biology

Western basilisk

Western basilisk is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Western basilisk rather than just read about it. In short: The western basilisk (Basiliscus galeritus) is a large species of lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is endemic to northwestern South America.

Key takeaways

Western basilisk belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Western basilisk to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Western basilisk from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

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 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.

Conservation status The western basilisk is common and not threatened.

Description 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.

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).

References

Further reading Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. Iguanidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I-XXIV. (Basiliscus galeritus, pp. 110–111). Duméril AMC, Duméril AHA (1851). Catalogue méthodique de la collection des reptiles du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris [Systematic Catalogue of the Collection of Reptiles of the Museum of Natural History of Paris]. Paris: Gide et Baudry / Roret. 224 pp. (Basiliscus galeritus, new species, p. 61). (in French).

External links

Basiliscus galeritus photograph

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Western basilisk

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Western basilisk claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Western basilisk before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Western basilisk ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Western basilisk

In research: Western basilisk appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Western basilisk in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Western basilisk is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Basiliscus, IUCN Red List least concern species, Lizard stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Western basilisk outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Western basilisk in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Western basilisk means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Western basilisk out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Western basilisk in simple terms?

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

Why does Western basilisk matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Western basilisk?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Western basilisk.