonly known as basilisks, which are endemic to southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. They are commonly known as the Jesus Christ lizard, or simply the Jesus lizard, due to their ability to run across water for significant distances before sinking. Contents 1 Taxonomy and etymology 2 Physiology 3 Running on water 4 Other defense mechanisms 5 Habitat 6 Classification 7 References 8 External links Taxonomy and etymology Both the generic name, Basiliscus, and the common name, `` basilisk '', derive from the Greek basilískos ( βασιλίσκος ) meaning `` little king ''. The specific epithet, vittatus, which is Latin for `` striped '', was given in Carl Linnaeus ' 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Physiology The basilisk has blue spots and a yellow iris, on average measures 70 to 75 mm ( 2.8 to 3.0 in ), and weighs about 80 grams ( 2.8 ounces ). Its growth is perpetual, fast when they are young and nonlinear for mature basilisks. Its long crest - like sails, reinforced in three distinct points ( head, back, and tail ), confer the impression of creatures such as Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus. Its skin is shed in pieces. Running on water The basilisk sometimes runs as a biped. Basilisks have the unique ability to `` run '' on water and, because of this, they have been dubbed as `` The Jesus Christ lizard '' in reference to the biblical passage of Matthew 14 : 22 - 34. On water, the basilisk can run at a velocity of 1.5 meters ( 4.9 feet ) per second for approximately 4.5 meters ( 15 feet ) before sinking on all fours and swimming. Flaps between their toes help support the basilisk, creating a larger surface and pockets of air, giving them the lift needed to run across water. They can also sustain themselves on all fours while `` water - walking '' to increase the distance travelled above the surface by about 1.3 meters ( 4.3 feet ). Other defense mechanisms The basilisk can burrow into sand to hide from predators ; a ring of muscles around both nostrils prevents sand from entering the basilisk 's nose. Habitat Abundant in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Ecuador and Venezuela. Recently introduced to Florida, it has adapted to the colder winters by burrowing into the leaf litter for warmth. Current reports sight the basilisk as far north as Fort Pierce, on the state 's East Coast, where small groups have crept up the North Fork of the Saint Lucie River. Mainly they have been seen in Boca Raton and other cities in Palm Beach County. As recent as September 2015, a basilisk was spotted in a Miami residential neighborhood. One was captured and released in Port St. Lucie, Florida on 5 / 12 / 2017. Classification Genus Basiliscus Common basilisk, Basiliscus basiliscus ( Linnaeus, 1758 ) Red - headed basilisk, Basiliscus galeritus A.M.C. Duméril & A. Duméril, 1851 Plumed basilisk, Basiliscus plumifrons Cope, 1875 Striped or brown basilisk, Basiliscus vittatus Wiegmann, 1828 References Jump up ^ Robert George Sprackland ( 1992 ). Giant lizards. Neptune, NJ : T.F.H. Publications. ISBN 0 - 86622 - 634 - 6. Jump up ^ How `` Jesus Lizards '' Walk on Water. News.nationalgeographic.com. Retrieved on 2010 - 08 - 19. Jump up ^ Basiliscus, The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Jump up ^ Basiliscus plumifrons, The Reptile Database External links Jesus Lizard Robot An attempt at building a robotic version of the Jesus Lizard How `` Jesus Lizards '' Walk on Water Jesus Lizards Walk on Water Video Taxon identifiers Wd : Q256400 ADW : Basiliscus EoL : 795615 Fossilworks : 202944 iNaturalist : 33117 ITIS : 173907 NCBI : 52190 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Basiliscus_(genus)&oldid=790711484 '' Categories : Corytophanidae Taxa named by Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti Lizard genera Hidden categories : Articles with ' species ' microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from June 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikispecies Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Català Cebuano Dansk Deutsch Español Euskara Français 한국어 Hrvatski Italiano עברית ქართული Қазақша മലയാളം Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska ไทย Українська Tiếng Việt Winaray Edit links This page was last edited on 15 July 2017, at 15 : 56. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what type of lizard can walk on water
Answer: Basiliscus