ZooWeird 42

A doggerel series about odd or little-known animals.

Jesus Christ lizard is a weird name for an animal, but there is a good reason why B. basiliscus is named this way. It can walk, or better, run on the surface of water! This crazy evolutionary trait allows individuals to easily escape terrestrial predators. … The species is also widely known as the common basilisk. As a sidenote: The Jesus Christ nickname is routinely used for other species of the same genus that also have the ability to run on water. (All animal info from http://www.strangeanimals.info/2010/12/jesus-christ-lizard.html#ixzz4VC8Y9Td5).

It walks on water … well, it runs …

Escaping predators it fears.

These creatures are amazing ones

That must impress their startled peers.

“You see that dude? He’s on the lake!

And is not sinking to his death!

Oh, this must be some weird mistake—

So now I’ll pause; I’ll take a breath;

I’ll look again,” this lizard said,

“And see if he has sunk below.”

But, no, the runner wasn’t dead—

Or even wet, if you must know.

But when this witness, on the shore,

Told others what his eyes just saw,

They tied him up—put him away—

Somewhere, I hear, in Arkansas.