Photo of the day: Brown Basilisk Lizard, aka “Jesus Christ Lizard” for its ability to walk (really run) on water. When I first saw this fellow, I thought, “It’s Toothless from the movie How To Train Your Dragon”, but my brainiac boyfriend crushed my celebrity fantasy by calling him by his actual nickname, Jesus. I did not get to see him perform miracles, but this lizard can spin his back legs and ride the water like riding a bicycle. Click the link at the bottom of the page to see National Geographic footage of the Jesus Lizard in action. The brown basilisk is native to Mexico and parts of South America and was likely brought over to Florida as a pet. Non-native iguanas, anoles and curly-tailed lizards thrive in the South Florida climate and roam wild in most backyards. Now, everyone in South Florida has a pet lizard.
See Toothless, I mean, Jesus Lizard in action.