Basiliscus vittatus, commonly known as the Brown or Striped Basilisk, is found throughout southern Mexico, parts of Central America, and into Colombia. Basiliscus basiliscus, the Common Basilisk, is distributed throughout Central America and Colombia. Basilisk, inhabits western Colombia and Ecuador up through Central America. Lastly, the Green Basilisk, Basiliscus plumifrons, is resident to Central American rain forests in Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. Upon maturity, raised dorsal and caudal fins appear and give them an exotic and enchanting appearance.
Males tend to be highly territorial and keeping multiple males in small enclosures is inadvisable.
Fighting will almost always occur, resulting in dominance over weaker males which will not thrive under such stress. Males tend to exhibit head bobbing as both a threat gesture and a courtship behavior to attract potential mates. Female basilisks are comparatively smaller and lack the ornamental fins of their male counterparts. These lizards are arboreal and prefer locations near water. Being easily frightened, the lizard will drop from a branch overhanging a pool of water and scurry off to seek protection.