Dinosaurs & Prehistory - Other prehistoric animals - Megalania - Australian megafauna - Pleistocene - Extinct animals
What size record does Megalania hold according to current research?
Correct!
Megalania was a gigantic monitor lizard that lived in Australia during the Pleistocene. Today the animal is usually listed as Varanus priscus and is therefore assigned to the same genus as numerous monitor lizards living today. The Australian Museum describes it as the largest known land-dwelling lizard. How big Megalania actually became cannot be determined down to the centimeter because of the incomplete fossil material. The Australian Museum states a length of up to around five meters, while the Queensland Museum assumes specimens to be up to around six meters. Megalania was neither a dinosaur nor a crocodile, but a huge monitor lizard. The Queensland Museum also describes Varanus priscus as being closely related to today's monitor lizards such as the Komodo dragon. The animal belonged to the spectacular Australian megafauna of the Pleistocene. Fossils of Varanus priscus have been found along with remains of other giant animals such as Diprotodon and large kangaroos.
According to current research, Megalania or Varanus priscus is considered the largest known land-dwelling lizard.
