Corytophanidae

Corytophanids are found from Mexico, through Central America, and as far south as Ecuador.

Certain species are now extant in South Florida which are considered invasive.

The casquehead lizards are moderately sized lizards, with laterally compressed bodies, and typically have well-developed head crests in the shape of a casque helmet. This crest is a sexually dimorphic characteristic in males of Basiliscus, but is present in both sexes of Corytophanes and Laemanctus.[5]

In Corytophanes, the head crests are used in defensive displays, where the lateral aspect of the body is brought about to face a potential predator in an effort to look bigger.[5] Unlike many of their close relatives, they are unable to break off their tails when captured, probably because the tail is essential as a counterbalance during rapid movement.

Casquehead lizards are forest-dwelling.

Despite the small number of species in the family Corytophanidae, it includes both egg-laying species and species that give birth to live young.[4]

Family Corytophanidae[6]

• Genus Basiliscus
  • Basiliscus basiliscus (Linnaeus, 1758) — common basilisk
  • Basiliscus galeritus A.M.C. Duméril & A.H.A. Duméril, 1851 — red-headed basilisk, western basilisk
  • Basiliscus plumifrons Cope, 1875 — green basilisk, plumed basilisk
  • Basiliscus vittatus Wiegmann, 1828 — brown basilisk, striped basilisk
• Genus Corytophanes
  • Corytophanes cristatus (Merrem, 1820) — helmeted iguana
  • Corytophanes hernandesii (Wiegmann, 1831) — Hernandez's helmeted basilisk
  • Corytophanes percarinatus A.H.A. Duméril, 1856 — Guatemalan helmeted basilisk
• Genus Laemanctus
  • Laemanctus julioi McCranie, 2018
  • Laemanctus longipes Wiegmann, 1834 — eastern casquehead iguana
  • Laemanctus serratus Cope, 1864 — serrated casquehead iguana
  • Laemanctus waltersi Schmidt, 1933

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a different genus.

• Fitzinger L (1843). Systema Reptilium, Fasciculus Primus, Amblyglossae. Vienna: Braumüller & Seidel. 106 pp. + indices. (Family Corythophanae, p. 52). (in Latin).
• Pough FH, Andrews RM, Cadle JE, Crump ML, Savitsky AH, Wells KD (2003). Herpetology, Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. 736 pp. ISBN 978-0131008496. (Corytophanidae, p. 129).