Megalania (Varanus priscus) is an extinct species of giant monitor lizard, [1] part of the megafaunal assemblage that inhabited Australia during the Pleistocene. It is the largest terrestrial lizard known to have existed, but the fragmentary nature of …

Megalania prisca, the largest terrestrial lizard known, was a giant goanna (monitor lizard). First described from the Darling Downs in Queensland by Sir Richard Owen in 1859, Megalania lived in a variety of eastern Australian Pleistocene habitats - open …

May 27, 2024 · Megalania, which means “Giant Romer” in Greek, was a very large Australian lizard that existed at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch. The first Megalania fossil discovery is attributed to English naturalist, Richard Owen, who named the animal Megalania prisca.

Jun 2, 2023 · Megalania, a very huge Australian lizard that lived at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch and whose name means "Giant Romer" in Greek, was once common. Richard Owen, an English naturalist, is credited with finding the first Megalania fossil, which he …

Megalania (Varanus prisca) was a giant monitor lizard that lived in southern Australia. It was part of a species of megafauna that lived during the Pleistocene, and appears to have disappeared around 40,000 years ago. The first Aboriginal settlers of …

Apr 25, 2017 · Megalania, an extinct giant goanna or monitor lizard is the largest terrestrial lizard that ever existed on Earth.

Mar 9, 2025 · No, the Megalania (Varanus priscus), a colossal monitor lizard that once roamed Australia, is not believed to be alive today. Scientists estimate that this apex predator went extinct approximately 40,000 years ago , coinciding with the arrival of Aboriginal Australians and significant changes in the Australian megafauna.

May 21, 2024 · Megalania was a giant lizard, between 4.5 m (15 ft) and 7.9 m (26 ft) (depending on which size estimate you trust) in length, with a weight of between 331 kg (730 lb) and 600 kg (1,300 lb). Its name means "ancient giant roamer", not "ancient giant butcher" as some mistaken descriptions assert.

Jun 24, 2024 · Megalania is a world record breaker for being the largest land lizard that ever existed. It was an absolute massive killing machine of Australia's ice ages and one of the apex predators in the time of the Pleistocene. Narrator: Megalania stomps from its forest lair.

Learn about Varanus priscus, also called Megalania, the world’s largest lizard.