---
title: "Helmleguaan"
description: "Corytophanes cristatus — Reptielen. The smooth helmeted iguana (Corytophanes cristatus), also known as the helmeted iguana, the helmeted basilisk, the elegant helmeted lizard, and several other common names, is a species of Basilisk and a New World lizard in the family Corytophanidae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/nl/animal/helmeted-iguana
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Helmleguaan

> Corytophanes cristatus — Reptielen. The smooth helmeted iguana (Corytophanes cristatus), also known as the helmeted iguana, the helmeted basilisk, the elegant helmeted lizard, and several other common names, is a species of Basilisk and a New World lizard in the family Corytophanidae.

- Scientific name: *Corytophanes cristatus*
- Category: `reptiles` (Reptielen)
- Habitats: `forest` (Bos), `jungle` (Jungle)
- iNaturalist observations: 3589
- Wikidata: [Q555740](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q555740)
- iNaturalist taxon: [83516](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/83516)

## Names

- en: Helmeted Iguana
- de: Helmleguan
- es: Turipache cabeza lisa
- fr: Basilic casqué
- nl: Helmleguaan

## Countries with the most observations

CR (2648), PA (239), HN (151), MX (137), BZ (92), CO (75), GT (37), NI (24)

## Summary

The smooth helmeted iguana (Corytophanes cristatus), also known as the helmeted iguana, the helmeted basilisk, the elegant helmeted lizard, and several other common names, is a species of Basilisk and a New World lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is native to southern Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smooth_helmeted_iguana

## Photo

![Helmleguaan](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/helmeted-iguana/medium.jpg)

Photo: Tia Tyler · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/359915643

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/helmeted-iguana?lang=nl` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).