The earliest known mention of the basilisk comes from Pliny the Elder in Natural History, an encyclopedic work that he published in 79 C.E. He described it as a small, serpent-like creature about ...

The green basilisk lizard is also called a plumed or double-crested basilisk; but its amazing ability to run on water gives this species its most recognizable moniker: the Jesus Christ lizard.

Its circular outline encloses the shape of a mythical creature: the basilisk. Found over 100 miles from Warsaw, the newly discovered pilgrim’s badge probably “served as a kind of talisman ...