Basilisk

The green basilisk and brown basilisk are large, fast-growing omnivorous lizards from Central America best known for running across water. They're insectivorous as hatchlings and grow steadily more omnivorous with age, taking on more plant matter and larger prey past about 16 inches. Basilisks are also notoriously skittish and prone to stress in captivity, so a calm, low-disturbance feeding routine matters as much as diet composition.

Note: sourcing here is thinner than most other pages — no vet-school or AZA care sheet exists for this species. The numbers below rest on specialist reptile-care sources rather than a vet-authored source.

What to Feed

Staple insects: dubia roaches and earthworms, rotated for variety. Mealworms/superworms are acceptable but limited for young basilisks — mealworms are high-fat and can be difficult for juveniles to digest. Never feed insects larger than the basilisk's head. Never offer fruit to young basilisks. Adults: leafy greens daily, fruit (berries, mango, cantaloupe, papaya) as an occasional treat only — high sugar.

Feeding Schedule

• Hatchlings (under ~3 mo): insects daily — X-Small dubia roach nymphs (about 50/week)
• Juveniles (under ~16 in): insects plus salad every other day — Small dubia roach nymphs (about 50/week)
• Subadults/adults (over ~16 in): insects every 3–5 days, salad daily — Large dubia roach nymphs (about 25–50/week)

Gut-Loading & Dusting

Gut-load 24–48 hours before feeding (a general cross-species convention; no basilisk-specific timing has been published). Dust with calcium every feeding for hatchlings/juveniles. Run UVB (e.g. a T5 HO 10.0 or Arcadia Desert 12% tube) positioned roughly 13–18 in. above a basking branch, 12 hours a day — properly run UVB provides the vitamin D3 this species needs, so a separate D3 dusting isn't necessary on top of it.

Common Mistakes

• Insects too large for the lizard's head
• Too many mealworms/superworms for young basilisks (fat, digestibility)
• Fruit fed to hatchlings/juveniles, or more than occasional for adults
• Disturbing or overhandling around feeding — this species does not tolerate much handling, is territorial, and uses water-running as a stress response, so feed with tongs rather than by hand
• Housing multiple males together — females are documented very aggressive feeders that compete with males