Red-headed basilisk
The western basilisk, or red-headed basilisk (Basiliscus galeritus ), is a large species of lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is endemic to northwestern South America.
The specific name, galeritus, which is Latin, means "wearing a hood", referring to the head crest.
Males of B. galeritus reach a total length (including tail) up to about 77.5 cm (30.5 in), while females reach about 63.5 cm (25.0 in). 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.
B. galeritus inhabits forests at altitudes of 0–1,600 m (0–5,249 ft) 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.
