What are they?First of all, I'd like to tell you guys what type of basilisk I'm talking about here. It's not the mobile artillery piece most people here think, but rather the lizard variety. They come in a small number of colours, mainly green and brown (depending upon the species).
Why consider a Basilisks?Basilisks are beautify creatures, and may considered a "part-time" pet in that they require some maintaince, but not to the extremes that say cats or dogs to. Cats you have to feed every single day, whereas Basilisks you can get away with just a little check over their tank once a day, spray a little water if need be and top up their food supply as nessecary.
Not only that, but they are quite cool to keep as pets, and retain that "exotic" facet to their existence, unlike the more commonly procured lizards which people keep as pets, for example bearded dragons.
The Basilisk ItselfA Basilisk is a variety of lizard renowned for it's ability to literally run across the surface of water and grow up to about 3 ft long (2/3rds of it is tail though). Males generally have crest on their heads which is one of the major ways to tell their sexes apart. I have included a number of pictures of various species of Basilisk for you guys to look over:
Green Basilisk 1Green Basilisk 1Green Basilisk 3Brown Basilisk 1Brown Basilisk 2Brown Basilisk 3Brown Basilisk 4RequirementsBasilisks, as mentioned earlier, are lizards. They have the same maintaince requirements as other lizards. You'll need a light for them and sometimes these can be installed into their tanks, or if you've got a glass tank, you can keep the light outside the tank if need be. They also require their vitamins, which is generally few and far between, depending upon what type of vitamins you get. This comes in a variety of different types, including vitamins you give your crickets (the Basilisks food) which in turn go into the Basilisk, or these powdered vitamins which you "dust" your crickets before giving them to your lizard.
They also require fairly high humidity (so fairly regular misting with clean water from a spray bottle) and ideally, they should have some water to spend some time in (bowl of water is adequate for smaller Basilisks) and they also require a heat mat somewhere in the tank so they can get heat.
Space considerations are also important, and you'll be needing a minimum of a 3ft tank, and the bigger the better. I myself have a 3ft tank with this cage on top (with a towel draped over it to keep the humidity levels high) - it was a comprimise between afford ability and space really.
BehaviourBasilisks are not aggressive (unless corner, but then again any animal can turn on you if cornered
) although they will bite if they feel they have no other recourse. Handling them is simply a matter of catching them (approach from behind their heads to avoid being bitten
). Basilisks will open their mouths as a threat display to say they'll bite if your not careful and will try to flee 95% of the time.
Please also note that Striped (also known as Brown) Basilisk are far more "skittish" then the Green (also known as Plumed) Basilisk, with the green ones being calmer and more docile (which also attract a higher price tag in my experience).
Buying the BasiliskBefore you make the commitment to the Basilisk, it is vitally important that you do your research. A couple of questions should be asked before you think of committing.
- Do I have the time in the long term to properly care for the basilisk(s)?
- Am I willing to put up with handling the food items?
- Am I willing to put up with the constant chirping of crickets, if I decide to use them as food?
- Is the food readily available and affordable?
If the answer to any of the above questions is a no, I suggest you really think about keeping a Basilisk.
You'll also find that Green Basilisks are more expensive then Striped ones, and that may play a factor in your choosing (when I got my Yoshi (Green), she cost me £50, and when I got Jaws (Striped Basilisk), he cost my £35) and it is highly recommended that you
don't keep two males of any species together as they will fight and injury (and even kill) each other. One male and multiple females is acceptable though.
Feeding/HandlingAs mentioned earlier, Basilisks are fed on crickets, but will also eat pinkie mice, and strangely enough, I find Striped Basilisks easier to hand feed (as they open their mouths alot and you can just pop in their food
). The Green ones take a little longer to feed as you have to get them to open their mouths, but then again, I also find Yoshi is more of the active hunter and Jaws is pretty lazy when it comes to hunting.
When handling them, grab them behind their head and before their front legs (roughly where their shoulders are is the best place to grab one - but you have to be quick, they can wiggle and may even escape from your grasp if your not careful). When you've got them free of their tanks, you can hold them in your hand and be aware they can jump and will willingly do so if you frighten them. If you handle a Basilisk enough and your confident you can judge their "moods" then you can release your grip and let them crawl onto your arm
.
Legal Concerns/Responsibilities/Other NotesYou may need a permit or license to keep Basilisks, depending upon your local laws. Your local exotic pet shop will have a good idea of whether you need a license to keep them or not and so I would consult them, but I know in the UK, they require no permit to keep.
Another concern is your family. Although they are
your[i/] pets, they may harm others (or be hurt) by others (particularly young children who are too curious and open their cages). If your living alone, then the risks are minimum, but if your living with friends or family, you'll be needing to think carefully where to keep them before you buy them. There is also the concern that young children may hurt themselves on the light (as they do get extremely hot). If your in doubt, don't get a Basilisk!
If you have any questions, please PM me or ask here .
This article is a continuation of a small number of articles I've wrote.
Here are some more you may want to read if your interested in keeping exotic pets:
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Topic: The Jesus Lizard - A Guide to keeping Basilisks (Read 1137 times)